NOS Voetbal•gisteren, 16:27
View the summary of Sparta-FC Volendam
FC Volendam is on the brink of relegation. After another defeat, this time at Sparta Rotterdam (1-0), the curtain could fall next week.
If RKC Waalwijk gets a result at Heracles Almelo next week and Volendam itself loses at Ajax, then ‘the other Dutch team’ will be relegated.
FC Volendam had to do a lot of puzzling to arrive at a line-up. Coach Regillio Simons missed seven players at Het Kasteel. As a result, Bram van Driel was given a starting place for the first time this season.
Watch Regillio Simons’ reaction here after Sparta-Volendam:
Simons tries to keep faith in enforcement: ‘We also get opportunities’
It became clear in the opening phase that Volendam was missing many players. Sparta started the game much stronger. Compatriots Shunsuke Mito and Koki Saito went for the goal together, but when one Japanese tried to reach the other, Volendam defender Buur was just in between.
Not much later, Pelle Clement had a great opportunity, but the Sparta midfielder hit the ball completely wrong. It seemed only a matter of time before the opening goal would be scored in Rotterdam.
Volendam better in the match
After that, Volendam got better and better in the match and, on a pass from George Cox, Vivaldo had an opportunity to score the all-important goal behind the supporting leg, but the ball bounced just past the goal.
The football players from the eel village were then told at half time that competitor RKC was ahead. That caused Volendam to look for the lead even more actively. Simons’ team had the ball a lot, but this did not lead to great danger.
ANPSparta and Volendam struggled today, sometimes literally
Although both teams were far from convincing, the home team still managed to win. Djevencio van der Kust came through on the left side and managed to find Tobias Lauritsen in front of the goal. The Sparta striker only had to tap in and did not fail (1-0).
Lauritsen scored his eleventh of the season and shot Sparta to eighth place. The Rotterdam team can almost certainly focus on the play-offs for European football.
The grapes for Volendam are considerably more sour. Due to the draw between RKC Waalwijk and FC Utrecht, the Volendam team can be relegated to the first division next week in the away match against Ajax after a turbulent season.
