Cup is a thing of the country

Wednesday 04 March 2009

At RTL TV they are honest about it: it would have been better of one of the traditional top clubs would have been in the quarterfinal of the KNVB Cup, as it makes a big difference in the amount of viewers.

"Ajax of Feyenoord easily attract one million viewers extra," says spokesman Jaap Paulsen.

"With FC Twente-De Graafschap we are most likely not going to reach such amounts."

In Enschede, Doetinchem, Kerkrade or Volendam they couldn't care less.

More than ever success in the national Cup is within reach, now that Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord have all been eliminated.

Win two games and you are on your way to De Kuip for the final and an already historic party.

The leveling in the Eredivisie has been going on for a while, but in recent years the Cup was often won by one of the classic top clubs.

NEC and SC Heerenveen, facing each other tonight in Friesland, have never won it, although both have been in the final (NEC no less than four times).

Still intuitively the KNVB Cup has been a thing of the country for a long time.

In recent years the Cup tournament has been a life saver for Ajax and Feyenoord to rescue an otherwise lost season.

Last season PSV made a fool of itself and the tournament by fielding a player (Manuel Da Costa) who wasn't allowed to play. The Eindhovenaren were disqualified for it in round 1.

Cup fever is mostly felt at - with all due respect - the lesser gods.

FC Utrecht (2003 and 2004) and FC Twente (2001) celebrated an unforgettable party in De Kuip.

Their Cup success seemed to revive the tournament that had become sort of an unwanted addition to the domestic league in Holland.

With the red clad fan legions from Utrecht and Enschede De Kuip finally looked like the scene of a real final.

Tonight the Tukkers can make another step towards a new final when they manage to beat De Graafschap at home.

Sander Boschker, eight years ago the hero of the penalty shoot-outs against PSV, is still there.

NAC Breda also played a number of heroic cup ties against stronger opponents in recent years, but they always seem to stumble when the final gets closer.

In five years they went out in the semifinal three times, all three times away from home.

This time they have again drawn the shortest straw with an away game to AZ in Alkmaar.

It has made them a bit cynical in Breda.

"You could see this draw coming from miles away," Anthony Lurling sighed a day after the dramatic penalty win (9-8) over FC Groningen.

No matter how evident the quarterfinal against AZ may seem, in Alkmaar people are also looking forward to the tournament very much.

In the previous round the DSB-stadium was packed for a game against the amateurs of Achilles ’29.

History provides for a good explanation for that: it hasn't been since 1982 that AZ have won the Cup.

The crowds in Alkmaar are sensing that this might be a historic season and don't want to miss a minute of it.

England saw a similar Cup season last year.

Unfashionable Barnsley knocked out both Chelsea and Liverpool, while the Cup Final was played by an odd couple of teams.

For the first time in 17 years none of the Big Four had made it to the final that saw Portsmouth beat Cardiff City.

Perhaps it was all a bit less interesting than seeing Chelsea and Manchester United at Wembley but the stands were packed with emotion as Portsmouth won their first Cup in 69 years.

"Cardiff City put romance back in the cup," Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said.

“If you’re a Manchester United supporter and at the final every other year what does it really mean to them? To Portsmouth and Cardiff City fans this match means everything."

A favorable draw is often crucial.

Where NAC Breda have been haunted by tough luck, Roda JC Kerkrade have little reason to complain.

Last year they reached the final by beating Spakenburg, De Graafschap, Excelsior, FC Dordrecht and Heracles.

This season they knocked out Capelle, Willem II and FC Lienden, before FC Volendam come to visit tomorrow.

Willem II Tilburg have also been granted some easy passage to the final.

Until they beat Ajax in the semis they only encountered amateur teams or Jupiler League outfits.

The early elimination of PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord proves that the competition can not be steered.

Feyenoord went out in the round of 16 against Heerenveen, Ajax and PSV went out one round earlier against FC Volendam and AZ.

"More than anything else the viewers want to see a tight game," says RTL spokesman Paulsen.

"When Ajax are 3-0 up after half an hour many people switch to another station. For that matter the Cup has often been very attractive. Last year's semifinal between Roda JC and Heracles attracted 1.2 million viewers. That means something. When Twente-De Graafschap remains close until the end many people will want to see the end. Of course that's what we hope for."