FC Groningen sells their skin dearly in De Kuip, but sees their cup dream go up in smoke in the final phase against Feyenoord

What a wonderful atmosphere there was in De Kuip around the semi-final between Feyenoord and FC Groningen. While it was questionable beforehand whether the Rotterdam team might underestimate the Groningen team, that was certainly not the case for the home crowd.

This provided a well-thought-out atmospheric response to the beautiful banner that the northern supporters recently hung in the northern stands during the quarter-final match against Fortuna Sittard. It showed the ship of Rock, the Brazilian who wanted to hijack the cup, but the hard core of Feyenoord sank the boat of the Groningen pirate with a lot of fire and smoke on their own banner.

Fascinating cup evening

These were fine ingredients for a fascinating cup evening, in which FC Groningen showed no fear or awe at all for the number two of the Premier League. As coach Dick Lukkien hinted the day before the match, he hardly made any concessions to his team’s style of play. As usual this season, the familiar 4-4-2 formation was introduced – with the note that Joey Pelupessy had to make way for Johan Hove.

The only point where Lukkien compromised was that the northerners built up a little less from the back and that the long ball was used more often. That worked out well, because in Feyenoord’s half the handy youngsters from FC Groningen often captured the second ball. From there, some very nice possibilities were created.

The first to try on behalf of the people of Groningen was Luciano Valente. His shot went wide. Soon afterwards, Jorg Schreuders also made an attempt, but his effort flew wide. In the twelfth minute, Laros Duarte stirred the cushions with a thunderous shot with his left leg that hit the post.

Little to fear

On the other side of the field, FC Groningen initially had remarkably little to fear from Feyenoord. Only Yankuba Minteh and Igor Paixão caused any danger after half an hour. Less than a minute later, FC Groningen silenced De Kuip with the opening goal, which was fully deserved for Dick Lukkien and his men based on chances and possibilities.

A deflected cross from Leandro Bacuna preceded FC Groningen’s goal. The ball landed right at the feet of Duarte, who immediately pulled his famous trigger. The midfielder needed the back of Feyenoord defender Thomas Beelen’s knee to make the ball change direction, but that did not detract from the explosion of joy on the Groningen side when the ball hit the ropes.

FC Groningen was unable to continue on the right track. In the last part of the first half, the northerners allowed themselves to be pushed back further into their own half. After the break, Dick Lukkien’s team barely managed to make it through, after Feyenoord coach Arne Slot had adjusted his team in two positions during the break. The number of opportunities for the home club piled up, until David Hancko tapped in a cross from Calvin Stengs after more than an hour. Jorg Schreuders arrived just too late.

Hope to the end

The chances did not return, although the increasingly tired FC Groningen could hope for an extra time until a few minutes before the end. It was scored 2-1 by substitute Ondrej Lingr in the 86th minute.

Nevertheless, FC Groningen made it difficult for the Premier League player until the very last moment. After two great saves from Hidde Jurjus in the final phase, Noam Emeran even seemed to be on his way to making it 2-2 in injury time, but the Groningen substitute’s cross was below average.

Yet FC Groningen did not have to be ashamed of the defeat. The relief was palpable in De Kuip, the party that the Feyenoord supporters celebrated was significant. Even though the northerners didn’t buy anything for it, FC Groningen gave Feyenoord a match worthy of the Premier League.

Shortly afterwards, coach Dick Lukkien was disappointed. “But in the end you will get the feeling that we have done a lot of things well,” the Veendammer coach immediately added. “We executed the plan we had almost to perfection. I enjoyed our game in the first half. We played to the best of our abilities, with courage and courage. Yet the feeling still lingers of, damn, we were very close.”