Dutch Eredivisie, Matchday 1: AZ Alkmaar Defeat PSV Eindhoven 3-1

PSV Eindhoven have come into the 2011-12 Eredivisie season as title favorites, but that status took a massive hit on Sunday as they were completely outplayed by AZ Alkmaar, who earned a very well-deserved 3-1 victory at home. PSV’s finishing and defending, as a whole, was poor, and manager Fred Rutten will have plenty of harsh questions to answer from the media regarding his team selection.

AZ got off to a fantastic start, taking a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to a couple of fantastic goals. Maarten Martens stunned the hosts in the 26th minute with his opening goal, and Nick Viergever doubled AZ’s lead in the 40th minute with an absolute rocket of a strike from 35 yards out. It appeared as if AZ would be walking into the locker room with a comfortable 2-0 lead, but Dries Martens got PSV back into the game with a brilliant strike in first half stoppage time.

It’s been a fairly even 45 minutes between AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven in the middle of the park, but AZ have been the slightly better side where it really counts. They’re up 2-1 after scoring a couple of fantastic goals in the early going, but a goal by PSV in first half stoppage time has flipped the game on its head. It appeared that PSV were going to go into the halftime break a defeated side, but their goal should give them some belief and really make this one into a contest.

Belgian international Maarten Martens scored the opening goal on the 26th minute with a fantastic finish, and he’s been arguably the best player on the pitch to this point. His teammate Nick Viergever stole the show, though, scoring with an absolute rocket of a shot from 35 yards out in the 40th minute.

Neither Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord, Twente nor AZ played on Saturday so it wasn’t a day for big names in the Dutch Eredivisie, but Roda JC put on a show good enough for all of them put together. The club from Kerkrade came back from a goal down while also a man down to defeat FC Groningen in the opening weekend of Eredivisie play. It was a thrilling, tremendous comeback that wasn’t completed until the final minutes to steal the show on a day where draws were king in the league.

Without any of the big clubs playing, Saturday could have been a sleepy day in the Netherlands. Roda ensured it wasn’t, but some other clubs tossed in their own bit of excitement. NEC Nijmegen scored twice in the final six minutes to earn a point, while RKC Waalwijk bested them with two goals in the final four minutes to earn a point. VVV Venlo and Utrecht didn’t do a thing in a 0-0 draw, but on a day devoid of big names, there were more than enough thrilling matches to earn headlines.

Though Europe’s ‘big three’ are a couple of weeks from getting underway, the European football season really gets started in earnest this weekend as the Eredivisie, among other leagues kicks off their season. Title holders Ajax Amsterdam have made some changes, but have kept the key parts of their squad together and will be looking to make another title run. FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven have lost more than they have gained in the transfer window, but both have squads strong enough to challenge Ajax.

AZ Alkmaar vs. PSV Eindhoven