On February 11, we faced EKCA/CIBOD in the return match. Two months earlier, the game in Arnhem had ended in a 9-11 victory for Débaldérin, so there was confidence that the points would stay in Wageningen this time. With a deep and talented squad of no fewer than 12 players (!), the match kicked off just before 7:30 PM.
According to our esteemed coach Reinier, 12 goals should be enough to secure the win. However, while EKCA had struggled to score in Arnhem—Débaldérin as well, for that matter—this Tuesday evening was a completely different story. The Arnhem men, in particular, were sharp, sinking long-range shots one after another.
From the opening goal (0-1), Débaldérin found itself trailing for quite some time. The team kept equalizing—first through Lotte, then Deen—but eventually, the Arnhem squad pulled ahead to a 4-6 lead. This was despite a fairly well-functioning offense and defense: Débaldérin struggled to find the net, while EKCA seemed to score effortlessly.
Midway through the first half, the momentum shifted. Thanks to goals from Kamiel, Deen, and Lotte (twice), Débaldérin turned a 4-6 deficit into an 8-6 lead. The game remained close until halftime, with both teams heading into the break at 10-8. It quickly became clear that the pre-match target of 12 goals likely wouldn’t be enough, but according to coach Reinier, there was no need to worry as long as we kept up the strong play.
After halftime, Ella extended Débaldérin’s lead to three goals with a beautiful assist. Two goals from Marjolein and another from Bart Merks made it 14-9 with about ten minutes left, seemingly sealing the victory. After Bart Merks’ 17-11 goal, the team from Arnhem managed to narrow the gap slightly to 18-14, but the points stayed firmly in Wageningen.
After the 6-8 loss to Zetten two weeks earlier, Débaldérin has made a strong comeback. And for the author of this report, Jelmer G., this was a worthy farewell—though he couldn’t get on the scoresheet tonight. With three matches remaining, Débaldérin MW1 still holds the top spot, one point ahead of main rival DUKO. Next week’s match (February 20) against DUKO in Wageningen will be a crucial one. But the signs for the championship remain promising!