The game marked on every ADO fan’s calendar had finally arrived. Willem II vs ADO, 1ST vs 4th. It was set to be an important game for ADO even before the first game of the season kicked off as many predicted Willem II to yo-yo back up into the Eredivisie following their relegation 2 seasons ago. So this was a game ADO would need to win if they were to put pressure on those above them. Going into the game ADO were 8 points behind the league leaders, so this would be a crucial game if they were to close the gap and aim for the title and automatic promotion. The ADO faithful packed into the stadium as kick-off drew near and unsurprisingly so did the Willem II Tifosi, drawing one of the largest away crowds seen at the B!NGOAL Stadion despite the home side’s stadium being over 100km from the Koning Willem II Stadion in Tilburg.
The game was a rather cagey affair in the opening quarter an hour with neither side being able to gain a foothold in the game, largely due to the effective pressing by either side when out of possession. The first major chance only came after 19 minutes, when Van Hintum played a long searching through ball over the top to Veerman who headed the ball down to Van Mieghem just on the edge of the six-yard box for what looked like a certain goal. However, an outstanding sliding clearance by Willem II center-back Raphael Behounek stopped what looked to be the opening goal of the game and Van Mieghem’s 5th of the season. ADO piled on the pressure as the first half drew on and attacking chances looked inevitable. The ball was played out wide to Koudossou, the ADO full-back, who whipped in a low, driven cross in front of goal. A cross which was put away cleanly by Absalem, who rifled the ball into the roof of the net to put ADO in front against the league leaders and send the home fans into delirium. From kick-off following the opener it was clear ADO were going to attempt to hold on to this lead and attempt to see out the rest of the half unscathed. On 38 minutes, however, a failed clearance from Van Mieghem found Jesse Bosch, who looped the ball into the ADO box for Jeredy Hilterman. Hilterman found himself one-on-one with Coremans who pulled off a spectacular save to deny the Willem II number nine. ADO saw out the rest of the half without too much trouble and went into the break one-nil up.
Much like the beginning of the first half, neither side really got going and there weren’t many real chances in the first 20 minutes after the break. That was until, on 69 minutes, Willem II recycled a ball from a corner and played it back into the box where it was headed down to Behounek. Behounek’s shot was blocked but the ball rebounded to St Jago who struck a volley cleanly from inside the penalty area only for his shot to be denied by the crossbar. It was a lucky escape for ADO and a reminder that while sitting deep may prevent counterattacks, they were inviting wave after wave of Willem II pressure and attacks. On 74 minutes another chance fell for the away side as Meerveld found himself with space inside the penalty area and managed to direct a shot goalwards, only for the ball to sail wide of the mark. Ninety minutes drew ever closer and when the board was held up for added time there was a clear sense of frustration among the ADO fans with 5 minutes of extra time being announced. A perhaps unjust amount of time, however, it was no time for the home side to dwell on it and they needed to focus on the task at hand. With just 40 seconds to play in added time, the ball found its way to Behounek on the left side, the Austrian center-back swung in a cross to the back post, a ball that agonizingly fell to Hilterman who made no mistake with his chance and headed the ball past the despairing Tim Coremans and into the net to level the score and rescue a point for the away side at the death. The stadium was stunned into silence and although Koudossou fired a long shot very late on, a shot that could’ve won ADO the game, had it not been for a good stop from Smits. Frustrations were evident from the ADO players and this was evident from the second yellow card brandished to goal scorer Absalem, who will now miss ADO’s next game against Breda as a result. Whistles and jeers of disappointment signaled the end of this thrilling encounter. The final score: 1 – 1.
While many ADO fans will undoubtedly be disappointed with the result, especially given the manner in which it happened, it is important to remember that the home side put in a stellar performance against the top side in the league, and before the game, many fans would have taken a 1 – 1 scoreline. After this result, ADO still find themselves in 4th place and still 8 points behind league leaders Willem II. ADO will now look ahead to their next games, the first of which is a league game against NAC Breda at home, and the second of which is against Eredivisie opponents Sparta Rotterdam in the KNVB Beker. The home side should be looking to take home all 3 points from Breda and will be looking to pull off a surprise victory against top-tier opposition in the Beker game.
FINAL SCORE:
ADO: 1 (Absalem, 30)
Willem II: 1 (Hilterman, 90+5)
MOTM: Tim Coremans
Photo & Article: Seth Baker
Zestee 