After three consecutive victories, Jong AZ had to recognize its superior in FC Eindhoven tonight. The Brabant team is still without points loss after four games. Former Telstar midfielder Ozan Kökcu scored the only goal of the game with his head.
Under the bar, trainer Maarten Martens opted for a debutant: the 18-year-old Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro. Zico Buurmeester and Maxim Dekker also started in the base. This duo was on the bench for the first time last night against the Portuguese Gil Vicente. Today they flew back to the Netherlands with a delay. As a result, they had to be picked up in Abcoude in order to be able to go to Eindhoven on time.
The Alkmaar promises started strong, without really getting any great opportunities. Iman Griffith appeared to be dangerous in the 11th minute, but played the ball too far in front of him, so his chance was lost.
Kökcu scores
After half an hour, the keeper of Jong AZ had to save on a header from Collin Seedorf. Owusu-Oduro just tapped the ball over. The home team became stronger in the latter part of the first half and that also translated into a lead: former Telstar player Ozan Kökcü headed the 1-0 against the ropes. A few minutes before that, Robin Lathouwers missed a great opportunity. He tipped the ball over keeper Nigel Bertrams, but missed the goal.
FC Eindhoven was also the dominant party in the second half. Feyenoord mercenary Naoufal Bannis was close to 2-0 after fifteen minutes. He brushed the ball into the far corner, but Owusu-Oduro saved with the fingertips.
Young AZ went looking for the equalizer, but the offensive came to a halt when Wouter Goes received a red card. The central defender knocked down the breakthrough Bannis in the 86th minute. The subsequent free kick was turned by the strong debutant Owusu-Oduro. Substitute Evan Rottier also failed to close the game for the Eindhoven team in injury time. Martens sent his keeper forward, but without result. Young AZ therefore suffered its first defeat of this competition.
Young AZ line-up: Owusu-Oduro; Lathouwers, Goes, Dekker, Engel (Dekkers/61); Schouten (Addai/79), Buurmeester, De Jong (Koster/87); Griffith, Reverson (Poku/61) and Allouch (Daal/79)