VOC vs Sparta Rotterdam

VOC's resistance owed everything to Maas's early saves — Zonneveld was denied twice in quick succession and Guit was also thwarted. Once Jaber el Maftahi broke through in the 40th minute, the game's competitive phase was effectively over. The second goal four minutes later killed any hope of a VOC response before half-time.

Younes Jaber el Maftahi — The academy product, set to join Sparta's first-team squad for the coming season, was the match-winner. Two composed finishes in four minutes, his first from a rebound and his second a low driven shot, turned VOC's stubborn resistance into a losing cause.

Ayoni Santos — Scored Sparta's third less than three minutes after coming on at half-time, combining well with Thórisson. Also hit the crossbar and had a goal-line clearance deny him a second.

Maas (VOC) — The VOC goalkeeper was the only reason the scoreline stayed respectable in the first half, making multiple saves including stops from Roaldsøy, Zonneveld and Guit before the floodgates opened.

Sparta deployed two entirely different XIs across the two halves, making shot and possession data less meaningful than in a competitive fixture. The key takeaway is clinical finishing: Sparta scored 4 goals from what the match report describes as numerous chances, including two goal-line clearances and a post.

Across their two pre-season friendlies to date (0-8 vs VELO on 4 July, 4-0 vs VOC), Sparta have scored 12 goals without conceding. Both matches have been against amateur opposition, however. The 80.27% win probability assigned to Sparta by pre-match data models proved accurate, with the 0-4 scoreline matching the heavy-favourite projection.

Sparta continue their pre-season preparations with a perfect record of two wins, 12 goals scored and none conceded. Their next friendly is a sterner test against Eerste Divisie side Telstar on Saturday 11 July in 's-Gravenzande.

For VOC, the match marked the end of an era. The club — relegated from the Vierde Divisie after finishing 14th and losing the nacompetitie final to HVV — will return to the Eerste Klasse next season. Tuesday's match also served as a farewell for the brothers Wouter and Joost van der Loo, who both played over 100 official matches for VOC's first team, and club product Maas Heere.

A straightforward pre-season workout for Sparta, who never needed to leave second gear. Jaber el Maftahi's first-half double was the difference between a narrow half-time lead and a comfortable one, and the second-half XI maintained the intensity. VOC's goalkeeper Maas deserved better than a four-goal concession, but the gulf in class between a Vierde Divisie side and an Eredivisie outfit was always going to show once Sparta's quality told.