AZ draw 1-1 in Nijmegen
Published on 02 mei 12, 00:00In comparison with the match against Feyenoord Rasmus Elm and Niklas Moisander returned in the starting lineup. Roy Beerens still lacked due to an ankle injury, so did Maarten Martens with an upper leg injury.
AZ started dreadful and let NEC play their game and dominate. Within fifteen minutes they opened the scoring when Género Zeefuik deflected a Navarone Foor shot: 1-0. In the same period Krisztián Vadócz got two long distance shot opportunities that were made harmless by goalkeeper Esteban.
It was only when Ruud Boymans entered the pitch that AZ got some spirit. Boymans replaced Jozy Altidore who got injured in a collision with a concrete post close to the pitch. Boymans soon saw his header stopped on the goal line by Lasse Schöne and a Brett Holman shot go over.
After an hour AZ equalized when a Boymans header was deflected and surprised goalkeeper Gábor Babos. Just after the goalie stopped Erik Falkenburg from scoring the 1-2. Boymans and Holman got two more chances to equalize but found Babos and blurriness in their way.
In the finale phase both teams showed fighting spirit but it resulted only in a Schöne effort that was saved by Esteban. In an exciting final phase of the 2011-2012 season AZ need to win the last league game from FC Groningen but is still dependent on the result at sc Heerenveen-Feyenoord.
MATCH STATISTICS:
NEC AZ 1-1 (1-0)
Lineup NEC: Gábor Babos; Zoltán Szélesi, Rens van Eijden (56. Nathaniel Will), Pavel Cmovs, Kevin Conboy; Krisztián Vadócz, Lasse Schöne, Ryan Koolwijk; Navarone Foor, Género Zeefuik (84. Nick van der Velden), Rémy Amieux (71. Melvin Platje).
Lineup AZ: Esteban; Dirk Marcellis, Niklas Moisander, Nick Viergever, Simon Poulsen; Adam Maher, Rasmus Elm, Erik Falkenburg; Charlison Benschop (79. Mattias Johansson), Jozy Altidore (35. Ruud Boymans) , Brett Holman (87. Johann Berg Gudmundsson).
Goals: 13. Zeefuik 1-0, 59. Boymans 1-1
Bookings: Conboy (NEC), Maher (AZ)
Sent-offs: -
Referee: Kevin Blom
Attendance: 12.498