Sc Heerenveen suffered a painful defeat in the Eredivisie on Sunday. Kees van Wonderen's team lost 3-2 at home to AZ Alkmaar despite taking a first-half lead.
According to NH Nieuws, the home side took the lead through goals from Nolhan Courtens and Ringo Meerveld. AZ turned the game around after the break, with Ayoub Oufkir scoring the decisive goal in the 83rd minute. This loss leaves Heerenveen 12th in the league with 5 points from 5 matches. The team has scored 7 goals and conceded 9.
Heerenveen started strongly at the Abe Lenstra Stadion. Nolhan Courtens opened the scoring in the 21st minute, with Ringo Meerveld doubling the advantage half an hour in. AZ pulled one back before halftime through Ro-Zangelo Daal. After the interval, the Alkmaar side took control of proceedings.
AZ's Mexx Meerdink equalized in the 69th minute and later provided the assist for the winning goal. ESPN's statistics show Heerenveen had 14 attempts, with 5 on target. AZ was more effective with 15 shots and 8 on frame. The home side thus missed key points in the battle for a better position in the standings.
The away match against PSV has been moved due to the Eindhoven side's European commitments. A report by roundtable.io states the fixture will now take place on Friday, October 9 at 8:00 PM. PSV plays a Champions League match against RB Leipzig three days later.
The rescheduling gives PSV more recovery time. For Heerenveen, it changes the preparation for this important away fixture. It is one of several changes to PSV's schedule designed to give manager Peter Bosz more breathing room between European and domestic matches. Fans can find the new date in the full fixtures list.
After five matchdays, Heerenveen has presented an inconsistent picture. The team has one win, two draws, and two losses. Their recent form is LDLDW, standing for loss, draw, loss, draw, and win. The side currently trails league leaders AZ Alkmaar by ten points.
The defense has struggled for consistency, as shown by the 9 goals conceded. In attack, Courtens and Meerveld have proven to be important assets. For the coming matches, Van Wonderen will need to find more stability. The complete squad is ready for the next challenge.
The next opportunity to bounce back is the home match against Telstar on Sunday, September 13. Telstar currently sits 13th in the Eredivisie, just below Heerenveen. It will be a direct clash between two teams closely positioned in the table.
A victory could give Heerenveen some breathing room in the lower half of the standings. Both teams have only managed one league win so far this season. The match offers a concrete chance to get the points tally moving in a positive direction again.
