Swooping to conquer
AZ Alkmaar 0 - 2 Vitesse Arnhem - KNVB Beker Finale 30th April 2017
How did AZ lose that one?
The showpiece of the Dutch domestic season was an enthralling game between two evenly matched and passionately supported teams, but John van den Brom will have awoken on Monday and scarcely be able to believe his side's superiority didn't yield a win and their fourth KNVB Beker. As it happened, Vitesse headed home to the East Netherlands with the first major trophy in their 125 year history on the bus.
Perhaps it was all in Vitesse's game-plan that they would simply soak up pressure from a team which was superior in most departments, other than goal keeping, before hitting AZ with a couple of sucker-punches from their best player in the final 10 minutes.
If so, AZ only have themselves to blame. They gave notice of their intent with barely five minutes gone, a Luckassen free kick (along with Svensson, who never stopped running, AZ's stand-out players on the day) rattling the cross bar with Vitesse keeper Room beaten.
AZ continued to dominated and Vitesse ride their luck in the first 45. Wout Weghorst, AZ's top scorer and key attacking threat, wen close twice and really should have finished following neat play as the break approach, his shot going narrowly wide with Room scrambling.
Henk Fraser, the Vitesse coach, would not have had a difficult pep talk at half-time - "start playing" would have been about the sum of it.
They did, making progress on either wing, Lewis Baker, the Chelsea loanee, pulling the strings more and Milot Rashica coming more into the game, but still it was AZ who looked the most likely to go ahead.
They confirmed this with an aerial assault mid-way through the second half when a succession of corners, mostly aimed at the towering Weghorst. The ball was cleared off the line and Vitesse were on the rack.
But with 10 minutes to go, and Vitesse sensing that if Arnhem hadn't hurt them yet, they may not manage it at all, the game swung. AZ failed to clear from a Vitesse attack and the ball found it way wide right and then unerringly via an excellent cross onto Ricky van Wolfswinkel's head, four yards out. 1-0, the yellow hoards went berserk and AZ's heads went down.
The second arrived with more than a hint of offside about it as Vitesse broke out, but van Wolfswinkel finished well, under Krul from the right of the box, with the 90 just about up. Game over. Krul furiously protested and headed straight for the linesman to remonstrate, to no avail.
The fun and games of the cup presentation after the final whistle - and the odd ignomy of the traditional winners and losers dressing gowns (no one from AZ bothered putting on the white losers gowns and the winners gowns are in red, AZ's colours) - was put to bed soon enough and the players could go and celebrate in front of the fans.
Van den Brom and AZ will reflect on their inability to turn possession and superiority into a goal, leaving them with an Eredivise play off series in order to qualify for Europe for a second season running. For Vitesse, the Europa league awaits automatically. The Eagle has landed.
