On Wednesday, September 11, the time had come: the first (midweek) match of the new field season. At 8:00 PM, we played against EKCA from Arnhem. Before that, there was an opportunity to eat pancakes on Westerhofseweg, and most of the team took advantage of the offer. It took a bit of effort beforehand to find players for the game and cars for transportation. Luckily, we managed to set off toward the east with a solid team of 8 players, 1 (new) coach, and 1.5 cars.
The match started a bit chaotically. It was cold, so a proper warm-up was essential. However, the referee decided to start the match five minutes early, which left no time for a good team discussion. To top it off, two of the first three goals went to the home team due to wrongly awarded penalty shots. So wrong that even the opponent (afterward) told the referee that nothing had happened. And while things weren’t going perfectly for Débaldérin either, the halftime score of 6-4 in favor of EKCA was disappointing.
Meanwhile, heavy rain was already hitting the western part of the country, but in Arnhem, it stayed mostly dry for a long time, though it was chilly. During halftime, our new midweek coach Reinier gave a clear analysis. We needed to stay focused, defend proactively, and look for better opportunities in attack. A two-goal deficit was still easily recoverable if we played a good second half.
Well, the second half started brilliantly. Thanks to goals from the three men, Deen, Bart M., and Bart S., Débaldérin quickly took a 6-7 lead. Right after that, the rain started to come down hard, so it was a good thing we got off to a flying start. Trying to come back in the rain would have been far less pleasant. However, it wasn’t easy to maintain the lead. With some clever moves and long-range shots, EKCA managed to tie the game at 10-10 in the last minute. It wasn’t going to happen, was it? But fortunately, the savior was there: Jelmer, who was unusually on fire that night. His most difficult shot of the evening landed in the basket, securing a 10-11 win for Débaldérin.
So, the first midweek game of the new field season was a success, though it required quite an effort in the second half. For now, Débaldérin is at the top of the standings! The return trip was a bit tricky for some of the team: Rianne drove straight home, leaving only five people to drive back to Wageningen. Thankfully, public transport exists: Nathalie, Bart M., and Jelmer G. were dropped off at Arnhem Central. From there, they could enjoy a relaxed trip back to Wageningen on the new trolleybus route 352. It had even stopped raining by then, so everyone could walk and bike home without getting soaked.
~Jelmer “Always unlucky” van der Graaff
Goals scored in the match (season total):
- Jelmer G: 4 (4)
- Nathalie: 2 (2)
- Deen: 2 (2)
- Lotte: 1 (1)
- Bart M: 1 (1)
- Bart S: 1 (1)
WJD (location: Arnhem Central)
Jelmer G: “I need to go to the bathroom.”
Nathalie: “Well, there’s one right there.”
Jelmer G: “Yeah, but I’m not paying!”
Nathalie: “How do you plan on going then?”
Jelmer G: “On the train, it doesn’t leave for Ede-Wageningen for another 6 minutes.”