FC Groningen started the game in a 3-5-2 formation. Sergio Padt was back in the goal, Bart van Hintum, Ko Itakura and Wessel Dammers were central in the back, with Gabriel Gudmundsson and Damil Dankerlui on the wings. Before that Danny Buijs’s team played with Azor Matusiwa, Daniël van Kaam, Ajdin Hrustic, Ramon Pascal Lunqdvist and Mo El Hankouri in the point of the attack.
Arjen Robben, Patrick Joosten and Görkem Can were still missing at the Pride of the North.
The set-up of the game could be called unique, because it was played twice for an hour. After the first half, the players rested for 15 minutes as usual. Then they played for another fifteen minutes, after which a completely different team came into the field. That team also played half again and then rested for another fifteen minutes. Then the last fifteen minutes was completed.
Strong Start
FC Groningen started the match well and the first chance was therefore not long in coming. Lundqvist saw his header just fly over Michael Zetterer’s goal.
The supporters present in the Green Cathedral were able to enjoy the game of the home team for the first minutes at a time anyway. In midfield and in the front, positions were frequently changed, which sometimes resulted in nice combinations. Yet in the first half it remained with a handful of opportunities for Danny Buijs’s team.
Thomas Lam was also lucky that referee Jeroen Manschot did not send him off the field after he put down the broken Lundqvist. It must have had to do with the fact that it was a practice match that the Zwolle defender was allowed to stand.
Five minutes before the break, when not much happened on the field for a while, the supporters of FC Groningen made themselves heard by verbally encouraging their club. This was short-lived and ended with applause that was allowed.
‘Football is of course just a game that involves a lot of emotion. When your club scores, you react happy and enthusiastic. And there is sometimes noise involved ‘, said general manager Wouter Gudde earlier this week. That was also evident on Friday evening, although the home team had not scored.
Reze goochannejhad
After the break, the visitors quickly took a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal by Reze Goochannejhad. Sai van Wermeskerken initially gave the ball a tight pass, after which Padt got a hand against the ball. In the rebound, however, it was a breeze for the attacker of PEC: he could slide the ball into the empty goal.
The visitors also became slightly stronger in the fifteen minutes after the break and then came to a good attack again. Yet FC Groningen was also fairly close to the equalizer, but a free ball from Hrustic hit the crossbar.
After an hour of playing football, the match started all over again. Both trainers set up a completely different team and the only thing that remained was the 1-0 score for the guests from Zwolle. At FC Groningen it meant that Ahmed El Messaoudi, Tom van de Looi and to a lesser extent Romano Postema became the most experienced players of the team.
The visitors remained the better team during that period, but it did not get any better for the spectators in the stadium. Both teams played at a much too slow pace, made many mistakes and hardly a player appeared in front of the goal with the opponent.
After half an hour of play, Zwolle doubled the score by a nice goal from Reze Goochannejhad. Thanks to a through ball, the striker came face to face with Jan Hoekstra and easily shot the ball past the FC Groningen goalkeeper.
Entertainment value low
While the youngsters of FC Groningen managed to entertain the public in the away match against Emmen a few days ago, the entertainment value remained low on Friday evening. Vito van Crooij was close to 3-0 just before the second break, but Hoekstra was able to change the direction of the ball just enough.
In the last fifteen minutes Romano Postema was close to FC Groningen’s goal of honor. However, the eighteen-year-old attacker missed a big opportunity twice. Just before time, Flemming was still close to 0-3 on behalf of the visitors, but his shot bounced back into the field via the post.
Next Friday FC Groningen will play the next exhibition match. In Westwoud, Danny Buijs’ team will take on FC Volendam.
Also read:
– Jonkies FC Groningen with large numbers past FC Emmen
– FC Groningen in first exhibition match past Heracles Almelo
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