Feyenoord kicks off with a win

It wouldn’t have been at all surprising if Feyenoord had been leading by four or five goals after just under an hour of play. The club from the south dominated their neighbors from the west and created a truckload of chances, but their finishing often lacked conviction. Only Luciano Valente found the back of the net, slotting home shortly before halftime off a pass from Gjivai Zechiel.

Feyenoord’s new captain thus emerged as the match-winner, but things nearly went awry at Het Kasteel. As strong as the team had been for the first hour, they faltered just as badly in the closing stages. Sparta issued several warnings and seemed poised to equalize in the very last second, but the goal was disallowed due to a foul.

Feyenoord thus narrowly escaped defeat, but based on their performance in the first hour, they deservedly secured their first three points of the season. Next week, the team’s first home game is on the schedule: Sunday, August 16, at 2:30 p.m. against Go Ahead Eagles.