Tom van Weert |

Throughout this year’s campaign, we have seen some great talents emerge as scouts from all over Europe honed in on them. Myself and the remainder of the staff at TotalDutchFootball.com have been assessing who can be declared as the best ‘Breakthrough Talent of the Season’.

All staff were asked to name their top three talents. Each first pick received three points, second place received two points and one point was awarded for the third pick. The results are below…

Winner – JESUS CORONA (FC Twente) 5 points

The little Mexican nicknamed “El Tecatito”, signed on a free transfer aged 20 from Liga MX side Monterrey after rejecting a new contract from the Mexican club in 2013. After taking a while to settle in under Albert Schreuder, Corona now 22-years-old, has shown he is perfect example of a pacy winger with a tremendous dribbling ability to torment full-backs down either flank.

He appeared in 27 games for Twente this year, notching nine goals and supplying four assists, showing to be a shining light, in a what has been a disappointing season for his side. Tecatito’s consistency has enhanced his already impressive skills. His speed and trickery make him a very elusive footballer who provides depth to the team, which results in goal opportunities.

Due to Twente’s crippling financial status, Corona looks to be moved on next season and could end up leaving the Eredivisie. However, the young Mexican has finally shone in Holland and he is surely set to raise a big chunk of funds for the Enschede club.

Joint 2nd – MARK UTH & SAM LARSSON (Heerenveen) 4 points

The Heerenveen pair have been surprising successes for Dwight Lodeweges this year. Both used as replacements for summer sales, Alfred Finnbogasson and Hakim Ziyech respectively have excelled. The stocky German striker, Uth has scored 15 times in 32 outings to become the club’s top scorer and managed to use his strength to hold the ball up and created 10 assists. Also notching goals is Swedish winger Larsson with eight with four assists. Both players have linked with moves away themselves this coming summer, not an unusual process for Heerenveen.

OTHERS

ALBERT RUSNAK (FC Groningen) 3 points

TJARONN CHERY (FC Groningen) 3 points

ANWAR EL GHAZI (Ajax) 3 points

TOM VAN WEERT (Excelsior) 2 points

TERENCE KONGOLO (Feyenoord) 2 points

WESLEY HOEDT (AZ) 1 point

NEMANJA GUDELJ (AZ) 1 point

DALEY SINKGRAVEN (Ajax) 1 point

BERTRAND TRAORE (Vitesse) 1 point

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TotalDutchFootball.com WorldFootballWeekly.com

SUNDAY 17TH AUGUST 2014

EXCELSIOR 3 – 2 GO AHEAD EAGLES

The newly promoted Excelsior grabbed a late three points in a five goal thriller against Go Ahead Eagles which saw Eagles keeper Eric Cummins get on the scoresheet writes Will Burns.

In front of small crowd of 3,213 inside the Stadion Woudestein, we saw a slow start to quiet an extraordinary game with neither side creating any clear cut chances.

However, the hosts took the lead with some great technique from young attacker Jordan Botaka on 19 minutes. Khalid Karami played a poor ball into the area, but the Eagles’ defence failed to clear and Botaka received the ball with his back to goal and instead of spinning and shooting he cheekily flicked a back heel past Erik Cummings to make it 1-0. It was fantastic technique to pull it off which left Eagles keeper Cummings completely dumbfounded.

As the rain poured down, the hosts did not take their foot off the pedal and went for a second goal and Botaka nearly had his second of the game when he was played in by the lively Daryl van Mieghem from the left wing. This time the winger failed to meet the target from close range, as his effort cannoned off the foot of the post.

The visitors should have been level before half-time when Deniz Türüç saw his low drive from the edge of the area booted off the line by Kevin van Diermen. The second half began as the first-half finished with the Eagles searching for the equaliser and came close soon after the interval through Marnix Kolder, however the striker dragged his effort wide.

Excelsior on the counter attack found a second goal just prior to the hour mark through Tom van Weert, although the striker did not much about the goal. Van Miegham shot towards goal but it was going wide until Van Weert stuck his knee out and diverted it past Cummins to make it 2-0.

The hosts were in the ascendancy and their tails were up but an extraordinary goal got Go Ahead back in the game. Goalkeeper Erik Cummins planted a long kick out of his hands up the field, and the ball bounced high just outside of Excelsior’s penalty area and over Jordy Deckers into the net.

Six minutes later, the game was level through defender Sven Nieuwpoort. Jop van der Linden whipped a free-kick into the box and the right-back escaped marker Van Weert to head home.

Five minutes from the end, lightning nearly struck twice when a long kick from Eagles keeper Cummins nearly caught out Deckers again, but the Excelsior stopped grabbed the ball much to the home crowd’s delight.

Four minutes into stoppage time, the home side clinched all three points after referee Jeroen Manschot awarded Excelsior a spot-kick after Turuc had deemed to foul Van der Linden in the area while tussling from a free-kick. Captain Sander Fischer coverted the penalty to clinch Excelsior their first win of the season.

TEAMS

EXCELSIOR: Deckers, Karami, Fischer, Van Diermen, Brito, Kruijs, Auassar, Stans (Vermeulen 84), Botaka, Van Weert (Maletic 76), Van Mieghem (Gouriye 62).

SUBS NOT USED: Mattheij, Damen, Hutten, Bovenberg.

GOALS: Botaka 19, van Weert 59, Fischer 90+4P.

BOOKINGS: Karami 84.

GO AHEAD: Cummins, Nieuwpoort, Vriends, Van der Linden, Schenk, Overgoor, Türüç, Van Ooijen (Rijsdjjk 66), De Sa (Reimerink 82), Kolder, Schalk (Lewis 76).

SUBS NOT USED: Van der Hart, De Bondt, Van der Meer, Ten Den.

GOALS: Cummins 69, Nieuwpoort 75.

BOOKINGS: Lewis 85, Vriends 89, Turuc 90+3.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Tom van Weert (Excelsior)