Football United

Last Sunday FC Utrecht scored the first victory of the season. Thanks to a goal by Hans Somers, Vitesse was beaten in stadium Galgenwaard.

'1 - 0 = enough' could be read on a banner that was unrolled by Bunnikside before the match. The fans, too, realized that their favourites urgently needed a victory after four matches in which the performance was rather sufficient, however without the reward. 'Winning is the only medicine', Booy knew beforehand. Against Vitesse his team gained a solid victory.

This Sunday, Hans Somers could have given a splendid start to FC Utrecht, when he got the ball just before his feet within two minutes. However, the midfielder met with Vitesse goalkeeper Harold Wapenaar. In that starting phase, FC Utrecht was the dominant team. Nevertheless, the pressure on the Vitesse goal was still rather limited. In the tenth minute Wapenaar had to lift the ball over the crossbar after a dangerously swinging free kick by Rick Kruys. Besides that, after a corner, Robin Nelisse only just headed the ball over the crossing.

After about twenty minutes, FC Utrecht weakened somewhat. Nevertheless, Booy's team succeeded to translate their upperhand into a score in the first half this time. In the 34th minute, after a splendid combination with Robin Nelisse, Somers was successful in Wapenaar's distant corner.

In the first half, Vitesse could hardly do anything against that. Whenever the Arnhem team reached the Utrecht half, their good intentions failed before the Utrecht penalty area. That's why in the first half Sturing's team's greatest threat resulted from a free kick by Theo Janssen, who only just passed by the post.

FC Utrecht's lead held out in the second half, although the home team just escaped in the extra time. Amoah turned up before Grandel, but the Utrecht goalkeeper capably saved after his kick.

'Today, the match was full of excitement', Booy acknowledged. 'We kept our confidence and we got what we deserved. Only after half-time it was somewhat more difficult for us, because of the fact that Vitesse started to play more opportunistically.

The victory was very welcome to his team, that has four points now. This results in confidence for the next weeks, in which FC Utrecht (theoretically) has a difficult program. Next week the match away against RKC Waalwijk, that performs amazingly well and did not loose one point until now. One week after that, Feyenoord comes to Utrecht. Then Utrecht has matches away against Roda and Heerenveen.

FC Utrecht: Grandel, Cornelisse, Keller (57. Van Steensel), Di Tommaso, Braafheid, Tiendalli, Somers, Kruys (62 Tanghe), Van den Bergh, Nelisse, Fortuné (73. Douglas)

Vitesse: Wapenaar, Vreven, Yakubu, Fränkel (46. Rojer), Janssen, Amoah, Dingsdag, Knopper (83. De Mul), Benson (73. Esajas), Van den Berg, Swerts

Goal: 34. Somers 1-0

Eredevisie

Pos. Team Pld Pts
1. AZ 5 15
2. Feyenoord 5 15
3. Waalwijk 5 15
4. PSV 5 10
5. Heracles 5 10
...
14. Utrecht 5 4

Source: fc-utrecht.nl