Feyenoord

Dutch national team manager Louis van Gaal could be set for a summer switch to Eredivisie side Feyenoord, where he would replace the outgoing Ronald Koeman.

With the 62-year-old almost certain to step down from the Netherlands role after this summer's World Cup in Brazil, speculation regarding his next destination is already in motion. The former Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager is one of the most respected coaches in world football and would not be short of offers.

One club being hotly tipped to be interested are Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which are widely believed to be actively searching a long-term replacement for current boss Tim Sherwood—who only took over for Andre Villas-Boas in December.

The Dutchman van Gaal has openly conceded that he would love to manage in England and that White Hart Lane is a possibility, via John Cross of Mirror Football, but that does not necessarily mean that north London will become his new home. For starters, if Sherwood was to somehow mastermind a route to Champions League qualification, then Spurs would be likely to stick with AVB's former assistant for another year.

Conversely, if they do fail to qualify for Europe's elite competition, then van Gaal may not want that particular job—particularly given the club's inherent lack of patience with managers over recent years. If the move to Tottenham doesn't materialise, then Feyenoord could be his summer destination.

According to Marcel Roest of Dutch site Bet.nl, the links between van Gaal and Feyenoord are very strong. It is believed that club and coach have already met to discuss a potential appointment.

Meanwhile, the "Friends of Feyenoord" have reportedly cited the Dutch coach as one of their favoured candidates to replace Koeman, who has already confirmed he will be leaving this summer due to the club's failure to acquire new players.

The Rotterdam club are currently fourth in the Eredivisie standings following a second successive draw at second-placed FC Twente on Sunday. However, with only three points separating the pair—which are split by Vitesse in third—Feyenoord still hold hopes of Champions League qualification; if they achieve that goal then it may be the deciding factor in tempting van Gaal to De Kuip.

Despite their standing within the hierarchy of Dutch football, Feyenoord are without a league title since 1999. If they were to appoint van Gaal as head coach, they'd be inheriting a four-time Eredivisie-winning manager who also led Ajax to the Champions League trophy in 1994/95—the last time any Dutch club lifted European football's biggest prize.

With his most recent Eredivisie triumph coming with the unfavoured AZ Alkmaar in 2009, van Gaal's credentials would certainly suit Feyenoord. If the club can secure his services, there won't be many complaints from their fans.

In the immediate future, van Gaal's attentions will be solely on helping the Netherlands to a successful World Cup. After that, who knows, perhaps he'll be back in the Eredivisie once more.

Would van Gaal be a success at De Kuip? Post your thoughts below.

The Eredivisie race for Champions League qualification is really hotting up and Sunday's contest at De Grolsch Veste could decide whether it is FC Twente or Feyenoord who join Ajax in Europe's elite competition next season.

Whilst Ajax still have some work to do if they are going to secure their fourth consecutive Eredivisie crown, it does appear that Frank de Boer's side are almost guaranteed the top-two finish that would secure Champions League football next term. If that is to be the outcome, then Sunday's opponents will be fighting for one spot and whoever wins this pivotal battle will certainly gain the advantage.

Advantage FC Twente

Heading into the weekend's key fixture, it is FC Twente who hold the aces. In addition to having the home advantage for Sunday's match, the 2010 champions also boast a three-point lead over Ronald Koeman's Feyenoord.

Having defeated fourth-placed Vitesse last weekend, essentially eliminating them from title contention in the process, confidence will be high around De Grolsch Veste and Michel Jansen still retains hope of ending Ajax's dominance under de Boer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO31P-L4cAI

Another source of inspiration for the home side is August's emphatic 4-1 win in the reverse fixture. That victory at De Kuip, combined with the 3-0 triumph in last season's corresponding match, may leave Koeman's side a little vulnerable; if the away side show any signs of weakness then Twente will be ready to pounce.

However, Feyenoord have done extremely well to drag themselves back into contention as it was only a few weeks ago that they looked dead and buried. Depending how Ajax do against AZ, the result here may be redundant in terms of the Rotterdam giants title ambitions but, nevertheless, the chance of Champions League football will be enough to keep them motivated.

Goals Win Games

To win football matches, you need goals. In a game of this magnitude, it may take a moment of brilliance to settle proceedings and this is where match-winners earn their stripes.

The scoring exploits of Graziano Pelle have come to Feyenoord's rescue on many occasions this year and Koeman will hope to see his star striker add to his, already impressive, tally of 18 strikes. Only Heerenveen's Icelandic forward Alfred Finnbogason has amassed more goals this term and the away following are desperate to see more from their hero on Sunday.

FC Twente's scorer, Luc Castaignos, may have five goals less than Pelle but what Jansen's side do possess is the ability to score from various sources.

Whilst Castaignos' goals have certainly been a huge factor in their success, Twente boast three players with double figures in Eredivisie this season with Dusan Tadic and Quincy Promes on 11 and 10 strikes respectively.

There are several potential match-winners on display this Sunday; the stage is set for one of them to become a hero.

The Eredivisie roller coaster ride continued this weekend with several twists and turns. When all was said and done, it was Ronald Koeman's Feyenoord who were the big winners as they find themselves back in what is becoming an intensely exciting race.

This time last week, Feyenoord were fourth in the table and were realistically looking at Europa League qualification. However, back-to-back wins—supported by dropped points from each of their three rivals—have helped the Rotterdam giants reignite their Champions League aspirations.

After drawing 1-1 at home to Vitesse on Jan. 31, De Stadionclub trailed their fellow Champions League hopefuls by five points. With FC Twente also three points clear with a game in hand, Feyenoord's chances of claiming that runners-up spot looked almost impossible.

What difference a week makes.

Whilst Feyenoord recorded comfortable wins by following Tuesday's 2-1 away win against Roda with the emphatic 5-1 demolition of NEC, their rivals have all dropped points over the last seven days to breathe new life into the Rotterdam club's campaign.

Most notably, Vitesse continued their poor form by picking up just a single point from two home games. Those five dropped points at the GelreDome saw them surrender their title challenge, and perhaps more tellingly, it also allowed Feyenoord to complete an incredible turnaround by leapfrogging the Arnhem-based club.

Meanwhile, FC Twente's 3-2 loss to PSV on Saturday also sees them joined by Feyenoord on 43 points—although the 2010 Eredivisie champions do still hold that one-game advantage. The fact Ajax also dropped points, courtesy of a surprising 1-1 stalemate at PEC Zwolle, simply threw another spanner into the works of what could still be a very close-run race to the title.

Incredibly, Feyenoord still seek a first championship of this century. Having last lifted the Eredivisie title in 1999, the Rotterdam club have been stuck on 14 wins for a decade and a half; should Koeman end Ajax's dominance, then it would be one of the club's greatest-ever achievements.

The likelihood of that happening is still slim, but Feyenoord won't be throwing the towel in just yet. After a trip to NAC Breda this weekend, the Rotterdam side then face back-to-back challenges of Twente and Ajax.

If Koeman can mastermind six points from those key encounters then maybe, just maybe, the Eredivisie title will be heading to De Kuip for the first time this millennium.

When I heard the score between PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord yesterday (10-0 to PSV in case you didn't know), I thought it was a joke—somebody was playing FIFA or Pro Evo just to wrack up a big score.

Never did I think that one of Dutch footballs greatest clubs could succumb to such embarrassment.

I'll admit though, my knowledge on Dutch football has waned over the years. Ajax no longer have the instantly recognisable players like Sneijder or Ibrahimovic, PSV have lost theirs too and Feyenoord, well, since they lost beauty queen Dirk Kuyt to Liverpool in 2006.

I hadn't thought about them for a while.

I do know that Feyenoord are a decent club though; I know that they have a rich and cultured history in the game, a respected name, a great kit and a fearsome old stadium that's never an easy place to pick up three points.

Of course, this is when Dutch football used to be on Channel 5 in England, usually around 2am. Around 2000-01, Feyenoord were on the up, finishing second domestically to PSV and enjoying Champions League football, which they'd been securing now since 1998-99. Throw in a few league titles and a Dutch cup along the way, and Feyenoord looked all set to be a dominating force once again.

So, where did it all go wrong? The next six years were a trophyless slump.

Selling their best players and much scrutinised financial irregularities didn't help but the result yesterday got me thinking—thinking about how a once major club can slip into a frustrating mediocrity so easily and how others who were once in their shoes are now doing so well.

Here are just a few clubs who exactly ten years in the 2000-01 season were strugglers, trying to establish themselves in footballs top tier or fighting desperately to recapture former glories:

1) Seville - Relegated in 1999-00, they spent the turn of the century in the Segunda Division.

The back-to-back UEFA cup wins seemed a long way off but they managed to climb back up to the top, thanks to chairman Jose Maria Del Nido bringing financial stability to the club and not to forget, some great players too.

2) Villareal - Despite coming up in '98, they yo-yoed for a year or two before finishing a credible 7th in '00-01.

Another four years would pass before they truly became a household name; now, the little club from Castellon are a regular fixture at the top end of La Liga.

3) Napoli - Relegated from Serie A that season, the club fell into a tailspin.

In 2004, they were declared bankrupt and found themselves in Serie C1, losing the right to use their original name of SSC Napoli in the process. They had a long, hard fight back up and, in 2006, had their name back and their place in the top flight.

Now they're widely tipped for Campions League football in the coming years and with the squad they have, it'll probably happen sooner rather than later.

4) Manchester City - Spending the last few years of the '90's in the old second division was a shock for City.

In '00-01, after a solitary season back in the Premier League, they were relegated again.

Now though, the times have certainly changed, being bought by a billionaire and subsequently filling their squad with some really fantastic players; City are not only expected to be playing Champions League football soon but to be winning the Premier League too.

I bet no City fan saw that coming when they were playing away to Barnsley on a cold Tuesday night 10 years ago.

5) Hoffenheim - 10 years ago, they were members of the Regionalliga Sud, then the third tier of German football.

They surprised the world in 2008 by gaining promotion to the Bundesliga and topping the table until Christmas, with 35 points from 17 games.

Their season gradually slipped away but they now can consider themselves a firmly established side, after a good start to the current campaign.

After looking at that list, maybe all hope isn't lost for Feyenoord—who knows where they'll be in 10 years; who knows where any club will be in 10 years, but this is just one of the reasons why football is so fascinating.

I hope Feyenoord fans aren't hurting too much today—it's a humiliating defeat but we've all felt one and a score like that is a freak occurrence.

Good luck to them anyway, hopefully they can still do something this season—it's still early days after all.

If one needs further confirmation that Dutch football was slipping down the echelons of European football, look no further than today's shocking upset--PSV Eindhoven beat the once-giant Feyenoord 10-0.

Kelvin Leerdam received his marching orders soon after PSV had taken lead. Some resolute defending by the De club aan de Maas kept the score line at a respectable 2-0 as the two teams went in for halftime.

Whatever Fred Rutten, PSV's coach, said during the half seemed to work, as his team literally took Feyenoord apart in the second period.

A hat-trick from Johnathan Reis was the pick of the ten strikes on goal, with the 21-year-old Brazilian going a long way toward repaying the club for their faith and patience over the last three troublesome years. So far this season, the youngster has been in stellar form. He has scored nine goals in just four games.

The shocking result, the biggest in the club's illustrious history, was described as a "black page in our history" by struggling manager Mario Been and leaves the Rotterdammers mired in the relegation zone.

It would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Once upon a time there was a big three in Holland. Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord dominated the domestic game and produced world-class players by the truckload.

During the '60s and '70s, the Dutch game was at its peak with both Ajax and Feyenoord claiming European Cup glory on multiple occasions, while PSV won the UEFA Cup.

Dutch club football was formidable back then, but now they are viewed as a frontier post for European soccer. A place where young stars and South American starlets can hone their game before moving on to the big time in Spain, England, Italy, or Germany.

The last time that Feyenoord won the Dutch title was in 1999, and since then they have slipped down the pecking order in spectacular fashion.

Feyenoord won the Dutch title in '61 and '62, thus qualifying for the European Cup.

Such was their popularity that in 1963, when Feyenoord were drawn against the great Benfica side of Eusebio, Coluna, and Antonio Simoes, several hundred thousand Dutch fans came to the Port of Rotterdam to see them off as they began their ill-fated journey to Lisbon.

The first leg finished 0-0 in Holland, but Feyenoord found that Benfica were a different prospect at home. Eusebio led his side to a comfortable 3-1 victory.

That trip to Lisbon was a springboard for the club, and over the next ten years it won six Dutch League titles, a European Cup triumph in 1970, and a UEFA Cup triumph in 1974.

Dutch football of the early '70s was dominated by the great Ajax side of Johan Cruyff, while PSV dominated in the late '70s, '80s, and '90s.

However, since the inception of the Champions League in 1992, Dutch football has had to endure a slow death.

Ajax rallied against the grain in the mid '90s with two trips to Champions League finals, one for a victory. But the dam had already begun to leak, and Ajax's triumphs were little more than a finger in one of the cracks.

Money and sponsorship has since drifted away from Dutch football and the old "Big Three." Entrepreneurs have begun to financially support clubs like FC Twente and AZ Alkmaar as minimal investment returned Champions League football. All of a sudden the old elite of Dutch football are being squeezed from all directions as never before.

This "success" elsewhere has also had an effect on the youth setup of the big three, as now other clubs can offer similar levels of training without the pressure, stress, or angst of being rejected by a big club.

The Ajax system, so favoured through the years, is one of the most ruthless footballing academies in the world. During the '90s, the club literally had their pick of the best players from the entire country.

The players were invited to trials, with a couple of hundred making it through to the youngest training level. Each year held cuts until, with around 16 players, the club had a sufficiently-sized squad to compete at that age level.

From there, maybe a single child would make it. In an exceptional year maybe two. The 1995 generation was the first time since the '70s that the club literally produced the spine of a team in one generation.

PSV and Feyenoord employed similar systems and enjoyed similar levels of success. But that success has dwindled over the past ten years or so, as other clubs break their stranglehold on the game.

The end result is that Young Dutch footballers are now more evenly spread that at any time in the Eredivisie's 55-year history. The current Netherlands U-21 side boasts players from nine different clubs, with Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord only contributing five players between them. In years gone by, the ratio would have been reversed.

This season has a long way to go just yet, and it is too soon to say whether Feyenoord will be relegated.

However, the early stats are poor. The Rotterdammers has only won two of ten games this year, and today’s result will do little for their already broken confidence.

If the club is to get out of this mess, it will have to live up to one of its nicknames: Die Slapende Reus, roughly translated as "The Sleeping Giants."

This article was previously featured on Tiger Beer Football, where Willie Gannon is the featured Blogger. Over 18s only.

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Szombathelyi Haladas 0 - Arsenal 5 (Friendly, July 27, 2009) The Gunners were clinical in the first half against the Hungarian side. Nicklas Bendtner headed home the opener from a Traore cross before Eduardo drilled home the second. The Crozilian claimed the third from a free-kick and Bendtner got the fourth on the stroke of half-time. (First-half highlights here.) Robin van Persie tucked away a penalty in the second-half to complete the rout. Brazilian Maikel missed a penalty late on for Szombathelyi, with a truly shocking attempt.

The post-match interview with Eduardo can be seen here.

Wolfsburg 3 - Mallorca 1 (Friendly, July 27, 2009) The Bundesliga champions looked on top of their game with Misimovic claiming a double and Edin Dzeko netting the third.

Lyon 0 - Porto 2 (Peace Cup, July 27, 2009) Hulk was the hero for Porto, the striker scoring after just nine minutes before, in the second half, Hulk streaked away to score a fine second.

Malaga 1 - Atlante 3 (Peace Cup, July 27, 2009)

Feyenoord 3 - Sampdoria 0 (Friendly, July 26, 2009) Feyenoord took the lead as Fer scored from a corner after 19 minutes. Samp’s Marco Rossi was then sent off for handling Makaay’s shot on the goal-line,  Bruins making no mistake from the penalty spot. Feyenoord finished with a third goal as De Guzman slotted home just three minutes from time.

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Halmstad 0 - Malmo FF 3 (Allsvenskan, July 27, 2009) Malmo stoel the points with late goals from Jiloan Hamad and an Agon Mehmeti brace.

AIK Stockholm 1 - GAIS 0 (Allsvenskan, July 27, 2009) Former Blackburn defender Nils-Eric Johansson continued his rare purple patch in front of goal to net AIK’s winner with a 65th minute header.

Hacken 2 - Orebro 2 (Allsvenskan, July 27, 2009) Hacken looked odds-on for the points after John Chibuike and Jonas Henriksson put the hosts 2-up with 30 minutes to play, but a late Alejandro Bedoya double earned Orebro a point.

Orgryte 0 - Hammarby 0 (Allsvenskan, July 27, 2009)

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Sturm Graz 3 - Wiener Neustadt 0 (T-Mobile Bundesliga, July 26, 2009) Daniel Beichler put the hosts ahead after nine minutes and further goals before the half-hour mark from Andreas Hoelzl and Beichler settled the contest.

Kapfenberg 3 - Austria Karnten 2 (T-Mobile Bundesliga, July 26, 2009) Kapfenberg notched their first win of the season with substitute David Sencar grabbing a last-minute clincher. Karnten’s Sandro Ferreira da Silva scored one of the more bizarre free-kicks after his teammates performed a strange pre-kick routine.

Jonathan De Guzman, or Jono as he is known to his close friends and family, had a season to forget this year.

His Feyenoord team struggled to find form after he returned from the Olympics in Beijing with his adopted country Holland and flirted with relegation.

Then just after the turn of the year it was confirmed his season would be cut short because of a serious knee injury.

The Canadian-born starlet's European adventure started at a very young age. He headed to the famed Feyenoord youth academy at the age of 12 and made his first team debut on his 18th birthday.

His playing time and goal totals per season steadily rose season after season and he was courted by such teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Man City last summer.

The future looked bright for Jono and many believed he was on his way to become a star player for a big European team. Going to the Beijing Olympics after making his U-21 debut in February 2008 and scoring two goals in his first game was supposed to be the stage to boost his reputation.

Instead, at such a young age and playing so many matches as a key player for his club, Jono's injury setback has seemingly put his career on pause. The big clubs aren't being linked with him any more and he his currently getting back into fitness in time to participate in Feyenoord's preseason.

At the tender age of 21, Jono's window at moving to a big European club is far from closing, but this season will have to be his coming out party if he expects major European success' in the future.

The World Cup is less than a year away and with so much competition for the creative midfield role that he occupies with Feyenoord and the Dutch U21's, one has to think a solid 2009-10 campaign will bring his name back on the minds as one of Holland's premier young stars.

Even though his name isn't all over the transfer sections as it was last summer, look for Feyenoord's No. 33 to get his career back on track this season. Jono's star has dimmed, but he will press play on his career and shine brighter than ever before.

Ajax 2 - Volendam 1 (Eredivisie, Feb. 22, 2009) (Longer highlights here.) Ajax fell behind at home to Volendam when van Basten’s defence was once again torn open and Gerson Sheotahul arrived on the scene to stroke home the opener. Luis Suarez equalised for Ajax with a header following a set-play. Thomas Vermaelen won the game for Ajax 15 minutes from time.

Sparta 1 - Twente 2 (Eredivisie, Feb. 22, 2009) Sander van Gessel turned home a Eljero Elia left wing cross into his own net to give Twente the lead at Sparta.

De Graafschap 0 - Feyenoord 2 (Eredivisie, Feb. 22, 2009) (Longer highlights here.) Feyenoord took a 54th-minute lead when Karim El Ahmadi carried the ball upfield unopposed and scored from the edge of the box. Forgotten man Jon Dahl Tomasson wrapped up the win with a second in injury time after De Graafschap gave away the ball in midfield.

Utrecht 0 - NEC 2 (Eredivisie, Feb. 22, 2009) (Longer highlights here.) Utrecht’s goalie Michel Vorm was completely at fault for NEC’s 77th-minute opener, the keeper failing to stop a simple shot from Youssef El-Akchaoui before Joel Tshibamba added a second minutes later.

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Academica 3 - Maritimo 1 (Superliga, Feb. 22, 2009)

Amadora 1 - Nacional 0 (Superliga, Feb. 22, 2009) Jardel bagged the only goal of the game.

Naval 1 - Braga 2 (Superliga, Feb. 22, 2009) Renteria pounced on a Joao Pereira long ball and headed it past Peiser to give Braga the lead. Naval levelled in the 83rd minute when Marinho smashed a Dudu cross to the back of the Braga net. But just when it seemed that Naval would walk away with a point, Joao Pereira picked up a loose ball inside the Naval area and tucked it away to snatch victory.

Vitoria Guimaraes 0 - Trofense 1 (Superliga, Feb. 22, 2009) Trofense pulled themselves out of the relegation zone thanks to Charles Chad’s 76th-minute winner.

Rio Ave 1 - Vitoria Setubal 0 (Superliga, Feb. 21, 2009)

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Galatasaray 2 - Kocaelispor 5 (Super Lig, Feb. 22, 2009) Gulleri was the hero for Kocaelispor, bagging four goals.

Sivasspor 1 - Eskisehirspor 0 (Super Lig, Feb. 22, 2009) Yannick Kamanan scored the only goal after seven minutes.

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Anderlecht 4 - Standard Liege 2 (Jupiler League, Feb. 22, 2009) Standard got off to a good start after Wilfried Dalmat scored inside 60 seconds but Mbark Boussoufa equalised shortly before the break. Liege restored the lead through Dieumerci Mbokani four minutes after the interval but again Boussoufa equalised, this time on the hour. (Both Mbark Boussoufa goals can be seen here.) Marcin Wasilewski put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot before Tom de Sutter sewed up the big win with the fourth.

Racing Genk 1 - Mouscron 1 (Jupiler League, Feb. 20, 2009) Ouali’s neat opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Nemec’s 28th-minute equaliser.

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Ergotelis 1 - Olympiakos 0 (Greek Super League, Feb. 22, 2009) Koutsianikoulis broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute, receiving a cross in the Olympiakos area and dribbling past a defender before unleashing a low drive into the net.

Asteras 0 - AEK Athens 1 (Greek Super League, Feb. 22, 2009) AEK Athens visited Asteras and needed a late goal to earn three points; Daniel Majstorovic scored the winner with just four minutes to go.

Larisa 1 - Aris  1 (Greek Super League, Feb. 22, 2009)

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Hajduk Split 2 - Dinamo Zagreb 0 (1. HNL, Feb. 22, 2009)

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FC Salzburg 2 - Rapid Vienna 1 (T-Mobile Bundesliga, Feb. 22, 2009) All the goals arrived in the first half, Tchoyi and Janko putting the hosts two-up before Boskovic replied for Rapid.

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Young Boys 4 - FC Aarau 0 (Swiss Super League, Feb. 21, 2009) Marco Schneuwly and Seydou Doumbia both bagged a brace.

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Maccabi Petah Tikva 1 - Hapoel Tel Aviv 1 (Ligat ha’Al, Feb. 21, 2009)

Eredivisie

Vitesse Arnhem 4 - Ajax 1 (Eredivisie, Feb. 8, 2009) (Longer highlights here.) Lasse Nilsson opened for Vitesse after seven minutes with the Ajax defence hopelessly all at sea. Marco Van Basten’s boys equalised on the quarter-hour mark through Luis Suarez. But just before the break, Dalibor Stevanovic restored Vitesse’s advantage with a lovely curler and Lasse Nilsson’s slid in to add the third on the halftime whistle. Ricky van Wolfswinkel completed the Ajax demolition with a fourth in the 68th minute after more useless defending for the visitors. Can van Basten hold onto his job?

Utrecht 3 - Den Haag 1 (Eredivisie, Feb. 8, 2009) Csaba Horvath put the visitors in front, but Robbert Zwinkels’ dismissal proved the turning point in the match. Gregoor van Dijk levelled matters from the penalty spot with Ali Boussaboun and Sander Keller netting second half efforts.

Volendam 3 - PSV 5 (Eredivisie, Feb. 8, 2009) PSV raced into a two-goal lead thanks to efforts from Ola Toivonen and Jeremie Brechet. Volendam struck back with two goals in the space of six minutes from Gerson Sheotahul (penalty) and Paul de Lange restoring parity. Back came PSV, moving 4-2 in front with goals either side of halftime from Edison Mendez. Toivonen and Jack Tuyp were given their marching orders, before Otman Bakkal added a fifth for PSV and Rowin van Zaanen scored an even later consolation.

De Graafschap 2 - Twente 2 (Eredivisie, Feb. 8, 2009) Blaise NKufo opened the scoring for Twente but Stephan Keller and Luuk de Jong turned the match in the hosts’ favour. NKufo’s 83rd minute penalty ensured a point for Steve McClaren’s men.

Feyenoord 0 - Groningen 0 (Eredivisie, Feb. 8, 2009) Feyenoord battled to a goalless draw against Groningen despite the 42nd minute sending off of Norichio Nieveld.

Portuguese Superliga

Porto 1 - Benfica 1 (Superliga, Feb. 8, 2009) Hassan Yebda gave Benfica the lead with a powerful header from a corner by Jose Antonio Reyes on the stroke of halftime. But a second half penalty from Lucho Gonzalez salvaged a point for Porto.

Sporting Lisbon 2 - Braga 3 (Superliga, Feb. 8, 2009) Braga’s Albert Meyong Ze broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when he scored his seventh goal of the season following a goalmouth scramble. Sporting levelled 10 minutes later through Derlei only for the visitors then stunned the hosts with two goals in three minutes. Wason Renteria fired home in the 81st, with Marcio Mossoro heading Braga’s third. Marat Izmailov’s shot reduced the deficit in injury time for Sporting, who are now winless in three games.

Vitoria Guimaraes 2 - Maritimo 1 (Superliga, Feb. 8, 2009)

Jupiler League

Anderlecht 3 - Mons 2 (Jupiler League, Feb. 7, 2009) Mons had a great start at Anderlecht, Moussa Gueye scored the opener on 14 minutes and Cedric Collet doubled the advantage on the half hour. Victor Bernandez got one back just before the break and Tom de Sutter equalised for the hosts in the 69th. Roland Juhasz ended a thrilling contest claiming the winner with 10 minutes to go.

Dender 0 - Club Brugge 2 (Jupiler League, Feb. 7, 2009) Club Brugge stole the points with two last-minute goals. Daniel Chavez finally broke the deadlock in the 89th minute before the Peruvian added a second goal a minute later.

Tubize 1 - Mechelen 5 (Jupiler League, Feb. 7, 2009) Quinton Fortune made a miserable debut for Tubize as he was sent off in mauling at the hands of Mechelen.

Gent 2 - Mouscron 0 (Jupiler League, Feb. 7, 2009)

Genk 1 - Zulte-Waregem 2 (Jupiler League, Feb. 7, 2009)

Roeselare 2 - Germinal Beerschot 2 (Jupiler League, Feb. 7, 2009)

Turkish Super Lig

Buyuksehir 2 - Fenerbahce 0 (Super Lig, Feb. 8, 2009) Iskender Alin put Istanbul ahead after only five minutes and Razundara Tjikuzu doubled the advantage with 10 minutes to go. The hosts were already down a man as Mahmut Tekdemir was sent off just before the break. In the dying minutes, Tjikuzu and Fener’s Gokhan Gonul were dismissed as well.

Greek Super League

Panathinaikos 3 - PAOK 0 (Greek Super League, Feb. 8, 2009) Vintra’s brace and a third from Mantzios did the damage in just nine second half minutes.

Larissa 1 - AEK Athens 1 (Greek Super League, Feb. 8, 2009) Both goals arrived in the last two minutes of the match. Fotakis’ 89th minute opener was cancelled out by Djebbour.

Skoda Xanthi 4 - Levadiakos 0 (Greek Super League, Feb. 8, 2009) Pappas opened for Xanthi before Dosek claimed a hat-trick.

Ergotelis 0 - Iraklis 1 (Greek Super League, Feb. 8, 2009) A wonderful overhead volley from Papasterianos settled the match.

Cypriot First Division

Atromitos 3 - Apollon 6 (Cypriot First Division, Feb. 8, 2009) Kimoto hit a hat trick for the hosts while Risso (2), Pinilla, Merkis, Maragkos and Masmanidis scored for Apollon.

Anorthosis 1 - Paralimni 0 (Cypriot First Division, Feb. 8, 2009)

Heerenveen 3 - Feyenoord 1 (Eredivisie, January 16, 2009) After Kristian Bak Nielsen’s 4th minute opener, Roy Makaay briefly restored parity for the visitors seven minutes before half-time, but Danijel Pranjic put Heerenveen’s noses in front for a second time two minutes before half-time. Arnor Smarason made the game safe for Heerenveen in the 71st minute.

VVV Venlo 3 - RBC Roosendaal 1 (Dutch Jupiler League, January 16, 2009)

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Livorno 1 - Ascoli 0 (Serie B, January 16, 2009) Ascoli went down to 10 men after 38 minutes when Giallombardo brought down Tavano as last man, but it took until the hour mark for the Tuscans to take advantage with Rossini nodding in Diamanti’s cross.

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Kaiserslautern 2 - Energie Cottbus 1 (Friendly, January 16, 2009)

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Melbourne Victory 3 - Central Coast Mariners 0 (A-League, January 16, 2009) All three goals came in a seven minute spell in the second half, Danny Allsopp netting his 11th of the season before Carlos Hernandez made it 2-nil with a free-kick. Archie Thompson sealed the game with 15 minutes left.