Heerenveen vs De Graafschap

Heerenveen needed only three minutes to open the scoring. Dylan Vente slotted home the opener after a sharp move in the final third, setting the tone for a one-sided affair on the grounds of 100-year-old v.v. Akkrum.

Ringo Meerveld doubled the lead in the 40th minute before Maxence Rivera made it 3-0 just a minute later. Denzel Eijken pulled one back for De Graafschap in the 56th minute with a header after Benjamin Mambo struck the post, but Vente restored the three-goal advantage from the penalty spot two minutes later to make it 4-1 at the end of the second period.

Eser Gürbüz extended the lead to 5-1 in the 75th minute, and Luuk Brouwers headed home the sixth in the 81st. Luca Oyen added a seventh in the 94th minute after a fine assist from Gürbüz, before Fedde de Jong scored a late consolation for the visitors in the 108th minute, rounding off the 7-2 scoreline.

De Graafschap had briefly threatened a comeback when Eijken's header made it 3-1 in the 56th minute, but Vente's instant reply from the penalty spot — just two minutes later — crushed any momentum. The Eredivisie side then scored three unanswered goals across the third and fourth periods to put the game well beyond reach.

Dylan Vente — Two goals (3', 58' pen) and a constant threat in the first half. The striker led the line effectively and could have added more.

Eser Gürbüz — A goal (75') and a sublime assist for Oyen's 94th-minute strike. "Ik vertrouw op mijn eigen kwaliteit. Volgens mij heb ik het vandaag goed gedaan met een goal en een assist," he told VoetbalPrimeur after the match.

Ringo Meerveld — Scored the second goal and was a driving force in midfield. "Ik vond mezelf te wisselvallig, maar toch geef ik mezelf wel een voldoende. Ik wil het dit seizoen beter doen," he said.

The match was deliberately structured as four 30-minute blocks to maximise game time for both squads. Heerenveen used two completely different XIs for the first and second halves, with only Maas Willemsen playing the full 120 minutes. The scoreline reflects a significant gulf in class between the Eredivisie side and their Keuken Kampioen Divisie opponents, who had won their previous friendly against Utrecht a week earlier.

Heerenveen boss Robin Veldman saw his near-intact squad from last season produce a statement performance. "Bijna het hele team is nog compleet. Hopelijk kunnen we nu nog beter worden en verder groeien," Veldman told the club's official channels. Heerenveen face Club Brugge on 17 July in their next friendly.

For De Graafschap, it was a second pre-season outing and a heavy defeat. The club's official website described the result plainly. They next face AEK Athens on 12 July at Sportpark de Grindslag.

A mismatch in class and fitness levels between an established Eredivisie side and a second-tier outfit. The 4x30-minute format and wholesale changes make raw stats unreliable, but Heerenveen's ruthlessness in front of goal is a positive sign for the new Eredivisie season.