A draw enough for Telstar at FC Volendam: 'Staying up is harder than getting promoted'
On the final day of the Eredivisie season, Telstar face FC Volendam in a direct battle for fifteenth place. The side from Velsen-Zuid hold a two-point advantage over Volendam, meaning a draw is enough to avoid the play-offs and secure their top-flight status.
From nowhere to the Eredivisie — and staying there
The fact that Telstar are even in this position is a story in itself. The club returned to the top flight last season via the play-offs, ending an absence of no fewer than 47 years. Few gave the Velsen-Zuid side a realistic chance of survival beforehand. Captain Jeff Hardeveld looks back with quiet satisfaction: 'If you'd told us at the start of the season that we'd be playing on the final day to stay up or go into the play-offs... Yes, I'd have signed up for that.' Telstar have since accumulated 34 points — a tally that has surprised many in the Eredivisie.
Bakker: 'Staying up is harder than getting promoted'
Midfielder Danny Bakker, like Hardeveld 31 years old and one of the faces of the squad, puts the achievement into perspective. 'The clubs in the Eredivisie are much better. We didn't go up as champions either — we came through the play-offs. If a small club can then hold their own at this level, that's something special.' In his view, staying up is a tougher sporting challenge than the promotion itself, simply because the competition at the highest level is of an entirely different standard.
Coach Correia: 'Charging around the pitch with real intensity'
Head coach Anthony Correia, who will move to FC Utrecht at the end of this season, describes the style of play Telstar have produced this year with visible enthusiasm. 'There's a bit of dynamism in our game, a bit of fight, a bit of creativity. The intensity with which we play is just fantastic. Charging around the pitch, putting in a real shift. It's a joy to do and a joy to watch.' Bakker adds that the team has caught opponents off guard with that approach: 'Just like last year, we've played with real boldness and courage. That's been our strength this season. It doesn't matter who we're up against — away at Ajax, away at PSV, we tried to play exactly the same way.'
Trust as the foundation: encouragement over criticism
Hardeveld points to the culture within the group as a key explanation for the team's success. There is no single tactical secret, he says. 'It's about moving for each other, keeping on the move, as long as all positions are covered and you play to each other's strengths. Give each other confidence, encourage each other positively. That's what makes us such a strong and solid team.' Bakker agrees: within the system they use, he feels completely at home, partly because mistakes are not immediately punished. 'If you tear into a player the moment he makes a mistake, he stops taking risks altogether.'
Sunday's finale without excessive pressure
When asked whether the showdown against FC Volendam feels like a burden, both players are remarkably relaxed in their response. Hardeveld: 'When you think about where we've come from, we really only have things to gain.' Bakker acknowledges a degree of tension but refuses to let it dominate. 'That pressure comes mainly from outside. But if we play to our own strengths and bring the same boldness and courage against Volendam, I look forward to it with a lot of confidence. That said, it's going to be a fierce game.'
Related
Source: Via NOS (GNews)
Comments
- Be the first to comment.