By Jan-Kees Joosse (4/11/25)
Above: Feyenoord women celebrate their emphatic victory. Photo: FeyenoordV1 on X.
Following the October international break, the Netherlands’ top tier of women’s football continued. In round six of the Women’s Eredivisie, several top sides recorded convincing victories over clubs that continue to lag behind in investment. The growing contrast reflects both the progress at the top and the stagnation among the rest of the league.
ADO Den Haag 0-5 FC Twente
FC Twente Women have made it abundantly clear this season: they dominate the Eredivisie and look ready to make strides internationally. Averaging 3.66 goals per match and matching Ajax’s goal difference, the reigning champions once again showcased their attacking power. Against ADO Den Haag, they produced a commanding 0–5 victory — another display of pace, precision, and power.
It didn’t take long for Twente to set the tone. Alieke Tuin opened the scoring with a stunning 20-meter strike to make it 0–1. Moments later, Sophie Te Brake came close to doubling the lead, but keeper Barbara Lorsheyd made an excellent save. Lynn Groenewegen and Sophie Proost also had chances, while ADO just about managed to hold on.
At the other end, Diede Lemey had to intervene once against a shot from Anne van Egmond — a key save, as Jaimy Ravensbergen made it 0–2 shortly after with a brilliant solo effort, cutting inside and firing into the near corner. Just before halftime, Van der Vegt hit the crossbar, but Twente entered the break in full control.
After the interval, coach Corina Dekker made two substitutions — Danique van Ginkel and Charlotte Hulst — and the change paid off immediately. Within a minute, Van Ginkel scored with her first touch: 0–3. Twente kept pressing and extended their lead through another Tuin goal (0–4) and a late strike from Jill Roord, who had yet to score in the league this season, sealing a resounding 0–5 win.
With their fifth straight league victory, FC Twente reaffirm their status as title favorites. The team’s confidence, collective strength, and attacking balance make them a force both domestically and in Europe — exactly as Dekker envisions: a club whose name resonates internationally.
HERA United 0-5 Ajax
The Amsterdam city derby is back — but for now, it’s still Tom Thumb vs. Goliath. In the first-ever official meeting between Ajax and HERA United, the reigning champions wasted no time asserting dominance. After just 15 minutes, Ajax were 3–0 up, and the game was essentially over. HERA’s defending was shaky, and they had no answer for Ajax’s fluid, creative attacking play.
After five minutes, Ilayah Dostmohamed opened the scoring, capitalizing on a defensive error. Soon after, Bo van Egmond doubled the lead from a Sherida Spitse cross, and two minutes later Jade van Hensbergen made it 3–0 with a precise strike off the inside of the post — her first official goal for Ajax. Amber Visscher then added a fourth before halftime with a thunderous shot from a rehearsed corner routine: 0–4 at the break.
The second half slowed down somewhat, but Ajax stayed in control. Twenty minutes from time, Dostmohamed was brought down by goalkeeper Kelly Steen, and captain Sherida Spitse converted the penalty to seal the 5–0 win.
The derby, for now, was more symbolic than competitive — Ajax showed class, HERA showed courage, but the gap remains enormous. Still, something promising has been reborn in Amsterdam: a city rivalry with potential, even if it’s currently one-way traffic.
PSV 2-0 AZ Alkmaar
For PSV, Sunday’s match at De Herdgang was a crucial test: could the Eindhoven side continue to beat the mid-table contenders and stay in the title race? The answer was a firm yes. Against AZ Women, Wouter de Vogel’s side won 2–0 in a match where efficiency made the difference.
AZ started brightly and had a golden chance to take the lead through Desiree van Lunteren, but the experienced striker was denied by the keeper. PSV struck at the other end a few minutes later — Riola Xhemaili once again proving her worth as the team’s finisher, calmly slotting home for 1–0. The Swiss midfielder is fast becoming the key player in PSV’s title pursuit.
AZ continued to play well but couldn’t break through PSV’s solid defense. The home side were more clinical in front of goal and sealed the win in the second half when veteran Renate Jansen doubled the lead with a composed finish: 2–0.
The result confirmed that PSV can perform not only against direct rivals but also against strong mid-table teams like AZ. They remain firmly in the chase behind Twente and Ajax, ready to pounce if either of the leaders slip up.
Excelsior Rotterdam 2-4 FC Utrecht
FC Utrecht beat Excelsior 4–2 in a match that had many faces — and mixed emotions across the lines. Both teams were shaky in defense but dangerous going forward. Ultimately, Utrecht’s superior quality made the difference.
Lobke Loonen and Nikita Tromp are the driving forces in an otherwise youthful Utrecht side. Tromp stood out with two excellent goals to give Utrecht a 2–0 lead. That scoreline flattered the hosts somewhat, as Excelsior regularly created danger and exposed Utrecht’s fragile defense. Homan and Hendriks showed that Excelsior’s attack has improved significantly since last season.
In the second half, poor defending from Gera op den Kelder allowed Van Speijk to press high and score after rounding goalkeeper Bastiaen: 2–1. Utrecht responded quickly — in the 56th minute, after a clever move by Tromp, Van Straten provided the assist for Loonen to make it 3–1. Moments later, Loonen added another, lobbing the keeper with confidence after a perfect through ball from Tromp.
Utrecht kept pushing, and Tromp nearly completed her hat-trick after hitting both posts before the ball rolled harmlessly into the keeper’s hands. Hendriks scored the goal of the game late on, curling into the top corner after winning the ball herself: 4–2.
Excelsior can take confidence from their attacking display and should win more games playing this way. But for now, the chemistry between Tromp and Loonen sets Utrecht apart. If they want to challenge the top sides, though, their defending must improve — attack alone won’t be enough.
Feyenoord 6-1 SC Heerenveen
Feyenoord did their homework. They knew Heerenveen struggled with defending set pieces — and they exploited it perfectly at Varkenoord. All six of Feyenoord’s goals came from corners. That says it all: tactical awareness on one side, defensive chaos on the other.
The match itself wasn’t one-way traffic. Heerenveen started brightly, with Inessa Kaagman testing Jacintha Weimar inside two minutes. The visitors played well early on, combining neatly and creating chances through Kaagman and Elfi Maass, but their finishing let them down.
After ten minutes, Feyenoord struck from their first corner — Ella Van Kerkhoven headed in for 1–0. Heerenveen equalized through Kaagman, but before halftime, Akari Takeshige restored the lead — again from a corner.
The second half got worse for Heerenveen. Esmee de Graaf made it 3–1, and Celainy Obispo added two more, all from corners. In stoppage time, Mao Itamura completed the rout at 6–1.
Heerenveen showed flashes of good football, but until they fix their defending on set pieces, results like this will keep haunting them. One thing is clear: defensive work is urgently needed.
PEC Zwolle 4-0 NAC Breda
PEC Zwolle continue to be this season’s revelation. Despite injuries to youth internationals Schilder and Zuidberg, Joran Pot’s side are flying high, strengthening their grip on fifth place with a 4–0 win over NAC Breda — their biggest league victory since December 2023.
After a scrappy start, Ilvy Zijp broke the deadlock in the 14th minute with a crisp strike after fine work from Hanna Huizenga. NAC’s Brigitte Franken missed a good chance to equalize, while PEC began to dominate possession. Just before halftime, NAC hit the post through Franken, but Zwolle went into the break 1–0 ahead.
NAC started the second half strongly, but PEC punished them on the counter. A quick transition down the left led to the 2–0, and soon after, Huizenga made it three with a composed finish. Late in the game, Judith Roosjen sealed the final score at 4–0.
With this victory, PEC Zwolle cement their reputation as the league’s biggest surprise package. The team plays brave, positive football and shows resilience despite setbacks. NAC, meanwhile, look increasingly in trouble and must fight hard to stay in the Eredivisie.
Follow Jan for news about Dutch women’s football at www.fcleeuwinnen.nl.
Follow Impetus on social media –
Twitter (X): @impetusfootball TikTok: @impetusfootball
Instagram: @impetusfootball
impetusfootball.org 