Sparta are Rotterdam's number 1

Thursday 30 October 2008

Feyenoord were dealt another major blow last night when the team from North Rotterdam - Sparta - beat the 2-1.

After a great first half the team of Gertjan Verbeek gave away the game totally unnecessary.

Yet another defensive mistake by Tim de Cler cost the team from South Rotterdam: 2-1.

In the sold out Kasteel the supporters of the home team did not not what to do with themselves.

'Now who is the team of Rotterdam' they chanted.

They would have been just as happy with just one point, but during a stage in which Feyenoord were looking for the victory De Cler was left standing like a toddler by Edouard Duplan.

The skilled Frenchman eased past the slipping Feyenoord left back, rounded Kevin Hofland and the pulled the ball back for Rydell Poepon, who had no trouble scoring.

For De Cler the season is starting to turn into a personal disaster.

The Holland international is not doing well at all, as yesterday's slip was a repeat of the one he made against NEC and that cost Feyenoord the game then.

On Sunday he didn't look good either on Heerenveen's first goal.

Feyenoord coach Verbeek still believes in his approach and remains calm in spite of the terrible start of the season.

The fans are also still remarkably quiet, although a handful of fans were waiting for the players last night at the return of the team to the stadium.

Directly after the final whistle there were also some chants against the players and the board, but none against coach Verbeek, who seems to have a lot of credit.

However Verbeek knows that nothing but a result can save him.

And yesterday Feyenoord really looked they would get one.

There were no new injuries coming up to the game so Verbeek actually had some options for the choice of his lineup.

It cost Luigi Bruins his place and had the physically strong Leroy Fer at the number 10 spot.

It was Fer who opened the score for Feyenoord shortly before the break, and it seemed the goal the team and the whole club had been waiting for.

But Sparta would have nothing of it, as they equalized within 2 minutes.

Again a Feyenoord player lost his footing and gave his opponent a free passage.

In the second half a leveled game emerged in which both teams dominated parts of the game but no big chances were created.

Sparta realized that something was possible against mentally weak Feyenoord.

The level of the game sunk and when Sparta scored their second goal in the 89th minute so did Feyenoord's moral.

Feyenoord now find themselves on 16th spot after 8 games, 10 points behind a UEFA Cup spot.

Gertjan Verbeek said that Feyenoord had made it hard on themselves by not scoring more in the first half.

"When you create so many chances you must finish a few. In the situation we are in you shouldn't make it harder on yourselves than it already is. Everyone knew that 1-1 was a pretty harsh result after the performance they had shown in the first half. But I can not reproach the players with anything. They all tried their best. Still this is yet another blow we have to deal with. It s now a matter of scraping things back together again to make sure we are ready for Sunday. We will have to turn things around at some point."