[FM23] Ernst Happel Challenge - The Energy Drink Sugar Daddy - Part 3 RB Salzburg

[keeper#1]

I've tried a few different challenges: Journeyman, Zero to Hero, Youth Academy.  I had thought about doing a "Worst Team in the Premier League" save with Swindon Town but decided on doing a Ernst Happel Challenge instead.  It's a challenge that is right in my wheelhouse: I'm not a fan of grinding out the early save seasons in the lower tiers.  Starting in the top flight and building a team from there before moving on to even bigger top flight teams.

I've chosen to start this save in one of my favorite nations: The Netherlands and one of my favorite bottom half Eredivisie clubs: The Castle Lords of Sparta Rotterdam.  They play, in my opinion, one of the coolest stadiums in Europe...Het Kassel.

What's not to love about that stadium.  The castle blends into the community.  Just a cool look and vibe to the facility.

The Manager

Discovered by the Ajax scouts at age 16, John O'Brien traveled from Los Angeles to Amsterdam and was on his way to becoming one of the best players to put on the US National Team uniform.  Then, he was struck down by a series of injuries which severely hindered his development.  He slid down through the ranks at Ajax before being shipped out to lower level Eredivisie clubs and finally coming home to the US to play for DC United.  After his playing career came to an end, he became Dr. John O'Brien with a background in sports psychology.  Now, in this world, he wants to make a return to The Netherlands as a manager and will start his career with Sparta Rotterdam.  As a new manager, he does not has a set tactic in mind as his tactical basis.  But he does have a team philosophy when he comes to building his squad:

Speed - he wants a fast team - speed kills

High fitness - a fit team will be able handle the rigor of a long season - you don't develop and improve if you are in the trainer's room

Technical - From his time at Ajax, he understands that you need good technique when on the pitch

See the whole field - He wants smart players who have the ability to see the whole field and pick out a pass to find a place in space and have that player use that speed in space to beat the opposition

Determined - Wants players to fight for the whole 90 minutes on the field, fight for positions in training, and when they are injured to get back on the field as quickly as possible

The Club

 

Dutch Eredivisie: Media Prediction 11th

14th place in the 2021-22 season

Trophy Cabinet: 6x Eredivisie Champions (1909, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1959); 3x KNVB Beker Winner (1958, 1962, 1966)

Het Kassel: 10,599 all-seater stadium

Great training facilities

Great youth facilities

Excellent Academy Coaching

Good youth recruitment

Financial State: okay

Bank Balance - 2,749,782

Transfer Budget - 375,000

Wage Budget - 65,790 p/w

[rich ruzzian]

Nice challenge. Looking forward to see you far you will come. 

One thing: You mention 

Quote

Het Kassel

The stadium of Sparta is in Dutch called: Het Kasteel

[keeper#1]

Sparta Rotterdam: The Roster

The personnel on the roster are best suited to playing in the 4-2-3-1 formation.  For the pre-season friendlies, I decided to go with no team instructions just so I could see how they perform on the field and see what holes develop in the formation just through their own natural abilities and tendencies  The biggest hole which developed was the left-sided center back, Mike Eerdhuizen was pushing too high compared to the rest of the line creating a disjointed back four.  The first adjustment was to switch his mentality from "defend" to "cover" in hopes that this would push him back in line with the rest of the defensive line.  

First friendly match of the season:

You can see that Eerdhuijzen is almost on top of the midfielder when we are not in possession.  It creates a massive hole behind him which the left-back (#3) or right-sided center-back (#4) would be forced to cover when he gets beaten.  This would break the line and create problems for us once the season began.

Two matches later, I switched the role from "defend" to "cover."  Now, he's no longer on top of the midfielder and dropped back to be more in line with the rest of the defensive line creating a more cohesive back four and stable defense.

Now, back to the squad that will be the starting XI for this season:

Goalkeeper and Defense

In net, we will start Nick Olij, who is entering the peak of his career at age 27.  He is under contract until 2026 and his backed up for the season by the veteran Tim Coremans. 

Moving to the backline.  On the right side, loanee Shurandy Sambo comes over from PSV to be the starter.  He has good pace and can get down the right side and be a presence on the wing

  

The center-back pairing will be the experienced Bart Vriends on the right side and the aforementioned Mike Eerdhuijzen on the left side.  Eerdhuijzen is still learning the game  and will benefit from his experienced partner in Vriends.

Michael Pinto will start on the left side.  He likes to join the play in the attack and still has enough pace to get back help out on defense.  He's another player with plenty of experience to help Eerdhujzen should Eerdhujzen get beaten.

Defensive Midfield

   

We will have another experienced-inexperienced partnership in the defensive midfield.  Canadian-Dutch legend Jonathan de Guzman joined us this season from OFI Crete.  The well-traveled de Guzman brings in veteran playmaking to our roster.  Hopefully, he can add to the attack with a well-timed assist or goal.  Partnering with him is Norwegian prospect Joshua Kitolano.  He brings the grit to the midfield.  He wants to mix it up and break up the opposition attack.  This makes him a perfect midfield partner for de Guzman.

Attacking Midfield

The attacking midfield is the biggest question mark for the squad.  We really don't have the players that I'd like to play in the formation.  We've got a lot of the same players who are interchangeable which is good and bad at the same time.  Here's the four candidates for the three positions.  Melkersen is a loanee from Hiberian.

   

 

   

 

Center Forward

Leading the line is bruising Norwegian center forward Tobias Lauritsen.  Lauritsen is strong in the air and score a lot of goals with his head.  He is also strong enough to hold the ball up until the attacking midfielders can run into the play and he can play them into the attack.

 

 

[keeper#1]

The Prospects

The club is blessed with a lot of young depth across the field.  Some of the players like: Farouq Limouri and Kjeld van den Hoek should be ready to join the senior team next season.  We have a core of 16-year olds who need another couple seasons of development before they join the senior team.

The Kids

 

[keeper#1]

August 2024

Fixtures

A tough six-match friendly schedule as I tried to figure out who played best and in what position.  Then drilling down what they do best and how to maximize their skills for the formation.  As a result, we had some disjointed performances in the friendlies.  As the season started, I went with team instructions designed to blunt what the opposition did best while turning whatever turnovers that we got into instant offense which would lead to goals.  Well, the instant offense didn't come as we scored only three goals in four matches.  On the flip side, we allowed only two goals and did not lose a match.  This is impressive considering Ajax was one of those four matches.  

We went into the Heerenveen match with not many team instructions.  I wanted to trap in the middle of the pitch and then get the ball out to our wings in space on the counter.  It worked very well in the first half.  We earned an early penalty which was put away by Jonathan de Guzman.  The defense did not allow the lead to last long as we allowed a goal just 10 minutes later.  Heerenveen made some great halftime adjustments which would not able to counter with adjustments of our own.  We spent the entire second half under attack.  Nick Olij played very well in net.  Saving a Heerenveen penalty would have given them a 2-1 lead  and a certain victory.  The save earned us a point and some momentum heading into our first home match of the season.

We didn't make many adjustments from the Heerenveen match in the home opener against AZ.  AZ pushed for an early goal but like in the second half against Heerenveen, the defense stood tall and AZ had the wind knocked out of their sails.  Bert Vriends gave us a 1-0 lead heading into halftime on a brilliant set piece header.  AZ did not put up much of a second half fight and we kept the ball on their half of the pitch.  We could not find a second goal to put the game away but we kept AZ away from our goal and we earned the first win of the season.

For the Ajax match, I dropped us down into a low block to set us up to play on the counter attack as Ajax should dominate the possession.  We played this to perfection in the first half.  We earned a free kick out wide which allowed us to bring Tobias Lauritsen into the penalty box and he rose above the Ajax defense to give us a 1-0 lead.  We dominated the early part of the second half but like the AZ match...we could not find a second goal.  Ajax slowly turned up the offensive pressure.  We were absorbing that pressure well.  However, they earned a dodgy penalty call late in stoppage time which they scored on to escape Rotterdam with a 1-1 draw.

A match against a team that we are better than or, at worst, equal to in terms of ability.  I tried to put us in a position to dominate possession and restrict their scoring opportunities.  No playing on the counter.  This time, we would counter-press in an attempt to put them on the back foot and win the ball in their half of the pitch.  We held the ball.  We had shots on goal.  We had everything but a goal.  We just could not find the net.  Late in the match, I tried to play longer balls into Tobias Lauritsen to earn a goal on a header or, at worst, a set piece to allow to better chance on net.  We couldn't score.  But Go Ahead Eagles never had the ball long enough to set up a quality scoring chance to nip a goal and a win.  A disappointing 0-0 draw.

 

 

[Hootieleece]

I must say that goals have become much harder to come by after the latest update. I am getting 3+ Woodwork hits a game. Also, I am finding that everyone (League Leaders included) seems to  Park the Bus if I try to play on the Front Foot. (Assman Always telling me to add "Work the Ball into Box" Instruction.)

Are you finding similar?

I must say that this early frustration will make it more satisfying when you reach your goal.

 

[keeper#1]

I’m sure if it’s because of the update or the personnel.  Could be some combination of both.  I’ve been trying to squeeze out goals from wherever I can find them. Open play, set pieces, penalties…I don’t care how just put the ball in the net. 
 

Good news is the opposition can’t score either so it’s been a bunch of 0-0/1-1 draws. No one has scored two goals in a match yet. 

[keeper#1]

September 2022

A very short but successful for us.  We had to grind out a win against Volendam and fend off a comeback from Groningen to earn six points.  A tough match to Feyenoord led to an expected loss.

Sparta 1 Volendam 0

We set up to play against struggling Volendam on the front foot.  Put them on the defensive early with a quick goal from Tobias Lauritsen.  We dominated play for the entire match but like August...we could not find a second goal to put the game away.  The defense was solid and barely let Volendam get a good look at the net.  We "cruised" to a 1-0 victory.

Feyenoord 2 Sparta 1

Our first round match against a team who is vastly superior to us.  We set up accordingly.  Defensive.  We wanted to absorb pressure and attempt to hit them on the break.  We definitely absorbed the pressure but we could not generate a counter attack to try to score a goal.  A first half penalty gave Feyenoord a 1-0 lead.  A goal early in the second half allowed them to extend that lead to 2-0.  We responded to the two goal deficit with a goal of our own but could generate any pressure in the offensive zone to score a potential game-tying goal.  

Sparta 3 Groningen 2

A back-and-forth offensive shootout.  We dominated the first half and held a 2-0 lead headed into the break; thanks to goals by  Vito van Crooji, who was playing on the left wing.  I switched the left wing role from inverted winger to inverted forward in a hope to generate more offense.  Jonathan de Guzman extended the lead to 2-0.  Groningen started to ramp up the pressure in the second half.  Mohammed Tahiri moved the lead to 3-0 against the run the play.  We thought the lead was safe and took our foot off the gas.  A well-crafted Groningen attack cut the lead to 3-1.  American Ricardo Pepi struck a powerful shot from 25 yards to beat our keeper and the lead was cut to 3-2.  We held firm now that it was a game match and escaped with the victory.

  

Still sitting in 6th place and with a positive goal difference.  Playing slighting above our expected stats.  Defense is definitely overperforming while the offensive is underperforming.

[keeper#1]

October 2022

An absolutely storming month and a month that will ease any concerns about this year's squad falling into a relegation battle.  5-1-0 and 16 points out of a potential 18.  We were able to play a completely rotated squad in the cup match against an amateur side.  Fortuna played smash and grab football and poached a goal and point in the last match of the month.  I was really hoping we could have had an undefeated and untied month.  A month full of green circles would have looked really good.

RKC 2 Sparta 4

Our worst defensive effort of the month.  RKC scored an early second half goal to tie the match.  The boys responded by converting the few second half opportunities that we had.  RKC dominated most of the match but we were able to score and have a variety of different goal-scorers in the process.  A fine nice win in a match where we were not at our best.

Sparta 2 Emmen 0

A tale of two halves.  Emmen dominated the first half and had numerous chances to take control of the match but could never find the back of net.  We earned a penalty against the run of play in the first half to take the lead.  The second half was all ours  We had a few early low-percentage chances before Koki Saito scored a tap in goal to give us the 2-0 lead and we cruised the rest of the way to the 2-0 victory.

Sparta 3 NEC 0

A complete match.  Tobias Lauritsen overpowered the NEC backline with two goals.  Youngster Jorn Triep added in a third goal.  The defense was solid and really never let NEC have a really quality chance on net.  We kept the ball and never let them see the ball very much.  A quality win.

Utrecht 0 Sparta 1

This was a match that we had no business winning.  It was the complete opposite of the NEC match.  We never really saw the ball.  Utrecht dominated the play (67-33 possession).  It was really amazing to see the same team play with the same instructions and have two completely different results in terms of possession and on the pitch behavior.  However, we took advantage of our one real chance to score when Tobias Lauritsen said "I'm taller than the rest of you and can score with my head."  That one moment gave us the 1-0 lead and the win.

Groene Star 0 Sparta 3

Not much to say here.  A fully rotated side dominated their amateur counterparts in a 3-0 victory.  Mohammed Tahiri with two goals and Dirk Abels with a goal.

Sparta 1 Fortuna 1

This match was very frustrating.  We had complete control of this match from beginning to end.  Pedro Aleman had a tap-in which was saved.  Fortuna used that save to launch a counter attack which consisted of a long punt by the goalkeeper to Burak Yilmaz who outjumped the defender and looped a long 20-yard shot over Nick Olij's head and into the net.  We made a couple of unsuccessful role changes in hopes of tying the match.  Tobias Lauritsen did what he does best to tie the match: outjump the defenders on a set piece.  It came late but we did tie the match to make it through the month unbeaten.

Tables

   

We are still a little above our skis in 4th place.  xG would see us in 6th place so maybe we aren't that far in front our skis.  But, in my opinion, we are definitely punching above our weight.

Stats

 

[_Ben_]

Some start you’ve made! Not as happy about what I see of Groningen though…

[13th Man]

Great start, especially as you’re finding your bearings. Fascinating about the defender being so high - is he especially aggressive or something?

Id strongly considered O’Brian for my Born to Run but decided to go fictional - him in Holland seems about right though.

[keeper#1]

On 22/04/2023 at 00:16, 13th Man said:

Great start, especially as you’re finding your bearings. Fascinating about the defender being so high - is he especially aggressive or something?

Id strongly considered O’Brian for my Born to Run but decided to go fictional - him in Holland seems about right though.

Once I settled on starting the save in Holland, he was the perfect choice as my manager.

[keeper#1]

World Cup/Midway Update

The 2022 World Cup really disrupts the Dutch season.  Only two matches in November and no matches in December.  The downstream impact means two cup matches in addition to five league matches in January.  So, it's a bit of a disjointed updates since my usual monthly updates would be a bit too unwieldly with a seven match January slate.

We had a decent finish to the season before the World Cup break with a huge home win over Twente, who are we are battling for a spot in Europe.  The December post-World Cup friendly season was tough as I tried to give some of my rotation pieces some playing time to get them match fit.  This led to some disjointed performances (notice a theme here).  I played the starters against Eindhoven to lead into the second half of the season.  The first two league matches were the highs and lows of the season thus far.  We claimed a big point when we traveled to PSV and got a 1-1 draw.  Then, a week later, we gave away two points with an uninspired 0-0 draw against bottom half of the table side Excelsior.  We rebounded a solid 2-0 win against midtable Cambuur to close out the first half of the season.

We beat another amateur side in the cup before finally bowing out when we had to face our first professional opponent.  Just a tough draw that we had to face Ajax.

   

In a tight battle at the top of the league for European places.  Our offense is performing as expected but the defense is way overperforming their xG as we are a league-high (-11) compared to what are xG should be.  We should be closer to a goal difference of 0 which would see us further down the table than our current fifth place.

[13th Man]

You mentioned the defense conceding less than expected - Is the defense giving up lots of bad chances?  Or do you fear a regression to the mean?  I've had sides that gave up a lot of xG technically, but it was because they allowed a lot of shots but low quality shots.  Curious if that is the case here.

[Hootieleece]

Echoing 13th Man, in my experience when you are more attacking and you have possession, your defense stats improve because the other team can't score without the ball!

 

 

[keeper#1]

7 hours ago, 13th Man said:

You mentioned the defense conceding less than expected - Is the defense giving up lots of bad chances?  Or do you fear a regression to the mean?  I've had sides that gave up a lot of xG technically, but it was because they allowed a lot of shots but low quality shots.  Curious if that is the case here.

Definitely fearing a regression to the mean.  I need to take a look at where the shots are coming from.  To steal a term from ice hockey and something I focused on in previous threads, I make it a point to defend the "home plate area" in front of the goal.  Hockey teams look to defend this area at all costs because it's where most of the high quality scoring chances are come from.

4 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Echoing 13th Man, in my experience when you are more attacking and you have possession, your defense stats improve because the other team can't score without the ball!

 

 

Our team will run hot and cold in terms of possession, some matches will we win the possession battle 67-33.  Other matches we will lose that same battle, 33-67.  We have very few matches which are close to 50-50 in terms of possession.  We play a very countering attacking style with a low block.  We pack the box and try to strike after the opponent commit numbers forward.  But I will definitely look closer at the possession stats too.

[keeper#1]

Second Half of January and February 2023

Another great month for The Castle Lords.  Only one loss in the six matches including a draw at Amsterdam Arena.  Tobias Lauritsen has been great for us in this run scoring all six goals.  The defense has been great as well allowing just four goals in those six matches.  A great run of counter attacking football.

Sparta 1 RKC 0

An early goal by Tobias Laurtinsen gave us the start that we needed against RKC.  The defense played brilliantly allowing zero shots from a threatening area of the pitch.  They allowed just five shots total adding up to just 0.22 xg (just over 0.04 xg/shot).  I will take that every match if I could.  The offense, after the Laurtinsen goal, put a lot of shots on goal but none of them were a great threat and we gave the home fans a 1-0 victory.

NEC 2 Sparta 0

NEC put us on the back foot right away and banged in two goals in the first ten minutes.  This allowed them to completely change their tactics and play more defensively.  We were not able to shift and play in a more attacking nature.  It's just not how we play.  We are not good enough to break through a low block.  We don't have the passing ability.  We were left with a lot of low percentage shots from poor positions. 

Fortuna 1 Sparta 2

This match was a textbook example of two sides wanting to play the same way and one side creating more quality chances but the other side scoring more of them.  Fortuna had more shots and more quality shots especially after we took a 1-0 lead.  They scored a late second half to tie the match and I thought we were heading home to Rotterdam with just one point.  Tobias Lauritsen's beautiful head struck again on a late corner kick to give us a 2-1 lead that we would not give up.

Sparta 1 Go Ahead Eagles 0

This match is a perfect example of what we do best.  We scored an early goal and each time wanted to let the other team have the ball.  The result was a midfield slog-fest that led to very few chances and even fewer quality chances.  Another ugly win for the boys from Sparta.

Tactical Changes - Team Instructions

Heading into the Ajax match:  I made the following changes to the team instructions

• Pass into space
• Passing directness from fairly short to standard
• Pressing changed from more often to much more often - force their defense into poor passes - need the front four to put in the work to harass their back line

Ajax 1 Sparta 1

Ajax jumped out to an early lead.  We quickly responded to tie the match.  Our defense struggled to get the ball past the Ajax's pressure.  This allowed Ajax to keep the ball and pepper our net with shots.  However, they were mainly low quality shots.  The few times that we did break through their high press - we had quality chances but just could not finish them.  We had 40% of the possession but had an xG of just above 2.00.  

Sparta 1 Utrecht 0

A match just like the Ajax match where we absorbed lots of pressure and struck on the counter.  This time, we had just 35% possession and had an xG of 1.66.  We get the ball to our two inverted wingers look for Lauritsen in the box and he's on brilliant form scoring nearly a goal per 90 minutes.  I really like watching this team play and strike on the counter - this is the first time I've been able to make a counter attacking tactic work so I'm quite pleased.

   

We've allowed only 15 goals all season with an xGA of 29.60.  We are 10th in the league in terms of possession at 49% with an 85% pass completion rate.  Our xGA is 29.60 and we've allowed 285 shots (0.104 xGA/shot).  Our xG is 32.64 on 271 shots (0.120 xG/shot).  Our quality of shot is a little bit higher on just shots on goal.  Looking closer at shots on target, we allowed 107 shots on target from the opposition's 285 shots (37.5% on target).  We have 100 shots on target from the 271 shots (36.9% on target).  Our conversion rate is 11.44% (31 goals on 271 shots).  The opposition is converting just 5.26% of their shots into goals.  

[rich ruzzian]

You're almost replicating the reallife performance of Sparta. 

[keeper#1]

2 hours ago, rich ruzzian said:

You're almost replicating the reallife performance of Sparta. 

Oh wow! You aren't kidding.  I had no idea they were performing this well this season.

[keeper#1]

March 2023

No tactical tweaks this month.  We rolled with what was working.  It got us through the first three matches but we ended up on the receiving end of a spanking by Feyenoord to close the month.

Excelsior 0 Sparta 1

A match which doesn't reflect the chances that we created.  We dominated the ball (57-43 possession) and kept Excelsior far away from our home plate area.  They had very few chances and almost no quality chances.  We popped on the board early with a Tobias Lauritsen goal and then dominated the run of play as we cruised to a 1-0 victory.

Sparta 2 Vitesse 0

A classic counter attacking win for Sparta.  We had just two shots on target for the match and both of them found the back of the net.  Koki Saito got us on the board first and then Lauritsen made it 2-0 just seven minutes later.  12 minutes in the match and two counter attacks saw Vitesse down 2-0.  They made a big push in the second half to try to get a goal and find a way back into the match.  They had a few decent chances but could not score and it's three more points for The Castle Lords.

Emmen 1 Sparta 1

We had to earn this point.  Emmen gave us a taste of our own medicine as they scored on their only shot on target.  They absorbed a lot of Sparta pressure as we fired a lot of shots (most of low quality) on the Emmen net.  It took a late first half goal by Koki Saito to tie the match.  After halftime, Emmen controlled the flow of the game.  We were able to spring some counter attacks but unable to find the net to give us the win.

Sparta 1 Feyenoord 4

Feyenoord was up for this match and we were not.  They ran us off the field.  Danilo Periera sliced open our back four with a first half hat trick.  We scored a consolation goal and they added a fourth to keep the lead at three goals as they go on to win the match 4-1.

   

 

 

 

[keeper#1]

2023 Youth Intake

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

There are golden generations and then there is group of players.  They have the chance to really set the tone for the club for next few years.  So many great players.  Two great goalkeepers at the top.  Hopefully, they both develop.  I keep one and sell one which will bring us profits down the line.

GK Jurensley Alberto: A strong-willed Curacaoan goalkeeper who is strong in the box and wants to win every game.  He probably won't that chance playing for the tiny nation of Curacao but with the proper development and signings, we can turn him into a top goalkeeper in The Netherlands. 

GK Patrick van der Meer: While Alberto is strong in the box and very technical goalkeeper, van der Meer is almost the exact opposite.  He is a free spirit in goal.  Very unpredictable.  Will throw an opposing striker off balance with his ability to rush out of the net.  

RB Rutger van den Hemel: van den Hemel could fill a position of need for us.  He's not very fast but he is willing to get involved in the defensive phase of play.  Smart on the ball.  Has great upside when it comes to defending but needs to fill out the physical side of his game.

CM/DM Furhgill Feller: Feller is a great passer of the ball.  Has the potential to be a great playmaker for the side going forward.  He needs some work on the mental and physical side of the game but the technical ability is already there and ready to be developed.

CM/DM Ayoub el Amri:  The yin to Feller's yang.  Ayoub is a midfielder who is willing to do all the dirty work that Feller can not.  He wants to get into the tackle and break up the opposition attack.  Has lots of pace and can make up ground on the attacker.  Biggest concern is his positioning but that will come with time on the pitch.

CF Jasper Verhulst: Verhulst is a pure finisher and will bring a different look our attack than what Lauritsen brings.  Verhulst is quick and can get away from the opposition marker.  Like most young players, he needs to work reading the play and being in the right place at the right time.  Time with the youth and B team will improve that ability.

WF Roland Hellendorn: Laid-back Hellendorn brings lots of speed and dribbling skill down the wings.  Good with both feet.  Small and can find the net.  

LB Cedric van den Bosch: van den Bosch has the potential to be a quality left-back for Sparta in the next few years and a potential player for the Dutch National Team.  He is smart, willing to work as a member of the team, and can move the ball from defense to offense.  He may be the last player on the list but I think he has the highest ceiling.

[keeper#1]

April 2023

A tough month for us especially on the defensive end where we had a lot of injuries.  As a result, we struggled on the road.  We allowed eight goals in just three matches.  This is not a winning formula for any tactic.  It's even harder for us.  We are not built to play from behind.  We need to get the lead.  We need to pull the opposition into our attacking end and then hit them on the counter.  Getting behind doesn't allow us to do that.  It forces us to attack and attempt to break down the opposition which we don't the ability to do.

AZ 2 Sparta 1 - We played well for the first half but AZ controlled the play.  We were fortunate to keep them off the scoresheet for 45 minutes.  In the second half, they finally used their domination to get on the scoresheet which they did in the 63rd minute.  They made it 2-0 in the 82nd minute.  We found a consolation goal through youngster Mike Frimpong but it wasn't enough to get us a point from the match.

Sparta 3 Heerenveen 2 - This match was closer to how we play.  We got on the board early with a Koki Saito goal.  Tobias Lauritsen made it 2-0 just a few minutes later.  Then, our lack of defense showed up again.  We gave away a penalty late in the first half.  Still reeling from the penalty, we allowed Heerenveen to tie the match heading into halftime.  It was a back and forth second half.  We slowly took control of the play and got the winning goal when Lauritsen got his second of the match.  Three points that we desperately needed.

Twente 4 Sparta 2 - A match where Twente just played us off the pitch.  We had no business scoring two goals and Twente could have had more than four.  Just a bad match all around.

   

 

[rich ruzzian]

The youth intake really shines. Sparta is known in Holland for its youth development. 

Lets hope you can reset the team and hopefully escape the play-off for the European competion next season. 

Edited April 26, 2023 by rich ruzzian

[Hootieleece]

According to the analysts you are overperforming. Was the last month a regression to the mean? I hope not, you might have to start playing the wonderkids to shore up the defense.

At least the overperformance allows you to not worry about relegation battle.

This looks like a long project with a big rebuild especially if you are to win the Dutch Cup in season three.

[keeper#1]

42 minutes ago, Hootieleece said:

According to the analysts you are overperforming. Was the last month a regression to the mean? I hope not, you might have to start playing the wonderkids to shore up the defense.

At least the overperformance allows you to not worry about relegation battle.

This looks like a long project with a big rebuild especially if you are to win the Dutch Cup in season three.

I think it's a combination of regression to the mean and injuries.  We had some injury issues to deal with along the back line.  Had to play our #3 centerback and #3 right back for most of April.  Then, we had to play some decent competition.  Getting three points in the month was a victory.  Hopefully, once the starters come back, we can regain our solid backline as we head into May.

[13th Man]

A bit of a dip there at the end, but things are looking great overall.  Over the course of a season it seems your xGA must not be a good indicator of your defensive quality (before injuries!). Are your players getting a lot of blocks in? Or does the keeper have a really good xG prevented? 

[keeper#1]

6 minutes ago, 13th Man said:

A bit of a dip there at the end, but things are looking great overall.  Over the course of a season it seems your xGA must not be a good indicator of your defensive quality (before injuries!). Are your players getting a lot of blocks in? Or does the keeper have a really good xG prevented? 

You caught me in front of the computer while I'm waiting to here back from a contractor so I can check the stats right away.

We led the Eredivisie in both blocks (245 - 7.20/game) and clearances (683 - 20.08/game)

Nick Olij, the starting goalkeeper, has a xG prevented of 11.66 for the season and 0.31 xg prevented/90 minutes.  Both of those stats are toward the top of the league.

[13th Man]

So sounds like you’re living dangerously, but it’s quality play that’s seeping the goals against down - both from defenders and the keeper!

[keeper#1]

End of Season 2022-23

We finished the season just outside the top 4 and the guaranteed places in European competition next season.  We fall into the European Places Playoff where we will face Vitesse.  We were just one point short of qualifying for Europe.  If we had one result go our way in the last few matches of the season while we were battling injuries, we could have automatically qualified for Europe.  Instead we will have to battle through the playoff process.  Fortuna Sittard and Excelsior will fall into the Ereste Divisie next season and could be joined by Go Ahead Eagles should they fall to NAC in the Relegation Playoff Final.

I thought we had a chance to get a point against PSV especially after scoring an early goal but PSV showed why they are one of the better teams in the league and proceeded to run us off the pitch.  The last three matches of the season, we got back to how we like to play and won three in a row heading into the playoff against Vitesse.

Sparta 2 PSV 4

We controlled the play for most of the first half against PSV as we went into halftime tied at two.  The second half, they completely outplayed us and took advantage of the few chances that they were given.  This was the last match where we had to deal with an injury crisis along the defensive line.  It was a tough match but a match that we could have scored a point in and it was a point that proved to be valuable in the final table.

Volendam 1 Sparta 4

That's a better performance.  We did what we do best.  Get out to an early lead.  It was 2-0 just 15 minutes into the match.  We could dictate the play.  Volendam needed to push forward and expose themselves at the back.  We took advantage scoring two more goals in the second half.  Both goals on the counter attack has Volendam played most of the half on our side of the pitch.  A big confidence boosting 4-1 win.

Sparta 2 Cambuur 0

Cambuur tried to give us a taste of our medicine by forcing us to attack to score.  They let us have the ball and make us break their defense down.  It took Bert Vriends header from a corner kick to open the scoring.  Koki Saito doubled our advantage early in the second half.  At that point, Cambuur gave up.  They never really threatened our net and we cruised to a 2-0 victory in front of the home fans.

Groningen 0 Sparta 1

We were out-played by Groningen in this match.  It took a wonder strike from Joshua Kitolano midway through the first half to give us a 1-0 lead that we would never give up.  Groningen pounded our net with shots most of which were of good quality.  Our defense held firm and goalkeeper Nick Olij kept the ball out of his net to ensure the victory.

Playoff Heartbreak

Vitesse hosted the opening leg of the semifinal where we battled to a 2-2 draw.  The second leg was at our place.  Vitesse thought that had taken a 1-0 lead multiple times only to see VAR overrule the decision.  We battled for 120 minutes to a scoreless draw and had to go to the penalty lottery.  Our opening shot from Vito van Crooij was saved and that was all Vitesse needed to claim a 5-3 penalty victory and advanced to the European Places Final where they will face Utrecht who defeated AZ.  We are left to rebuild the roster for next season.  Hopefully, a roster that won't leave me playing in a counter attack style.

Nick Olij was the MVP for the season.  He kept us in every match and allowed us to outperform our xGA.  17 clean sheets on the season.  A great player who has some top tier Championship/bottom half Premier League teams looking into his services.

Tobias Lauritsen was the offensive MVP for the season.  21 goals in all competitions.  Scoring at 0.67 goals/90 minutes clip.  Can finish both on the ground and in the air.

We are going to have a lot of roster turnover this season.  The players in red are players whose contract expire at the end of June.  The prospect list does not include players from the 2023 Youth Intake.  WIng/Fullbacks and squad depth at all positions are going to be the focus for the offseason.

[karanhsingh]

One of my favorite challenges, good luck with this!

[13th Man]

Tough ending but solid first season, but plenty of reasons to be positive. Turnover gives you the chance to revamp the side.

[keeper#1]

Summer 2023 and Early Season

Transformation of the Roster

End of 2022-23 Season

Entering 2023-24 Season

Five new starters have come into the starting lineup.  Sadly, three of those five have joined us on loan as I could not find quality replacements for the all of the departing players.  We've got a couple of youngsters moving into backup/rotational roles like Siebe Schieman and Raylven Rosario.  Lots of players from the 2023 Youth Intake have entered the prospect line of the depth chart.  Our goal this season is make a deeper run than the third round of the Dutch Cup.  Hopefully, we do not draw a club like Ajax or PSV in the third round like we did last year.

The Stadium

By September, we will be playing in a newly expanded stadium.  This should take our stadium to around 13,000 seats.

August-September 2023

We got off a terrible start.  The defense has been absolutely awful.  They are not playing like a cohesive back four.  They are playing like four individuals.  Alekandsar Subic just runs up the left wing and leaves a massive hole in the defensive half of the field.  Teams are exploiting this space to start their attacks.  He either needs to pick his spots better when it comes to getting forward or he's going to find himself on the bench quickly.

Utrecht 3 Sparta 0

A terrible start to the season.  Tobias Laurtinsen was out injured so we needed play a youngster up front.  He could not properly link up the midfield and attack which left us disjointed and prone to turnovers.  Utrecht played most of the match in our half of the pitch.  The defense tried their best but were just overwhelmed by the constant assault they were under.

Sparta 1 PSV 2

We played better in this match but still ended up with the same result...a loss.  17-year old Siebe Schierman got his first career senior goal to tie the match.  PSV pushed hard late to get the game winner and finally did on a 30-yard screamer in stoppage time.  A better performance but still room for improvement.

Vitesse 2 Sparta 1

An almost carbon copy of the PSV match.  This time, we jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Tobias Lauritsen.  In the second half, Vitesse got in behind Aleksander Subic.  The winger had an easy cross to the center forward who had a tap-in to tie the match.  We allowed another second half stoppage time goal to allow Vitesse claim the victory.

Sparta 2 Ajax 3

I don't what we did to upset the fixture maker but our two home matches against PSV and Ajax are not what I wanted.  We played Ajax hard.  We took a 1-0 lead.  They hit us for two quick goals to take a 2-1 lead.  We responded with a match-tying goal.  And then second half stoppage time struck again.  Our third straight match where we allowed a game-winning goal in the 90th minute or later.  Three potential points turned into zero.  This is becoming a very troubling trend.

Sparta 4 NEC 2

Finally a home match against a side that should be able to beat.  We took a 3-0 lead into halftime.  NEC tried to comeback with a pair of goals in the second half.  The fans, as well as myself, were expected NEC to hit us with a gut punch of a fourth straight match where we allow a second half stoppage time goal.  However, we scored the stoppage time goal as Tobias Lauritsen completed a hat trick of headers from a corner kick to seal the match and our first points of the season.

   

 

Given our performances in the first five matches, 17th place is exactly where we deserve to be in the table.  A major tactical rethink is in order.

 

[keeper#1]

October 2023

A much better month.  We played the first two matches in the counter-attacking 4-2-3-1 formation that we used all of last season.  The last three matches, we moved back a 4-3-3 formation that I have much better understanding of how to fit into a variety of personnel.  On the scoreboard, it was a much better month.  No losses.  No games where we allowed two-plus goals.  Only one game where we were held off the scoresheet.  It looks like after a rocky start, we have been able to steady the ship and build ourselves back to a level where we were playing last season.  The primary goal is to be competitive in the cup and let the league results fall where they may as long as we stay out of a relegation battle.  We seems to on a path to achieve both of those goals.

Heerenveen 0 Sparta 0

The first road match of the season where we were competitive.  I made a couple of substitutions in the starting lineup.  Bert Vriends took one of the starting center back spots and Quentin Maceras took the right back starting spot.  I wanted to give us a bit more stability in the back.  Alekandsar Subic is still getting too far forward but it was not as bad this match.  Our poor right winger was left out on an island for the entire match and never really got into the play leaving us very unbalanced going forward.  The match a back-and-forth affair in the midfield with neither team able to gain an advantage.  Our possession was better but still not where I want it.  A better match overall but still not to the level where we played last season.

Sparta 2 RKC 1

Another match where saw some improvement on the pitch.  However, RKC jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first half.  When the teams returned for the second half, RKC tried to make it 2-0 but could not breakdown our defense.  The last fifteen minutes was all Sparta.  Jonathan de Guzman tied the match and then Thapelo Maseko scored the game winner just three minutes later.  It was a hard fought win.  Team is definitely improving but it feels like we still need to shake things up so have more of the ball.  We can't play this way and let the other team have the ball for long stretches of the match.  This year's team can't handle that level of pressure.

Volendam 1 Sparta 2

Our first match in a 4-3-3 and there is some work to be done.  The first problem is the defensive-midfield-forward lines are all crushed together.  Everything is too flat.  There is no one trying to stretch the vertically.  All horizontal movement.  Volendam scored midway through the first half to take the 1-0 lead.  We quickly responded to two goals of our own to take a 2-1 lead into half-time.  We squashed an early second half push by Volendam and pushed the match into a midfield slogfest with no one really testing the opposition goalkeeper.  That played to our advantage as we closed out a 2-1 victory.

Sparta 4 VVV 1

VVV played well for three minutes and took a 1-0 lead in that short time early in the match.  Then, their backline started to accumulate yellow cards.  We pushed the issue (thanks to a tip from FMStag on twitter) and focused the play down both wings.  This made put their yellow carded fullbacks to task.  They could either get stuck in and risk getting a second yellow card or stand off and let us play down the wings.  Midway through the second half, our wing play finally paid off as their right back picked up a second yellow card and they were forced to play the last 30 minutes with 10 men.  Tobias Lauritsen ran rampant.  Two quick goals after the red card made the score 3-1.  He completed the second half hat trick in stoppage time to make the final score 4-1.

Barone 1 Sparta 3

Rotational players play Barone off the pitch en route to a 3-1 victory.

   

Big move up to the middle of the table as the calendar turns the page to November.  Gone from 17th to 9th thanks to 10 points out of possible 12 in October.

November Preview

Three matches against teams all below us in the table.  Two of three matches at home.  Good chance to potentially pick up nine points.

Edited April 29, 2023 by keeper#1

[13th Man]

Phew, that looks much better after a rough start.  Looks like you've recovered.  Any tactical tweaks that made the difference?

[keeper#1]

12 hours ago, 13th Man said:

Phew, that looks much better after a rough start.  Looks like you've recovered.  Any tactical tweaks that made the difference?

I completely revamped my tactics.  I've moved away from the 4-2-3-1 and switched to a 4-3-3 DM.  The players, this year, just were not comfortable playing in the 4-2-3-1 shape.  Defenders were getting too far forward.  Forwards, even with the 'play more disciplined' TI, were roaming from position.  We didn't have real shape.  We were a mess.

We moved to a 4-3-3 DM.  The hope was to create more passing triangles and diamonds.  Give us a better chance to get out of our defensive zone and move the ball further up the pitch.  Really some basic 'keep the ball' to prevent them from shooting and scoring stuff.  Thus far, it seems to have worked.  Our team possession has gone from 42% in the first few matches of the season up to 47%.  

4-2-3-1 Formation

This formation shows some of the tactical tweaks we made before the formation switch.  At the beginning of the season, we were in a low block with standard passing, pass into space, and counter.  The defense was under constant pressure.  The defense couldn't link with the midfield and the midfield couldn't link with the attack.  It worked well last season but the new signings just were not adapting to the new formation and new team fast enough for my liking.

4-3-3 Formation

The 4-3-3 formation is working much better for us.  We have a nice passing triangle in the defensive side of the ball.  Long triangles down the wings.  The CM(a) pushing forward can create some attacking triangles in the final third of the pitch.  It's still a WIP but we are putting the pieces on the chessboard in better positions than we were in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

[keeper#1]

November 2023

A nice short month with just three matches.  All of them were winnable matches as well.  But we stumbled out of the gate against Go Ahead Eagles.  However, that did not slow us down and we closed with back to back wins against Groningen and last place Cambuur.

Sparta 0 Go Ahead 0

This match was two points lost.  We controlled the run of play for almost the entire match.  We just could not find a way past the Go Ahead Eagles defense to take a 1-0 lead and impose our style of play onto the match.  Go Ahead was willing to give us control of the ball in exchange for setting a low block defense that we still don't have technical ability to break down.  In matches like this, we rely on a set piece and the head of Tobias Lauritsen to give us the advantage we need to claim all three points.  We couldn't in the match so it's just one point.

Sparta 2 Groningen 1

A better opponent led to a more evenly matched match.  We still controlled the majority of the possession.  Groningen did not play in a low block like Go Ahead.  We could get in behind their defense to set up chances.  We did this early in the match when Vito van Crooij got down the left wing and into the box setting up an easy cross and tap-in for Tobias Lauritsen which gave us a 1-0 lead.  Youngster Siebe Schieman doubled the advantage.  Groningen closed the gap to 2-1 right before halftime.  The second half did not yield many chances.  Groningen had numerous chances but they were all low-percentage chances.  We had some chances but all of them results in no goals and our 2-1 halftime lead stood as the final score.

Cambuur 0 Sparta 3

A great team performance against a vastly inferior opponent.  The new 4-3-3 formation is slowly coming in shape.  We are starting to inch closer and closer to a well-balanced formation that makes it hard for the opposition to defend against.  As a result, three goalscorers came from different positions on the pitch.  Vito van Crooij on the left wing.  Thapelo Maseko coming out of the midfield and Tobias Lauritsen as the center forward all found the back of the net for us.  

   

We are still moving up the table.  Now in 7th place.  Starting to move into the discussion for the European Places Playoff.  I don't think we will be pushing for a Champions League place or league title.  The focus is still on winning the cup and letting the league fall where it may this season.  I don't want to get tied up in balancing a league campaign, European campaign and domestic cup campaign in one season.  The goal of the save is to win the domestic cup in Stage 1.  That's my job here at Sparta.  Then move on a bigger club which can handle being competitive along multiple fronts.

Six matches in December before we take a couple week break around Christmas and New Year's Day.  Five league matches and a cup match against semi-professional Katwiik.

[13th Man]

That's a massive turnaround.  I'd been reading on mobile so hadn't seen the formation in the results screenshots - but it looks night and day after the switch.  That 4-3-3 looks a bit more proactive in the midfield as well with the CAR and CM(a) being a bit less static than the former SS and DLP - making for those passing triangles and options you were looking for!

[keeper#1]

December 2023

I don't think you can find a more average month.  2 wins.  2 draws.  2 losses.  However, one of those wins was against a semi-pro team in the cup.  So what happened?  We had a couple of very tough road matches in Twente and Feyenoord.  Both of those matches came just days after another match.  We didn't have a whole week to prepare.  We are not very deep.  We have a lot of young backups.  They are good when we playing inferior competition but I can't depend on them for 90 minutes against teams that are equal or better than us.  The result: just an average month.  We've got two weeks off to recharge and head into the second half of the season fresh.

Sparta 2 AZ 2

AZ played us really tough and took the game to us.  In the first half, we had more of the play and took advantage when Vito van Crooij got us out in front.  We doubled the lead early in the second half.  Then, AZ turned up the pressure and really pinned us in our own half.  This was the first time since the switch to the 4-3-3 that we had to play on the back foot.  We were not ready for it.  AZ got a quick goal to half the deficit to 2-1.  Later in the second, they scored the tying goal.  After that, they fell into a pattern where they we would get one good chance followed by a couple of small chances.  Thankfully, we were able to turn them away and save a draw from the match.

Emmen 0 Sparta 2

Emmen dominated the first half of the match but didn't have many shots on goal.  They had a really good chance late in the first half which was turned away by Nick Olij.  We got a late first half goal from Tobias Lauritsen to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.  In the second half, Bert Vriends was left with a wide open net and doubled our lead to 2-0.  At that point, Emmen gave up on the match and we came home to Rotterdam with all three points and 2-0 victory.

Twente 3 Sparta 0

Twente dominated the play and had the ball mainly in our half of the pitch.  We had a few good chances on the counter attack but could not finish any of them to take a lead and switch the momentum of the match.  Twente scored two goals midway through the first half to take control of the match.  They added a third goal early in the second half.  From that point, we took some of the starters out and gave some of the kids playing time since we have a cup match next week.  I wanted to get them some match fitness in advance of that match.

Sparta 2 ADO Den Haag 2

A match where we should have had a win but Nick Olij did not play well.  His poor play in net turned a win into a draw.  We have the run of play for the majority of the match.  ADO had two decent spells of play and scored on both of their chances.  We had a quick fire double from Tobias Lauritsen and Siebe Schieman for both of our goals.  We had the ball down in ADO's half for most of the match but could not find the third goal which would have been the match winner.

Sparta 2 Katwijk 1

Katwijk got an early goal against the kids.  The kids responded with a tying goal right before halftime.  Vito van Crooij came off the bench to score the match winner and saw us through to the third round.

Feyenoord 3 Sparta 0

Played off the pitch by a superior Feyenoord team.  Two first half goals and a third goal allowed late in the match.

 

   

We slid down one spot to 8th place.  The advanced stats say would should in be 7th.  We are close to performing at a level that we performed at last season.

[keeper#1]

January 2024

January was a successful month for us.  We had a big win over VVV and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Dutch Cup.  We got a huge draw against Twente who beat us 3-0 just a month ago.  The only down side was a 3-1 loss to Utrecht.  They are a club who just have our number at the moment.  No matter what we throw at them; they find a way to defend it or play their way around it.  

VVV 0 Sparta 5

VVV ran into the problem of picking up multiple cards in the first half.  We attacked their yellow carded players and forced their players to either stick in their foot in hopes of preventing the attack or standing off and letting us run past them.  Tobias Lauritsen scored a hat trick.  Jonathan de Guzman picked up a penalty kick goal to close the scoring.  His penalty kick came when we finally got one of their yellow carded players into making a bad tackle and getting a second yellow card to get sent off.  Just an utter domination of an inferior opponent on their pitch.

Sparta 1 Twente 1

We had a defensively dominating performance against Twente except for one moment when Davide Diaw was left us wide open just one yard away from the goal and had a tap-in goal to tie the match.  They held the ball for most of the match but we found a way to get on the scoreboard with just 38% possession.  A decent match at home against a opponent who is just a little bit better than us on paper.  A draw like we had last year.  Just grinding a result in match that we had no business getting a result.

Emmen 2 Sparta 3

A tale of two halves.  Emmen had most of the play in the first half.  They got on the board early to take the lead.  Our rotational players quickly responded with a tying goal when rapidly developing youngster Siebe Schieman found the net.  We took advantage of the chance created in the second time we had the ball at our end when Joshua Kitolano scored.  In a match where the ball was in our defensive half for most of the half, we went into halftime with a 2-1 lead.  The second half saw the ball in our attacking half of the pitch.  The two teams traded second-half goals and we advanced to the quarterfinals on the back of a 3-2 victory.  All three goalscorers are, for Sparta, under the age of 22.

Sparta 1 Utrecht 3

If this was a 85 minute match, it would have ended in a tie, however, it was a 90 minute match and Utrecht scored two goals in second half stoppage time and took a 3-1 victory.  On the whole, it was probably the result that they deserve but I'm more upset with how we just gave up at the end of the match.  They controlled most of the second half.  Our lack of possession, again, is starting to become a troubling trend.

  

We are underperforming especially on the defensive side of the ball this season.  I looked into the player stats and I think I found the problem: goalkeeper Nick Olij.  He is having a terrible season in net for us.

A save ratio of 67% against an expected save percentage of 83% (-16%) and he allowing 0.37 more expected goals/90 minutes.  On the season, he is a +6.29 xgA/90.  That's just terrible.  He was one of the best goalkeepers in the Eredivisie last season.  This season, he is one of the worst and holding us back in the table.

A tough slate of February matches awaits us.  Four road matches in a row including a trip to PSV and a quarterfinal Dutch Cup match against Twente.  A tough stretch but if we win some of these matches, it should set us up for a good run for the rest of the season.

[rich ruzzian]

Olij his performance really dropped.  Are you going to upgrade in the winter transferperiode Or wait until the summer? 

[keeper#1]

Wait until the season ends. I switched goalies in February and our performances have somewhat turned around. Goalkeeping has improved from a stats point of view but I lost one of my starting centerbacks for the season after the window closed so he’s facing more shots. 

[keeper#1]

February 2024

As I alluded in my last two posts, I've made a goalkeeper switch.  Starter Nick Olij is out.  He just isn't performing this season.  Too many soft goals allowed.  Then, he picked a small injury and gave me the perfect excuse to pull him and replace him with 19-year old Rafael de Heij.  He can't do any worse than Olij is doing.  I'm really only focused on the cup this season so he just needs to win three matches and do just enough to keep out of the relegation zone.  We scored eight points from a possible twelve and got a big win over Twente in the Dutch Cup.  This month has secured us another season in the Eredivisie and we are moving on to face Heracles, who upset Ajax in the quarterfinals, in the semifinals.  PSV and AZ face off in the other semifinal.  I'd like another crack at AZ in the final.  We had a decent effort against them at their place.  I think we can beat them at a neutral site.  It was a tough month with four road matches in the five matches.  Good momentum building month.

PSV 1 Sparta 2

Our first win over one the Big Dutch Three.  Rafael de Haij played great in net stopping seven of the eight PSV shots on target.  Most of the PSV shots were good quality shots too.  de Haij was, in my opinion, the Man of the Match.  PSV controlled the early part of the match and were rewarded when Luuk de Jong got them on the board to take a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.  Usually we give up at this point, however, this time the squad showed fight.  Loanee Thapelo Maseko tied the match late in the first half after we dominated the play after the PSV goal.  The second half was a lot like the first half.  PSV controlled the early part of the second half but could not find the net.  As the half went on, we started to control the play.  We earned a late corner kick.  Tobias Lauritsen used his wonderful head to give us the lead and just 10 minutes later, the final whistle blew, and we claimed a massive victory.

Groningen 1 Sparta 1

I was expecting a let down after the high of beating PSV.  But that's not what we got.  I saw a team who got a taste of victory and wanted more of it.  They controlled the play against Groningen.  We kept them on the outside away from our net.  The only thing we could not do was score.  It took us 74 minutes to finally find the net when the Eredivisie's leading goalscorer Tobias Lauritsen found the net.  That woke Groningen up and our early season woes of allowing late goals came back as we let in a goal late in stoppage time.  That's four losses and one draw caused by stoppage time goals allowed.  Six points given away in stoppage time.  That has made a big difference in our season.

Twente 1 Sparta 3 - Dutch Cup Quarterfinal

We brought back the Sparta counter-attack for this match.  Twente used their dominant first-half play to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.  Coming out of the break, we got back into the match with a Tobias Lauritsen goal.  Lauritsen's doubled his tally to give us the lead.  Youngster Jorn Triep came off the bench to provide the counter some fresh legs.  His efforts were rewarded with a security goal as we advanced into the Dutch Cup Semifinals.

AZ 2 Sparta 2

This is the first league match since we lost starting center back Christophe Herelle and it showed.  We controlled the early part of the match and used two Tobias Lauritsen's goals to take a 2-1 lead.  The game unfolded into a match of midfields.  AZ had the stronger midfield and took control of the game.  Just when we started to assert our control again, AZ hit us on the counter and beat veteran (now reserve) center-back Bert Vriends and then the goalkeeper to score a goal.  Though it was not a stoppage time goal, it is still two more points lost.

Sparta 1 Emmen 0

We completely dominated Emmen in this match.  In all aspects of the match, we were superior.  The only place which didn't show our superiority was the scoreboard.  Tobias Lauritsen, who has carried our offense all season, had an off match.  I made the tough decision of taking him off and replacing him with Rayvlen Rosario.  It was one of those moves that makes a match look great.  Rosario rewarded me with only goal of the match, his second of the season, to give us the victory.  Emmen tried to generate some offense but our midfield and defense just smothered them and we held on for a 1-0 victory.

   

The advanced stats still say we are underperforming this season and I have to agree with them.  Some of the defensive personnel changes that I made for this season haven't worked out.  Nick Olij is have a bad season in net.  The offense is continue to plug away and overperform but the underperforming defense has dragged us down.  The offense is doing well for an offense that really depends on just one player.

We are way overdependent on Tobias Lauritsen who has 22 of the team's 51 goals (43%).  If he gets injured, we are in big trouble.  We just don't have the complimentary scorers to help him.  Thank goodness, he is an absolute stud up front and has carried us since John O'Brien took over.

March

I forgot to screencap the month ahead before the month started.  So, here's what we got

3 March: Volendam (H)

6 March: Heracles (A) - Dutch Cup Semifinal

9 March: RKC (A)

16 March: NEC (A)

24 March: Vitesse (H)

The big match is the 6 March Dutch Cup Semifinal against Heracles.

[keeper#1]

Dutch Cup Update

After a 1-0 victory over Heracles, Sparta have been drawn has the road team in the 2024 Dutch Cup.  Their opponents will be AZ, who beat PSV 0-0 (4-2) in the other semifinal.

[keeper#1]

March 2024 Update

A month where we pretty much treaded water except for winning the Dutch Cup semifinal and advancing to face AZ in the final.  But on the league front, just treading water which is fine since as I've repeatedly said...it's not our focus this season.  It's the cup and nothing but the cup for us this year.  Everything has lined up for us.  All of the Big Three clubs have been knocked out.  We have to beat a "best of the rest" club in AZ.  Oh....and the final is in our home city of Rotterdam.  It's all coming up Sparta cup wise this season.  So let's go win it.

Sparta 0 Volendam 1

This is a battle to see who would likely the last European Places Playoff place should we not win the cup final.  It was an evenly matched affair with the pitch slightly tilted in our favor.  However, Volendam scored on one of the chances that they had in the first half.  We held the majority of the play and a couple really good chances in the second half but they were all turned away by the Volendam defense.  Volendam took control of the last European Places Playoff spot which puts even more emphasis on the cup final for us to advance to European competition.

Heracles 0 Sparta 1

We completely strangled the life out of Heracles in this match.  They saw very few offensive chances.  Even getting the ball across midfield was an accomplishment for them.  Like many of our matches, we could not put away our offensive chances.  As always, Tobias Lauritsen came through to get us a result.  We would be in a relegation fight and eliminated from the cup if not for his goalscoring ability.  

RKC 1 Sparta 1

A massive letdown of a match coming off the cup win.  We gave away an early penalty and RKC took advantage of a tired Sparta squad.  It was their match to win.  But that man again, Tobias Lauritsen, found the net in the second half to tie the match.  After giving away so points, it feels nice to steal one point that we did not deserve given our play.

NEC 1 Sparta 1

The Sparta road warriors, who have played seven of their last nine matches away from The Castle, earned another draw.  NEC got on the board first and made us chase the game.  Something that has been far too common this season.  We responded right away but not with Tobias Laurtisen.  Youngster Siebe Schieman made a great run from his right forward position and was found by left forward Vito van Crooij to tie the match.  The second half was another thing that was all too common.  A lot of Sparta possession but nothing to show for it.  So we return home with a draw.

Sparta 2 Vitesse 1

Back home, we played in a manner that we are used to play...the counter.  Vitesse tried to push the issue against us and we made them pay.  Thapeta Maseko got us on the board in the first half.  Their backline got into card trouble and we made them pay.  We were able to draw a penalty midway through the second half and allowed Tobias Lauritsen add to his goal total which now stands at 25 goals in all competitions.  Vitesse added a goal to give them a glimmer of hope but that was it and we finally claimed a league victory in the month of March.

   

We are at the bottom end of the top of the table.  We've got some decent distance between ourselves and 9th place Vitesse.  Our xGA is starting to improve and I can attribute that to the switch in goalkeeper.  But we are still underperforming in the table but looking at the xG table, this is due to some teams overperforming rather than us underperforming.  We can still improve on defense which could improve our league standing.

Now that they are closer to each other in minutes played, I can take a closer look in comparing Nick Olij and Rafael de Heij in net.

Olij has been terrible this season.  He ranks toward the bottom in just about every category.  Save percentage (67%)?!?!?! Are you kidding me?  That's just terrible.  Allowing almost two goals per match.  Allowing 0.37 more goals per 90 minutes than expected.  Just a bad year for 2023 Eredivisie Goalkeeper of the Year Runner-Up and I can't explain why he has been so bad this season when he was so good last season.

Only 20 years old, Rafael de Heij has saved our season.  He's got a much better save percentage (86%) and he's allowing almost a goal fewer per match and he's close to his xGA per 90 minutes.  His passing percentage is also vastly superior to Olij.  Looking at the stats, it's an easy decision to stick with de Heij for the rest of the season.

The only match that matters in April is the Dutch Cup final against AZ.

[13th Man]

That is brutal on the GK front, but glad you have an in house replacement for now. 

[keeper#1]

1 hour ago, 13th Man said:

That is brutal on the GK front, but glad you have an in house replacement for now. 

Olij has been a completely different player this year.  No idea why.

[SixPointer]

Just caught up! Another man on the EH challenge and you started same place as me last year. Love it. I think with your speed of play and writing you’ll smash this out the park! Following 

[keeper#1]

4 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Just caught up! Another man on the EH challenge and you started same place as me last year. Love it. I think with your speed of play and writing you’ll smash this out the park! Following 

Thanks for the follow. I’m switching companies (my current employer does not know and I work as a contracted independent contractor) in about month so, right now, I have very few clients that I have to service. My game play will slow down in a couple weeks when my daughter graduates from high school, we go on her graduation trip and I move over to the new company. It’s, basically, all FM until then. 

Edited May 4, 2023 by keeper#1

[SixPointer]

1 hour ago, keeper#1 said:

Thanks for the follow. I’m switching companies (my current employer does not know and I worked as a contracted independent contractor) in about month so, right now, I have very few clients that I have service. My game play will slow down in a couple weeks when my daughter graduates from high school, we go on her graduation trip and I move over to the new company. It’s, basically, all FM until then. 

I’m envious of that amount of game time

[keeper#1]

2024 Dutch Cup Final

Personally, I'm more of a track suit manager so no need to get all dressed up for the cup final just need to find a clean track suit.

The De Kuip is ready.  AZ is ready.  I thought Sparta Rotterdam was ready but.....

Right out of the gate, we give away a set piece about 25 yards from our goal.  The set piece is defended and we attempt to clear the ball out of our defense area.  AZ recycles the possession and we are disorganized.  They find Sam Beukema wide open out on the right flank.  He takes a couple of dribbles and blows a shot past Rafael de Haij.  

Sam Beukema 3' 0-1 AZ

The remainder of the first half is a midfield affair with neither side getting away many quality shots.  Both teams are doing an excellent job of keeping the opposition out of the prime shooting areas.  A real defensive affair.

As the second half began, AZ became to creep a little bit more out of their defensive shell looking for that second goal to put the match away.  Meanwhile, we were still clogging up the midfield but they were getting deeper and deeper into our side of the pitch.  As the last 20 minutes of the match began, we were finally able to spring a counter attack into action.  Joshua Kitolano was able to win the ball in the midfield and pushed the ball out wide Alexandsar Subic who found midfielder Thapelo Maseko in the center of the field with lots of time and space.  He used that time and space to hit left forward Vito van Crooij running down the left wing.  van Crooij beats his marker and has Tobias Lauritsen running down the center and Siebe Schieman down the right.

Vito decides to keep the ball for himself and takes the lower percentage shot instead of setting up a tap-in for Lauritsen.  Schieman has run himself into an offside position that option was taken away.  Van Crooij hits the corner of the net and we are all tied up again at 1-1.

Vito Van Crooij 70'  1-1

The next 20 minutes go back and forth.  Late in the match, AZ have a wonderful chance to pull ahead and claim the cup for themselves but their center forward Vangelis Pavlidis strike the post with his shot and we remain all tied.  In stoppage time, I make the very bold move of pulling Tobias Lauritsen, who has been nullified by the AZ defense, and left back Aleksandar Subic off the field and replace them with a pair of youngster Jorn Triep and Kjeld van den Hoek.  In the fifth minute of stoppage time, we win the ball in the midfield after a loose touch by Ernest Poku was gobbled up by center back Mike Eerdhuizen.  Eerdhuizen quickly played it over to van den Hoek on the left.  At this point, Vito Van Crooij was bombing forward.  Van den Hoek finds Van Crooij on the left wing.  Van Crooij plays a little pass to the streaking Thapelo Maseko in the middle of the field.  

Maseko only has one good option here - a through ball to Jorn Triep behind the defense.  Siebe Schieman has ran himself into an offside position again.  He could play the ball back out to Van Crooij but that would allow the two AZ to catch up to the play.  Maseko goes for it and plays the through ball to Triep.

Triep has it and he's clean behind the AZ defensive line.

Triep puts it away late in stoppage time and repays the faith I had in him coming on as a late sub with fresh legs.

Jorn Triep 90+7' 2-1 Sparta - Sparta win the 2024 Dutch Cup!

Shots were limited by each side and the possession was fairly equal.  Our xG/shot was greatly influenced by the last minute Clear Cut Chance by Triep.  

AZ xG/shot: 0.094

Sparta xG/shot: 0.200

Stage 1 of the challenge is complete.  Now hopefully a higher profile job in the Eredivisie opens up in the offseason.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by keeper#1