At ADO Den Haag, against FC Eindhoven, in comparison with the duel against NAC Breda, striker Thomas Verheydt returned to the team. The wardrobe on football boots was struggling with back problems, but appeared at the kick-off before the important game. The 30-year-old striker signed this season in the regular competition and KNVB Cup for 34 goals and 7 assists in 39 games and has therefore played a large part in the success of the Hagenaars. Verheydt also forms a good couple with Sem Steijn, who will play for FC Twente next season.
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FC Eindhoven, which had been waiting for promotion for 45 years, had finished in a good third place in the regular competition, came out fresh and fruity in the Cars Jeans Stadium, which was well filled for the play-off match with about 11,000 supporters.
Canadian international Charles-Andreas Brym could have given the Brabanders a flying start, but he failed face to face with Alessandro Damen, who was goalkeeper due to the illness of new first man Hugo Wentges. Damen was also ready for a header by Jort van de Sande moments later.
The confidence that FC Eindhoven drew from the good opening phase was dashed when ADO Den Haag took the lead through a beautiful goal by Dhoraso Klas. The fiercely playing ADO took matters into their own hands and FC Eindhoven was frequently bluffed in the duels. Who else but Verheydt crowned this strong phase with a goal. Verheydt gave the home team a bigger lead with a mighty header from a great distance, which fell through the post.
Congratulations to Thomas Verheydt (middle) after the 2-0 for ADO.
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The chunky striker is immensely popular in The Hague, the city where he grew up and attended ADO’s training. It would not come to a breakthrough at that time and Verheydt ended up in amateur football with Jodan Boys, IJsselmeervogels and Scheveningen. Only at the age of 23 did MVV give him a chance in professional football and via Crawley Town, Go Ahead Eagles and Almere City he returned this season to his own city, where Verheydt is experiencing the best season of his career.
With a 2-0 lead at halftime, it looked good for ADO and FC Eindhoven had to be careful that the return in the Jan Louwers Stadium would not be relieved of the tension by a large defeat in The Hague. But the team of trainer Rob Penders, who has a lot of footballing ability, gradually grew in the game after the break. FC Eindhoven let the ball pass more easily than the home team and was rewarded with the connecting goal.
Referee Jochem Kamphuis pointed to the spot when substitute Justin Ogenia was tapped in the penalty area by ADO defender Hervé Matthys. The opportunity was coolly used by Joey Sleegers, another phenomenon in the Kitchen Champion Division this season. In The Hague, 27-year-old Helmonder made his 24th goal of the season. Moments later, the Feyenoord-trained Brabanter was close to number 25, but a nice lob by Sleegers, which sailed over Damen, was removed in front of the goal by Jamal Amofa.
Joey Sleegers signed for FC Eindhoven’s away goal.
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After the throats of The Hague had blasted the well-known call for a quarter of an hour in The Hague, the home team again pushed willpower to increase the margin. But FC Eindhoven easily remained standing and therefore still has a chance to reach the final of the play-offs at home on Saturday against the winner of the duel between Excelsior and Heracles Almelo.