Another month of the football season has come and gone so that means it’s time for our monthly round-up of each Northern football club to see how they got along. The four teams, SC Heerenveen, FC Emmen, FC Groningen, and SC Cambuur, were all in action at least four times in the second month of the season.
Unfortunately, no team left September unscathed as all four tasted defeat. For some, these losses only proved to be blips in an otherwise decent month. For others, SC Heerenveen in particular, it could be the start of a worrying run of form that needs to be righted as the season marches on.
With October promising to be yet another exciting month of football, here is the recap of last month’s action.
SC Heerenveen’s season comes crashing down
After a positive first month of the season, SC Heerenveen was brought back down to reality in September. The only remaining Northern club in the Eredivisie, De Superfriezen (Super Frisians) lost every single one of their matches.
That makes it five defeats in a row as the seat underneath manager Kees van Wonderen heats up significantly. A 3-2 loss to Go Ahead Eagles in Deventer could have been forgiven had Heerenveen not proceeded to lose 6-1 against reigning champions Feyenoord.
Their only match at the Abe Lenstra Stadion in Heerenveen did not make things better as they fell to Excelsior by a score of 3-0. A draw away at Twente seemed possible until goalkeeper Andries Noppert, who had a tough start to the year, let the ball go between his legs as his team lost 1-0.
To make matters worse, Twente’s goal was scored by Michel Vlapp, a former SC Heerenveen player and youth academy product.
Although technical director Ferry de Haan stated they are not looking for a new coach, results will have to change if Van Wonderen wants to keep his job. SC Heerenveen currently sits in 14th place, only two points ahead of the dreaded relegation spots.
With not much to cheer for if you are a fan of the Frisian side, here is an outrageous training goal scored by Luuk Brouwers:
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FC Emmen’s unbeaten run shoots them up the table
Coming into the Keuken Kampion Divisie with less attention than Northern rivals FC Groningen and SC Cambuur, FC Emmen has outplayed both to set a strong foundation for promotion.
Emmen failed to win all their matches, losing 4-2 to Dordrecht before drawing 3-3 against Jong Ajax after conceding a last-minute equaliser, but they bounced back from those results to win three in a row.
They defeated Jong Utrecht 2-0 at home before travelling to Breda to defeat NAC 3-1. They closed out the month with a 1-0 win at TOP Oss, although their victory was marred in controversy following a non-penalty call for TOP that could’ve changed the outcome of the game.
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Their winning run has pushed FC Emmen all the way to 3rd place and only four points from league leaders Roda JC. Despite the solid start to the season that has fans hopeful for promotion, manager Fred Grim believes the team can still play better to avoid mistakes.
FC Groningen continues topsy-turvy campaign
It is no secret that FC Groningen is focused solely on promotion back to the upper echelon of Dutch football yet, that objective appears far more difficult than expected. Following an up-and-down August, FC Groningen continued their inconsistent form.
They kicked off their month with a 2-0 win over TOP Oss before succumbing to Den Haag by a score of 1-0 at the Euroborg. They switched their fortunes around with a 4-0 win over Jong PSV before sneaking past Helmond Sport with a 2-1 win following a 95th-minute winner.
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It finally seemed that Dick Lukkien’s side was clicking on all cylinders. That is until they lost 3-0 to Den Bosch at home, keeping the Pride of the North in 6th place, six points away from league-leading Roda JC.
What is perhaps more worrying for fans of De FC is their home form. They’ve only managed to win two of their first five matches at the Euroborg, and with expectations still set on the title, Groningen will have to find better form at the Euroborg if they wish to return to the Eredivisie.
SC Cambuur haunted by late goals
After a promising start to the season, SC Cambuur was dealt a few last-minute losses to sour spirits in Leeuwarden. They kicked off the month with a 2-1 loss to Helmond Sport, with the winning goal coming in the 90th minute.
They comfortably defeated Den Bosch 3-1 at home before another crushing last-minute defeat at the hands of Jong Utrecht by a score of 3-2. They then met Jong PSV, which ended in a thrilling 4-3 loss.
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Despite the tumultuous month, SC Cambuur has turned the Cambuurstadion into a fortress. They are yet to lose at home, only dropping points against FC Emmen in a 2-2 draw to start the season.
The Yellow-Blues can also be happy that main striker Milan Smit has been tearing it up in the Keuken Kampion Divisie. The 20-year-old youth academy product has scored seven goals in eight matches, leading the charts in the Keuken Kampion Divisie, as the Leeuwarden-based club sits in 7th place, only behind FC Groningen due to goal difference.
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