At least it's in your hands going into the final day, it would have been gutting to miss out on the title even though you won, after spending the large majority of the season in top spot. Come on Feyenoord!
14 May 2017
Feyenoord Crowned Champions Of Holland
Goals from Bilal Basacikoglu and Eljero Elia helped Feyenoord beat PEC Zwolle at the MAC3PARK Stadion on Sunday afternoon to life the Dutch title for the fifteenth time in their history. In a landmark achievement for the club under coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Feyenoord secured their first title since the turn of the millennium.
After failing to win away from home since February, the final game of the season took on added significance with the team needing to end their hoodoo on the road. The fixture had sold out in January, but there was more at stake than the fans might have hoped for even just over a month ago when Feyenoord had been in a position to go on and secure the title a little more comfortable. Whilst a draw may have been good enough, a win was the more favourable outcome if Feyenoord were to take the Eredivisie title despite having topped the table for the majority of the season.
The fans started to arrive at the stadium in the early morning and by kick off the place was rocking. The players entered the area to a rousing reception with flags raised in salute from the away end as the Legion packed out its capacity. The mood went from hope and expectation to sheer joy within 8 minutes when Nicolai Jorgensen fed Bilal Basacikoglu through on goal with the Turkish winger smashing his effort inside the PEC Zwolle keepers’ near post to give Feyenoord the lead.
The opener settled any nerves the visitors had as they took the game by the scruff of the neck although a second goal wasn’t forthcoming. The next goal of the game was scored, to the disappointment of the travelling legion by PEC Zwolle who sprang an efficient counter attack and Stefan Nijland was able to round off the move with a calm placed finish into the back of the net.
It wasn’t the scoreline that Feyenoord had wanted going into the half time break, but as the sides left the pitch on came club captain Dirk Kuyt. Returning to the club two years ago, Kuyt had said he wanted to win silverware and on the pitch he went over to the Feyenoord fans and encouraged them to make even more noise whilst putting an arm round each of his team mates to encourage them for the coming second half.
The second half was played at a much more frantic tempo with both sides wanting to claim a win either to end their season with a win or to seal their title aspirations with the silverware, and both sides went close, with Nijland hitting the post for the hosts and Marko Vejinovic for the visitors. However Feyenoord fans were sent into raptures in the first minute of stoppage time as Terence Kongolo’s floated cross found Stefan Berghuis in the penalty area with the on loan winger heading the ball back across goal to the incoming Eljero Elia who smashed a half volley past van der Hart in the PEC Zwolle goal to give Feyenoord the lead again. It led to an explosion of joy on the pitch and in the stands, with the players and staff in the Feyenoord technical area also showing their delight. The substitutes even ran onto the field of play to congratulate Elia in a dress rehearsal for the final whistle.
The fans were having a part of their own and nothing was going to stop them now as the final whistle duly came to confirm the victory and the title, with joyous scenes around the stadium, as Dirk Kuyt, a late substitution, lifted the Eredivisie title high above his head to end Feyenoord’s long wait for the trophy in what is rumoured to be his last appearance for the club.
Comments
Justice: I must admit I did drag it out a bit but I won’t lie I’ve enjoyed it
ScottT: Yeah it was a great opportunity! It would have been gutting to miss out but we didn’t!! CHAMPIONES! CHAMPIONES! OLAY OLAY OLAY!
