Emmen – Ado Den Haag

Netherlands – Eerste divisie, day 11.

Friday 20/10/23, h20:00 

Four wins in a row, and Emmen forcefully came back to the very top positions of the league. The quality of the team, openly aiming for a prompt return to Eredivisie, is out of the question and the early blackout experienced at the beginning of the season seems well beyond. Emmen now play an intense football, have a steady territorial domain over their opponents and, foremost, succesfully locked their defense (2 goals conceded in the last 4: there were 7 in the previous 2 matches). On the other side of the field, the offensive quartet formed by Scholte, Ubbink, Koning and Parzyszek is efficient and well-assorted (12 goals and 7 assists almost evenly distributed). Altogether, already a lot to hit their seasonal target. 

An open streak of 7 consecutive games without defeats (5 wins and 2 draws) legitimately put Ado Den Haag among the healthiest lineups of Eerste divisie. Coach Kalezic's boys are building a remarkable team identity made of balanced playmaking and collective defensive efforts (3rd best in the league, 8 goals against). But if Ado jumped up just next to the tops, they must thank the man of the moment: the experienced striker Henk Veerman (4 goals in Eredevisie last season), who scored 5 times in the last 4 games. The only unknown factor remains the championship calendar, that so far (after an early, heavy loss against Roda) put Ado against lower-ranked teams. On Friday there is a key test also in this sense. 

In recent years, Emmen have revealed to be a deadly 'bete noir' for Den Haag: during their last 7 games, the Red-and-white won 5 and drew 2. And today these two squads are probably the best teams of Eerste divisie in terms of physical condition. The visitors can count on a brilliant record on the road (3 wins and 2 draws), while Emmen seek for their third win in a row at De Oude Meerdijk stadium. Even match in sight, with the home factor potentially decisive in the long run.