Sparta Rotterdam qualified for the final round of the play-offs for European football on Sunday evening. After the 1-2 victory at FC Utrecht, Maurice Steijn’s team lost 0-1 at home. Extra time and eventually penalty kicks had to bring the decision. Sparta proved to be the strongest in this. Nick Olij became the big man by stopping two penalties. Sparta will compete in the final against FC Twente, which was too strong for sc Heerenveen over two games.
Trainer Maurice Steijn was forced to puzzle over his starting line-up before the return against Utrecht, as Michael Pinto and Jonathan de Guzman did not come out of the first game unscathed. They were replaced by Aaron Meijers and Younes Namli. De Guzman managed to extend his contract with Sparta this week and can therefore also be admired at Spangen next season. At Utrecht, Mike van der Hoorn returned to the starting line-up. That was at the expense of Ruben Kluivert.
Nick Olij is the hero at Sparta ??#spoutr pic.twitter.com/O2IacE1zna
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) June 4, 2023
In a not very uplifting first half, the level dropped far after the first ten minutes. The best chances were already scored by Namli and Tobias Lauritsen. The former turned a cross from the right side of the field onto the post, after which Lauritsen headed the other post in the same attack. Koki Saito also had an opportunity to open the score. The Japanese pulled in from the left and took a swing, but found Vasilios Barkas on his way. To Steijn’s disbelief, there was no one to use the rebound.
The entertainment value was also low in the second act. Shots from Lauritsen and Namli went well over. It was successful on the third attempt. Shurandy Sambo crossed and saw Vito van Crooij
finish on instructions from Lauritsen. However, the right back had committed a foul on Othman Boussaid in the run-up to the goal, as a result of which Jochem Kamphuis rejected the goal on the advice of the VAR. On the other hand, it was ten minutes before the end. A cross from Can Bozdogan could be walked in at the far post by Nick Viergever.
With that, both teams came to the same level over two games, with which the game seemed to be heading for extra time. Were it not that Taylor Booth had the 0-2 on the shoe two minutes after the 0-1. The substitute hit hard with a volley, but found the excellent goalkeeper Olij on his way. Sparta also went on the hunt for the final spot in the final phase and came close a number of times. However, despite ten minutes of injury time, both teams were unable to score, so extra time followed.
The best chances were for Sparta in extra time. De Guzman shot Barkas in the short corner, after which Joshua Kitolano had the best opportunity. The midfielder received the ball on the right side of the box, but saw the ball hit the crossbar via Barkas. For a moment it seemed as if Hidde ter Avest still worked the ball into his own goal, but that was an optical illusion. Bas Dost headed over on behalf of Utrecht. In the penalty shootout, Sparta turned out to be too strong because Olij turned out to be a true penalty specialist.
Penalty shootout Sparta – FC Utrecht 5-4:
1-0 Van Crooij hits the mark
1-1 Dost hits the mark
2-1 Verschueren hits the mark
2-2 Booth hits the target
3-2 Abels hits the target
3-3 Van de Streek hits the mark
4-3 Kitolano hits the target
4-3 Brewers misses
4-3 Auassar misses
4-4 Bozdogan hits the target
5-4 Sambo hits the target
5-4 Van der Hoorn misses