Before halftime, VVG laid the foundation for the eventual 3-1 victory in and against Hoogezand. With a great display of power, it was already 3-0 after more than half an hour of play for VVG, still capped in this competition. After the break, Hoogezand was allowed to do something in return: 1-3.
Before the start, everyone was curious how many goals top scorer Heine Uuldriks van Hoogezand would score in the game against VVG. Central defender Danny Harms of VVG apparently thought otherwise. Especially in the first half, Uuldriks didn’t get a chance to display his shooting skills. ,,After the break, Hoogezand became a bit more threatening”, Harms considered. “We didn’t give much away in that phase, though.”
Harms seems to have started his second football life. With his well-trained body, he seems to be able to last at this level for years to come. ,,Corona was not good for me”, Harms goes back in time. “At one point I was way too heavy. Last summer I flipped the switch. I started training hard and lost 23 kilos. I play a lot easier now and I don’t suffer from injuries.”
Trainer Germain Beck van Hoogezand was quite annoyed in the first half about the attitude of his team. It quickly had consequences for midfielder Navid Poyan. Halfway through, Poyan had to leave the field for experienced midfielder Robert Hamming when the deficit was 2-0. ,,The first half was dramatic for us”, said Beck realistic afterwards. “After the break, we put more energy into it. That bad first half killed us.”
At VVG, the euphoria was audible far and wide afterwards. ,,Hi, hi, hi, hi”, shouting the players and coaches dancing with joy in the locker room. Logically. The resounding victory and the still unbeaten status of this season (VVG drew the first three matches) have so far led to a cheerful atmosphere inside and outside the team. ,,We could and should have had more points”, said coach Ahmed Mustafe.
Mustafe, affectionately called Musy at VVG, is pleased to note that VVG has an even more balanced team this season. ,,We are making strides”, ‘Musy’ cheered enthusiastically. ,,Even in the second half, when Hoogezand showed more energy, we continued to play football. The difference was that Hoogezand barked, but we bit.”
In a short space of time in the first half, VVG decided the game. First, the only 18-year-old fast and agile striker Sem Folkerts made a fantastic hit: 0-1. A minute later, defender Aidan Bulder, sitting close to Folkerts, shot the ball into his own goal: 0-2.
Not long after, the game was finally decided. Cass Pinas anticipated thoughtfully after a dream pass by Haaye Feenstra and then pushed the ball in: 0-3. After the break, Julian Fluks’ goal of honor only had a statistical value: 0-3
Hoogezand-VV Groningen 1-3
Score: 18 Folkerts 0-1, 19. Bulder (own goal) 0-2, 35, Pinas 0-3, 85. Fluks 1-3.
Yellow card: Emanuels and Folkerts (both VVG).
Referee: Gils.
Spectators: 200.
Hoogezand: Jungman; Fluks, Van den Berg, Wollinga and Bulder; Landman (46. Van Zwol), Poyan (26. Hamming) and Bloeming; Slor, Uuldriks and Van Iren (60. Van Engel).
VVG: Hensens; Camelia, Harms, Ter Arkel and Supriata (50. Pattiwael); Emanuels (87. Danes), Dos Santos and Feenstra; Van Dorssen, Folkerts and Pinas (75. Hoekstra).