Wearies,
which are your first inhabitants of Saint-Etienne impressions?
T
Yesterday
the news was going around that Lasse would sign a contract with Real
Betis Sevilla, but French newspapers and TV announces that Lasse is
in St. Etienne at the moment and he'll have a medical test today and
will sign a contract afterwards for St. Etienne for 4 years. 
Heerenveen drew first blood in the first leg of their
Champions League play-off semi-final against league runners-up
Ajax. Lasse Nilsson scored the only goal
of the game in the first half to hand Gertjan Verbeek's troops a
slender advantage heading into the second leg on May 13.
Ajax struggled to find top gear at the Abe Lenstra Stadion on
Wednesday evening, perhaps sluggish following their epic Dutch
Cup final victory on penalties against AZ Alkmaar on Sunday.
But the loss will nevertheless be a blow to Ajax, who
missed out on the Eredivisie crown by a single goal to PSV
Eindhoven, and coach Ronald Koeman will expect his side to show
their class in the return fixture at the Amsterdam ArenA on
Sunday.
The game got off to a cagey start with chances at a premium.
Edgar Davids unleashed the first sighter of the evening
on 13 minutes, but his long-range drive was easily collected by
Heerenveen goalkeeper Brian Vandenbussche.
But the breakthrough came just five minutes later when
Afonso Alves centred the ball from the right.
Nilsson latched on to the ball on a burst forward from
midfield, the Swede finishing low beneath the advancing keeper
to open the scoring.
On 20 minutes Alves fired in an effort that fizzed narrowly wide
of the upright, while in the 37 minutes the Eredivisie's top
scorer went even closer. Lining up a
free-kick just outside the Ajax box, the 34-goal hitman fired in
a curling effort that slammed against the crossbar and went out
for a goal-kick.
Ajax's best chance of the half came six minutes before the
break, Ryan Babel running into the box and finding Klass Jan
Huntelaar, who flicked the ball to Tom de Mul only for the ball
to fly over the bar when he pulled the trigger.
After the break the game tightened up, with Ajax restricting
Heerenveen's movement and limiting their efforts on goal.
When the hosts did get through, Ajax keeper Maarten
Stekelenburg first denied Nisson in a one on one and then kept a
Jakob Poulsen drive at bay. Huntelaar and
Kenneth Perez went close in a scrappy second-half Ajax
performance, although the league runners-up remain well-placed
to turn things around in the return leg at the weekend.
09 May 2007
ALVES PUTS FEYENOORD TO THE SWORD
Afonso Alves crowned himself top-scorer of Holland's regular
season as his four goals floored sorry Feyenoord.
Alves scored two free-kicks, a penalty and one other to
take his impressive haul to 34 for the season, with Lasse
Nilsson supplying the other to send Heerenveen into the
Champions League play-offs. Feyenoord,
whose goal came from Danny Buys, have had a dreadful campaign
and a seventh-place finish with only a UEFA Cup play-off
campaign to come is meagre fare for supporters who expect much
better of a club with a mighty tradition.
Much was at stake for both sides but Heerenveen tore into Erwin
Koeman's men. Gianni Zuiverloon launched
an early raid with a cross from the right to Nilsson who got a
touch but poked the ball wide. Theo
Lucius created a good opening for Pierre van Hooijdonk whose
shot was bravely blocked by Andre Hanssen as his touch took the
ball over the bar.
Alves opened his account for the day - but not for what has been
a stunning season - after 32 minutes when he found the top left
corner with a free-kick from outside the area.
Angelos Charisteas then went close to equalising for
Feyenoord when he fired wide after dribbling through.
Koeman must have thought his luck had changed after 55
minutes when Charisteas crossed to Royston Drenthe whose shot
rattled the crossbar with Buys on hand to tap in the rebound.
They could have taken the lead after 59 minutes when Sherif
Ekramy's pass released Romeo Castelen but Heerenveen custodian
Brian Vandenbussche came to the rescue with a save.
Ugur Yildirim then created the second goal for Heerenveen
as he crossed to Alves who outfoxed Ron Vlaar before scoring
into the bottom right corner.
Alves completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after 75
minutes after Nilsson had been fouled by Andre Bahia.
Michael Bradley then crossed to Nilsson who took a touch
before scoring to make it 4-1. Alves
signed off with another free-kick, this time finding the top
right corner.
It ended a memorable regular season for club and player and if
he can keep his scoring boots on the reward could yet be a
Champions League berth. Feyenoord will
have to go back to the drawing board after a season marked by
poor performances and their exclusion from the UEFA Cup because
of crowd trouble.
29 April 2007
SC Heerenveen -
Feyenoord: 5-1
Michael Bradley
hopped off the bench to
help Heerenveen turn a
slim lead into a
Champions League playoff
berth, while Charles
Kazlauskas and TOP
closed the season on an
appropriately sour note.
Afonso Alves punctuated
his Eredivisie scoring
lead with a four-spot as
Heerenveen brushed
Champions League playoff
berth rivals Feyenoord
aside with a late Abe
Lenstra show. Michael
Bradley replaced
retiring midfielder Paul
Bosvelt, literally and
symbolically, with his
team up one in the 68th
minute.
Alves started his busy
day of work in the 32nd
minute, firing home a
classy free kick to
claim his 31st goal in
as many games this term.
The scoreboard would
remain unchanged until
Danny Buijs netted three
minutes past the hour to
regain possession of
fifth place for the
visitors. A
Bosvelt turnover had led
to the equalizer, and
Bradley was summoned to
the midway stripe by
coach Gertjan Verbeek.
Feyenoord's status did
not hold, however, as
Alves bagged twin
strikes in the 65th and
75th minutes. Bradley
then set speedster Lasse
Nilsson free for the
fourth four minutes
later and Alves capped
the affair with his 34th
of the season in the
waning moments.
With the win, the Frisians completed their season goal of finishing fifth and move on to face second place Ajax in a home-and-home Champions League playoff semifinal series. Bradley concluded the league slate with four assists in 21 appearances.
29 April 2007
Nilsson targets top five
Lasse Nilsson hopes his winner
against Ajax will help to propel Heerenveen towards a top-five
finish. The Swedish striker scored the
only goal at the Amsterdam ArenA on Sunday to move Heerenveen to
within six points of fifth-placed Feyenoord.
Nilsson admits the club's target is to finish in the top five in
the Eredivisie and he was delighted to be the hero against Ajax.
"Nobody is expecting three points when you are travelling
to the Amsterdam ArenA to face Ajax," Nilsson told Sportbladet.
"We have had some tough weeks, therefore it is tremendously nice.
"The goal at Heerenveen is always to finish in the top five. We
are still aiming for that place."
The forward is hoping his recent form will also see him included
in Sweden's squad for the Euro 2008 qualifier with Northern
Ireland later this month. He added: "Personally,
I feel that I should be in the squad against Northern Ireland,
of course."
HEERENVEEN STUN AJAX IN AMSTERDAM:
0-1
Visiting Heerenveen held on from an early Lasse Nilsson
goal to snap a four-game winless skid with a plumbers' win
against the painters of Ajax on Sunday afternoon.
Michael Bradley came on to help close out the final 10
minutes and change as the Frisians posted their second Amsterdam
ArenA league victory in their last three tries.
Ajax entered the match clinging to faint title hopes,
which were essentially trashed on a picturesque day in Mokum.
The hosts entered in a even more offensive 4-3-3 set than usual
with twin playmakers Kenneth Perez and Wesley Sneijder.
Heerenveen, meanwhile, fielded a tight 4-4-1-1 set that
effectively slowed down the Godenzonen from the whistle.
The speedster Nilsson was employed up top to give the
Blue White Vikings a pressure valve with his home run ball
threat. The danger was evident only
seconds after kickoff as Ajax netminder Maarten Stekelenberg had
to rush out of his area to head a Petter Hansson long ball away
from the lurking Sweden international.
A minute later, Jaap Stam's low clearance was gathered by
Gonzalo Garcia Garcia at the corner of the 18-yard box, but his
quick shot flew well over frame. Ajax
then started to hog the ball, as is their custom, but
Heerenveen's cohesiveness kept them from moving forward quickly.
Perez expertly played a slightly hesitant Klaas Jan
Huntelaar through in the sixth minute; it was a stutter that
allowed Frisians keeper Brian Vandenbussche to race out and
smother in time. A poor Ryan Babel touch
near midfield gave Paul Bosvelt the opening to lead Nilsson down
the left, but former Heerenveen star Stam blocked his shot out
for a corner kick that would be cleared easily.
In the eighth minute, an extremely long Johnny Heitinga throw
sent Huntelaar running down the right side to win the first of
three successive corners. The first
quickly became the second, which was taken short to Tom de Mul;
his cross cleanly picked out Stam, whose bullet header was
swatted away from the top shelf by an acrobatic Vandenbussche.
The third restart sailed to the far side for Sneijder,
who bounced meekly into the waiting arms of the away goalie.
Stam was rescued by a fortunate Gonzalo offside violation
after Nilsson stripped the less-than-fully-fit Ajax captain as
he dawdled out of the back.
Twelve minutes in, Hansson became the first man in the ref's
book for tripping Sneijder on one of the home side's few fast
breaks. The warming hosts intricately
displayed some classic Ajax passing to work upfield at the
quarter hour, only to have Babel and Huntelaar fail to connect
on the final ball. Sneijder then played
an incisive diagonal ball to Babel racing in on the left, but
Thomas Prager rallied from midfield to take the bite out of the
Holland international's attempt on goal and Vandenbussche
collected comfortably.
The visitors made the breakthrough they were hoping for in the
17th minute, catching Ajax defender Zdenek Grygera in an offside
trap gaffe. The Czech Republic star
failed miserably to hold the line, allowing Gonzalo to slide a
diagonal feed for Nilsson to lash home.
Babel immediately raided the left flank after kickoff, but
Gianni Zuiverloon coolly picked his pocket as the winger entered
the area. The hosts returned quickly to
win a corner kick, and Hansson had to clear the line after Perez
put a loping header on target from De Mul's serve.
Ajax got sloppy at the back in the 21st minute, but
Danijel Pranjic bailed them out by crossing just a bit in front
of Nilsson.
Urged on by their demanding supporters, the home team went back
to the attack, with Sneijder playing a special toe poke through
pass to gain Babel entrance to the box in the 24th minute.
The #8 shirt raced to the endline before cutting back to
Huntelaar, who saw his low 10-yard drive kicked away by
Vandenbussche doing his best Patrick Roy imitation.
Heerenveen nearly had a calamity of their own at the
back, with the keeper forced to head clear of the marauding
Babel after Michael Dingsdag and Hansson played hot potato with
a Perez lob feed.
Oranje ace Huntelaar had a clear doorstep header from De Mul's
corner kick, but guided it wide; the striker returned the favor
by teeing up the winger on the half hour, but the Belgian
blasted over from 16 yards. De Mul
and Perez worked some tricks to set up Huntelaar in the 38th
minute, but scooped the former's overhead centering feed just
over the cross bar. As the first stanza
drew to its close, Heerenveen stopped backing up into their end
long enough to create some moves of their own.
Gonzalo worked a give-and-go with Bosvelt before crossing to
Pranjic, who volleyed over from 18 yards.
The Spaniard then turned provider for Nilsson, but Stekelenberg
was alert to the entry pass and gathered strongly to squash the
danger. Ajax came back to other end for a
last minute corner, with De Mul's tempting serve somehow
bouncing through the goalmouth untouched.
The hosts made a change at the break, bringing Romania right
back George Orgararu on for the struggling Stam, with Heitinga
sliding centrally to maintain shape.
The second half started a bit politely, but Calvin Jong-A-Pin
sparked the proceedings with a yellow card foul on De Mul.
In the 49th minute, Sneijder had to hustle back to nod a
loose ball away from Pranjic in the area.
At the other end, Hansson stood tall when Gabri tried to break
in alone with a Huntelaar lay off.
Bradley hopped off the bench to warm up for the first time in
the 55th minute, just as Ajax were squandering back-to-back
corners. Jong-A-Pin then flirted with a
red card by blocking a De Mul cross with his hand, but Gabri was
eventually called on to dispossess Pranjic when Heerenveen
countered with the cleared restart.
After the hour mark had passed, Bradley rose to get ready for
the second time as Leonardo replaced Perez in the Ajax line-up.
The Brazilian immediately showed some fancy feet to round
two defenders and was tripped just outside the area by Michel
Breuer. Sneijder
uncharacteristically mis-hit the danger free kick terribly to
draw groans from the by-now squirming Ajax faithful.
Huntelaar dummied a 72nd minute
Orgararu center to allow Gabri free passage, but the Spaniard's
first touch was too hard and Vandenbussche was able to smother.
With a quarter hour remaining, Leonardo got tangled up in a
challenge with Heerenveen sub Jakob Poulsen and had to be
quickly removed for young attacker Edgar Manucharyan.
In the 79th minute, Huntelaar fired a smart Sneijder pass
straight into the arms of Vandenbussche from 20 yards.
Hanssen shrewdly knocked a Gabri slip pass away from the
onrushing Manucharyan; an off-balance Huntelaar headed the
resulting corner kick over from 10 yards.
De Mul then cut in from the wing to blister a shot that
Vandenbussche was barely able to tip wide.
Bradley entered for Gonzalo in the 82nd minute, positioned as a
de facto #10 behind Nilsson. His entrance
alone could not stem the tide, however, and Manucharyan forced
Man of the Match Vandenbussche to push an in-drifting cross over
his bar. The young American sent a
counterattack ball over the top for Nilsson on his first touch,
but the return cross was eventually booted clear by Grygera.
In the 87th minute, Manucharyan latched onto a Sneijder
entry feed to buzz the upper 90 from the left channel.
The Ajax youngster also had the game's final chance,
giving Vandenbussche one last opportunity to shine.
Sneijder lobbed in for the Armenia international, who saw
his rocket-on-the-fly rejected by the Heerenveen keeper.
"It's a really big win for us," Bradley told YA after the
whistle. "The results haven't been what we wanted lately, so to
come away from the ArenA with three points is huge."
The Yank believes coach Gertjan Verbeek's tactics, along
with some top notch netminding from Vandenbussche, made the
difference.
"Obviously, they have so many good players," noted Bradley.
"Sneijder, Huntelaar, Perez - they're all so good at connecting
with each other. (We wanted to) not let them play right through
us, so I think we did a good job."
"Brian had a great day. Anytime your keeper plays a game like
that, you're going to be in a good position to win."
Heerenveen return to the league chase with visit from relegation
battlers RKC Waalwijk on Saturday.
4 March 2007
Roda JC
- SC
Heerenveen:
1-0
An Andres Oper strike
just before halftime was
enough to see home side
Roda JC grab the points
from Heerenveen.
Michael Bradley replaced
Paul Bosvelt in the 58th
minute, while countryman
Robbie Rogers did not
dress.
Oper capped a 43rd
minute counterattack by
converting a Marcel de
Jong pass, and the
visitors could not come
up with an adequate
reply.
Heerenveen will try to
snap their four-game
winless slide next
Sunday at Ajax.
24
February 2007
SC Heerenveen
- FC Twente:
1-2
Heerenveen fell to seven
points behind fifth
place Feyenoord after
suffering an Abe Lenstra
defeat to streaking
Twente.
Michael Bradley picked
up a yellow card in his
27 relief minutes, while
compatriot Robbie Rogers
did not dress.
The visitors, who have
now won five straight,
opened when Blaise
N'Kufo deposited his
17th of the season on
the quarter hour.
Sweden hopeful Kennedy
Bakircioglu doubled the
Twente lead in the 33rd
minute with what proved
to be the winner.
The Frisians got back in
the game when captain
Petter Hansson nodded
home a Thomas Prager
serve in the 67th minute.
Despite a late flurry,
including a Bradley near
miss from a corner kick
in stoppage time, the
hosts were unable to
grab a share.
Heerenveen hit the road
Saturday night to face
eight place Roda JC.
18 February 2007
SC Heerenveen - Vitesse 0-0
10 February 2007
FC Groningen - SC Heerenveen:
1-1
Heerenveen inched closer
to the top five by
rallying for an away
derby share with FC
Groningen on Friday
night.
Michael Bradley worked
the opening 67 minutes
from midfield, while
countryman Robbie Rogers
did not dress.
After a scoreless first
half, Antoine van der
Linden put the hosts up
from a 62nd minute
corner kick.
Moments later, however,
league top gun Afonso
Alves bagged his 22nd
goal of the year with a
long free kick.
Heerenveen will next
host Vitesse on Saturday.
02 February 2007
Heerenveen Hammer Heracles
Heerenveen moved to within three points of fifth-placed
Feyenoord thanks to a 5-1 trouncing of Heracles Almelo on Friday
night. The Friesland-based side are
looking to mount a European challenge in the second half of the
season and had little difficulty in disposing of their
struggling opponents.
Lasse Nilsson set the tone for the night when he scored after
just two minutes, and, predictably, Brazilian striker Afonso
Alves continued his stunning campaign with a brace before
half-time (39, 43). The former
Malmo man has now registered 21 goals in 22 games this season
and another starring role is sure to intensify talk of a
potential January move to Manchester City.
Kwame Quansah (51) grabbed a goal back for Heracles, but Danijel
Pranjic (62) and Canadian international Rob Friend (78) rounded
off a superb night for Heerenveen.
|
Heerenveen
|
Heracles Almelo | |
|---|---|---|
|
Lasse Nilsson 2
Afonso Alves 39 Afonso Alves 43 Danijel Pranjic 62 Rob Friend 78 |
5-1
|
Kwame Quansah 51 |
26 January 2007
SC Heerenveen 5 -
1 Heracles Almelo
Heerenveen got the
Heracles monkey off
their back in a big way,
shredding their Saturday
visitors to keep pace
with the top five.
Michael Bradley
was drafted into
midfield for the final
20 minutes and change,
while fellow Yank Robbie
Rogers did not dress.
It took only two minutes
for Lasse Nilsson to
start the party and
Afonso Alves grabbed a
double inside of four
minutes late in the
period to give the
Frisians a healthy lead
at the break.
Danijel Pranjic
and Canada striker Rob
Friend piled on in the
late going to complete
the margin.
After celebrating their
first ever win over
Heracles, the Frisians
will make the short trip
to face arch rivals FC
Groningen in a
nationally televised
Friday evening clash.
26
January 2007
PSV EASE PAST 10-MAN
FRISIANS
Michael Adubato for
Yanks Abroad Saturday,
January 20, 2007
Michael Bradley and SC
Heerenveen fell to
defending Eredivisie
champions PSV Eindhoven
3-1 at Phillips Stadion
after going down to 10
men when defender Calvin
Jong-a-Pin was sent off
in the 14th minute.
The young American came
off the bench at the
beginning of the second
half and was slotted
into the left back
position.
Jefferson Farfán was the
first to burst forward
when, in the third
minute, he charged up
the middle and found
Arouna Koné on the edge
of the box, but the
return pass was snuffed
out by the visiting back
line.
The hosts regained
possession and pressed
the point again, this
time winning a corner.
Farfán swung it into the
box and Manuel da Costa
should have done better
with a free header that
sailed over the
crossbar.
Before the 10-minute
mark, PSV had a couple
more chances - first, a
Farfán shot that the
Peruvian struck hard,
forcing Brian
Vandenbussche into a
save that he knocked
away for a corner kick,
which he also
intercepted.
The second attack was
also courtesy of the
Lima native, this time
finding Koné, who fed
Timmy Simons in front of
goal. The low shot was struck
hard and true, but the
Heerenveen stopper was
up to the task.
The Champions League
team drew first blood a
quarter hour into the
game after Patrick
Kluivert played the ever
present Farfán through
the middle.
As he crossed into the
18-yard box, Jong-a-Pin
grabbed an arm and
brought him down; PSV
were awarded a penalty
kick, Heerenveen's #37
was rewarded with a
straight red card.
Simons placed the ball
on the spot and the
Belgium international
had no trouble putting
his name on the
scoresheet, placing his
shot onto the top shelf.
The visitors were not to
be disheartened and
showed their mettle when,
six minutes later, the
score was once again
level.
Lasse Nilsson linked up
with Afonso Alves on the
right side of the field,
then lead the Brazilian
down the middle.
The Eredivisie's top gun
raced away from the
defense to slot past the
stunned Gomes.
A minute after the
Brazilian picked the
ball out of the back of
the net, PSV were once
again leading the
contest, courtesy of
Koné. Simons played a long
ball forward, finding
the Ivory Coast ace on
the left corner of the
box; the ex-Roda JC man
turned the defense and
dented Vandenbussche's
net.
The teams traded free
kicks in the 28th and
30th minutes, with
Heerenveen first seeing
their 25-yard set piece
cleared by Farmers
captain Phillip Cocu.
It was followed by PSV
corner that
Vandenbussche claimed
off the top of Koné's
bleach blonde head.
Heerenveen's Jakob
Poulsen had a clear shot
at goal from 18 yards in
the 32nd minute, but
could only hit the
target of a spectator in
the 15th row.
It only took another
five minutes for the
champions to extend
their lead, by yet
another kick from the
spot.
Cocu played forward to
Farfán, who picked up
the ball just in the box
with his back to goal -
as he turned to face the
target, Michael Dingsdag
knocked him over.
The Peruvian did the
honors this time,
placing it just to the
right of the aggravated
keeper, who seconds
earlier had picked up a
yellow for exchanging
verbiage with referee
Roelof. Luinge.
To Heerenveen's credit,
the ten-man team
attempted to go forward,
but their attacks were
feeble and easily
repelled by Brazilian
defense marshal Alex and
his back line.
Danijel Pranjic darted
up the wing just before
the intermission,
beating Edison Mendez to
deliver across the face
of goal, but no
teammates were on hand
to test Gomes.
Coach Gertjan Verbeek
made a few changes going
into the final 45, one
of them being the
introduction of Bradley
at left back.
Three minutes in, Alex
let loose a 23-yard free
kick that sailed wide
right, followed by a
tame Pranjic effort at
the other end.
Heerenveen wasted a 57th
minute free kick that
Gomes claimed, followed
by another that Alves
struck off frame.
Although not much
traffic passed in front
of Bradley, the
youngster had little
problem containing
Ecuador star Mendez and
substitute Mika Väyrynen
in his defensive role.
Ex-Liverpool man Jan
Kromkamp pushed up the
right side around the
hour mark and saw an
open Mendez, but the
ex-MetroStar read the
move as if he had spent
his whole life playing
defense and cleared the
area.
The visitor's man
between the posts was
called on to make a
spectacular save in the
66th minute after
Kromkamp linked up with
substitute Jason Culina.
The man from Down
Under's free header was
knocked away by
Vandenbussche, who then
swan-dived onto the
loose ball before the
advancing Koné could
pounce.
The 11 men of PSV
dominated possession and
kept coming forward, yet
their ability to find
the back of the net was
nowhere to be found in
the second.
Väyrynen's attempt at a
bicycle kick in the box
from 10 yards left
something to be desired
as he seemed to have a
flat tire.
An 82nd minute Carlos
Salcido shot from
distance cleared the
crossbar for PSV and a
Diego Tardelli strike
also missed the target,
followed by a late shot
into the outside netting
by Farfán.
A stoppage time
visitor's corner kick
was not taken as the
referee blew the whistle
to end the affair.
"You're always in for a
tough time when you play
PSV and its tougher when
you're down to 10 men
after 15 minutes,"
Bradley told YA post
game. "We went down a
goal and a guy, but we
pulled ourselves
together well."
"If we could keep it
1-1, we could frustrate
them. The second penalty
was tough."
On playing in an
unfamiliar position,
this up-and-coming
American star was just
glad to get in 45
minutes of work.
"At that point, down a
goal, it was important
to settle down quickly
in a position I don't
play, but it shows that
the coach has confidence
in me." stated Bradley.
Heerenveen will next
host Heracles Almelo on
Friday night.
19 january 2007