A week without a European trip is also a week that flies by and so we have to get used to it again. So today we can fully focus on the next opponent in the league, De Graafschap. Traditionally for us this is always an opponent to be reckoned with. So in the run-up to this match and in the discussion beforehand, attention is paid to that. Whether everyone listens to that is the next question.
We begin, as usual I am sorry to say, too weak to start the match. There is a chance for Geraldo but he shoots over the goal in a promising position. Then follows a messy period in which we make the wrong choices, no good ball touches and use the wrong running lines. (How do I make it up but it was all ........ not there).
But at one point it seems that the penny has dropped and we become a little stronger. We get more dominance but it also has to be said that de Graafschap remains dangerous. Just before half time there is a good chance for Elvio but his shot ends up on the cross. So we rest with the so-called glasses 0 - 0.
After the sermon in the break, we now have to prove our worth. And lo and behold in the 46th minute there is our Burak who sees the ball coming after a corner on the edge of the sixteen and after pointing out "Ikke ikke" he hits the ball into the net. The spell is broken and hopefully so is the Graafschap. About ten minutes later it is first Geraldo who scores the 2 - 0 and within three minutes it is Oussama who hits the net twice and the second goal is (it has to be said) of exceptional class. After an hour it is 4 - 0. Could the Graafschap really be broken?
The game drags on, but despite the large lead there is certainly no calmness or better and free play. In the 75th minute, de Graafschap manage to score the first goal and damn, they get hope for a good result again. This goal paralyzes us and gives de Graafschap wings again (as if they drank a liter of red bull) and after the 4 - 2 they also manage to connect in the 90th minute after some clumsy play by us in our own sixteen and it is suddenly 4 - 3. Fortunately for us, the referee, who played an excellent game, blew the whistle shortly thereafter and the three points stayed in Eindhoven after all.
But next Tuesday we can take revenge against Tottenham Hotspur in the Nextgen series.
Hopefully we will be there for the full match then. Take it from me that not only the first ten minutes of a match are important but the first ninety minutes of the match are important and you have to be fully there with your head if you want to achieve a good result in the end.
To Tuesday.


Jesse Bertrams, Burak Kardes (68th Joshua Brenet), Menno koch, Jorrit Hendrikx, Tufan Özbozkurt (62nd Wouter Soomer), Thomas Horsten, Elvio van Overbeek ( 62nd Moussa Sanoh), Farshad Noor (74th Alexander Jacobsen), Anthony van den Hurk, Oussama Tannane, Geraldo Alberto Antonio (62nd Mohames Rayhi)