The unforgettable cup adventure of the amateurs of USV Hercules is over. The number eleven of the third division, responsible for a mega stunt against Ajax (3-2) in the second round, seemed to be on his way to the quarter-finals after an hour of playing football against SC Cambuur (2-0). But the visitors from Leeuwarden fought back (2-2) and triumphed after extra time (3-4). Michael Breij scored the winning goal in stoppage time. SC Cambuur will play against Vitesse in front of its own audience on February 7 for a place in the semi-final.
While Tim Pieters became a well-known Dutchman with two goals against Ajax, it was now Oussama Lahri who excelled for the amateurs from Utrecht. The midfielder already took a penalty in the third minute against the number seven of the Kitchen Champion Division. He scored again in the 60th minute with an unprecedented bicycle kick (2-0).
Cambuur seemed beaten, but still fought back. Milan Smit converted a penalty in the 80th minute and Matthias Nartey equalized in the 82nd minute for the highest scoring team in the Kitchen Champion Division. Substitute Wiebe Kooistra hit the post on behalf of Cambuur in the final phase of regular playing time.
Less than a minute later, Hercules was close to a third goal. But Max Fichtinger hit the post and Christiaan van Hussen hit the crossbar. Smit again headed Cambuur to 2-3 in the opening phase of extra time. Mitchell Zwart gave Hercules hope again 3 minutes later with a striking header (3-3). Penalties seemed to be the decision. But Breij still scored, through the head of defender Shanon Carmelia.
The match was played at the Zoudenbalch sports complex, in front of more than a thousand spectators. Another thousand fans watched the eighth final on a large screen at the Hercules sports park. The treasurer of the amateur club would have preferred to receive SC Cambuur, just like Ajax before, from FC Utrecht in De Galgenwaard. Then the receipt for the match would have been a lot higher. But FC Utrecht wants to save the playing field in the stadium.
Hercules traveled the world at the end of December after a victory over record champion Ajax (3-2), probably the biggest surprise ever in the KNVB Cup. Pieters was then the most famous amateur footballer in the Netherlands with two goals in one go. A new leading role against Cambuur was not possible for him. (AP)