We pick our team of Eredivisie Round 22 which saw AZ Alkmaar shock Vitesse and Twente move closer to the top.
- By Michael Bell
- Follow Michael on Twitter
Ajax finished round 22 by seeing off a spirited Groningen 2-1 to stay four points clear of Twente, who beat Heerenveen on Wednesday. Vitesse slipped up 2-0 to AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord beat Roda JC 2-1, and PSV Eindhoven came back to beat Cambuur. There were also wins for PEC Zwolle, and Heracles, while Go Ahead v RKC, and NEC v NAC ended in draws.
Our team of the Round is as follows:
Goalkeeper: Kenneth Vermeer (Ajax)
Vermeer is often criticised by Ajax fans, but the club would not have beat Groningen if it was not for a number of good saves by the keeper. He may have been beaten by an excellent Kostic effort, but Vermeer stunningly prevented Richairo Zivkovic in the second half, pushing the forwards shot onto the top of the bar.
Right Back: Mike te Wierik (Heracles)
The right back made more tackles (4) than anyone else in his team in the 3-0 victory over ADO Den Haag. A solid defensive display from Te Wierik.
Left Back: Xandro Schenk (Go Ahead Eagles)
Scored what many thought would be the winning goal for Go Ahead in the 90th minutes. Had to deal with the troublesome Romeo Castelen throughout the match, but defended well.
Centre Back: Jeroen Veldmate (Heracles)
Veldmate was instrumental in Heracles 3-0 win over ADO Den Haag with the defender keeping Mike van Duinen quiet all game, whilst also proving a threat at the other end. Stayed in control of his back four, making crucial interceptions.
Centre Back: Jeffrey Bruma (PSV Eindhoven)
With PSV struggling they need a player to step up and raise his game, and thats exactly what Bruma did against Cambuur. The defender showed determination to win the header that leveled the scores in the 2-1 win but also defended excellently as Cambuur put the PSV back four under pressure near the end.
Midfielder: Celso Ortiz (AZ Alkmaar)
Ortiz was a man possessed in the AZ midfield as he broke up Vitesse attack after attack. Ortiz made 11 successful tackles throughout the game, almost double of any other player, and had an 83% passing accuracy.
Midfielder: Lasse Schone (Ajax)
Set up Siem de Jong for an early chance, before netting the opening goal from the penalty spot, and hitting the post with a curling free kick. Was behind most of Ajax’s good play on Thursday.
Midfielder: Dusan Tadic (Twente)
Tadic once again proved to be Twente’s key man as they saw off Heerenveen 2-0 at the Abe Lenstra, netting his first goal from open play this season, before setting up Borven to seal the victory.
Forward: Romeo Castelen (RKC Waalwijk)
Rescued his side a point in the 93rd minute with a stunning strike into the top corner to cap an impressive display.
Forward: Filip Kostic (Groningen)
Groningen may have lost against Ajax, but Filip Kostic was the best player on the park, netting with a stunning strike to level the scores at 1-1, whilst causing the Ajax back four countless problems with his direct running.
Forward: Mark Uth (Heracles)
Put ADO Den Haag to the sword with two goals in the 3-0 win, whilst also providing the assist for Bryan Linssen to open the scoring early on. Great performance by the striker.
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