FC Volendam has concluded the preparation with a defeat against Panathinaikos. The team of trainer Wim Jonk lost 2-1 to the Greek top team in the Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium in Athens.
Initially, FC Volendam was supposed to close preparations against ADO Den Haag tomorrow, but last week The New Orange ‘an offer it couldn’t refuse’ from Greece. A three-day trip with a practice match at the invitation of Panathinaikos was reason enough for the club to give in.
Chances
In Athens, Volendam, who saw Derry John Murkin drop out in the warm-up, got more than enough resistance. Billy van Duijl got a ball off the line early on, but after just over half an hour Panathinaikos took the lead. Iannodis went to the ground after a duel with Brian Plat, after which Dimitrios Kourmpelis used the penalty: 1-0. Volendam grew in the game and reached the same level fifteen minutes after the break. Substitutes Daryl van Mieghem and Ibrahim El Kadiri found each other, after which the latter scored the equalizer with a nice shot into the top corner.
Goalkeeper Filip Stankovic managed to keep the Greeks from scoring a number of times, but on an attempt from close range by Carlito Lopez, the hired goalie from Internazionale had no chance: 2-1. In the final phase, Volendam still had great opportunities through substitutes Koen Blommestijn and Lequincio Zeefuik, but in the end it was again allowed to thank Stankovic that it was only a narrow defeat.
Eredivisie
The newly promoted FC Volendam will start in the Eredivisie on Sunday 7 August. Then the team will visit FC Groningen at 12.15 pm. Until then, the club will no longer play practice matches.
FC Volendam line-up: Stankovic; Plat (Oristanio/76), Mirani, Van Duijl, Elberse; Benamar (Gustavo/71), W. Ould-Chikh (Nazih/18), Antonucci (Zeefuik/71); Oristanio (El Kadiri/46), Mühren (Blommestijn/71), B. Ould-Chikh (Van Mieghem/46)