They had to wait months for it. Had meanwhile accumulated a huge portion of angelic patience. But Sunday finally arrived for the ladies of Huizen. The straggler, who entered the day with only one point on the counter, stunted with a 1-0 win at Rotterdam. Indeed, their first win this season.
Sunday afternoon, at a little before 3:30 p.m., a primal cry popped through Rotterdam’s stadium. All of Huizen is in seventh heaven at that moment. They are hugging the whole world together. Coach Donald Drost, in his beautifully tailored suit and ditto shoes, runs zigzagging across the field to avoid the sprinklers. Meanwhile, his girls receive a standing ovation from the crowd, which claps its hands together after the miracle. At the fence, the players, some with tears in their eyes, fly into the arms of their loved ones.
This is their day. The day they finally won for once.
A little further away walks matchwinner Daphne Koolhaas. Who is ‘just’ speaking to the media. As is appropriate when an important goal is scored. Of course with a very, very big smile. She enjoys the attention. She’s even willing to clamber over a fence for an interview. Today nothing is too crazy. ‘This is fantastic of course. We are so happy. It’s such a relief that you can still win for once,’ says the defender still a little amazed.
Koolhaas (right) flies into the arms of a teammate. Photo: Willem Vernes
The missed penalty ball
Indeed, she is now on the other side of the fence. She can explain the emotions among her team. ‘The first half of the competition went differently than we had expected and hoped. It’s very simple: it’s just not easy when you lose everything. Quite difficult then sometimes, to keep the atmosphere going. Donald said it already: we really have nothing to lose. That’s why we play more attacking and direct. And of course we also knew that we had to take points today to stay in touch.
She falls silent for a moment and looks again at the field, where the Huizen feat took place. ‘But that it goes like this…’ She laughs: ‘We were almost even happier than when we were promoted. It’s a little uncomfortable to say. But I also thought we were better for a good part of the match. Isn’t that right?
That is indeed true. In a nutshell: Rotterdam was better before halftime, but didn’t score. Huizen grew into the match and got a penalty ball eleven minutes before time. So a golden opportunity for the opening goal. However, Sam Luttmer’s push was caught by Rotterdam goalkeeper Iris Nikerk, who capitulated a few minutes later to Huizen’s last corner. It was flicked hard by Koolhaas.
Radiant heads in the Huizen circle. Photo: Willem Vernes
‘It only made the emotion greater. We had built up so much tension,’ stated Koolhaas, who himself missed a penalty ball against Tilburg earlier this season. ‘Then, too, it was 0-0. So I did feel what Sam was going through. Since that moment she has been taking penalties for our team. I don’t mind if it stays that way. I hope I don’t have to take it again, haha.
Shortly after Luttmer almost hit pits of anger in the field with her stick, the winning goal fell. Koolhaas knew she could make up for her teammate’s miss. At practice it had been going well lately. So I had confidence. It went through the goalkeeper’s legs. So maybe it was also a fluke. All I wanted was to shoot at goal as hard as possible. And before I knew it, everyone was hanging in my arms.’
Next mission: Orange-Rood
Because Huizen did not give away that lead anymore, there are now – no less than – four points behind the name of the Gooi team. ‘And in two weeks time we can play against Oranje-Rood,’ Koolhaas looks ahead to the confrontation with the number eleven team, which took a huge beating from Kampong on Saturday: 7-2. OR now has four points more than Huizen (eight to four).
‘If we win that one, we’ll really have the connection. Because of what happened here, we go into the rest of the matches with a completely different feeling. Now I also feel much more like training than after another loss. After today, everything is different.’
