Waalwijk vs FC Volendam

The opening 45 minutes offered no goals but several near-misses. Volendam's Luca Blondeau struck the post inside the first five minutes from a Nick Doodeman free-kick. RKC's Dkidak hit the crossbar from distance. Just before half-time, Mohammed Belfqih had a goal ruled out for offside after Robin van Cruijsen was flagged in the buildup, keeping the score at 0-0.

The deadlock broke seconds into the second half. Volendam's Déron Payne delivered a cross from the left that deflected off RKC centre-back Van der Plas and looped past goalkeeper Mark Spenkelink for an own goal — 0-1 after 46 minutes.

Van der Plas made amends within six minutes. He rose highest to meet a corner and powered a header past Roy Steur to level the score at 1-1 in the 52nd minute.

RKC turned the game around four minutes later. Dkidak was fouled in the box, won a penalty, and stepped up to convert it himself, sending Steur the wrong way to make it 2-1 in the 56th minute.

Volendam pressed for an equaliser and found it through Plat in the 72nd minute. The midfielder fired home from close range after a slick move involving Belfqih and Jesper Tielemans to restore parity at 2-2, a scoreline that held through the final 18 minutes.

Plat's 72nd-minute equaliser was the decisive moment. Volendam had trailed for 16 minutes after taking an early lead and then conceding twice in quick succession. Plat's finish — his second meaningful contribution after starting the match on the bench and replacing Daan Huisman at half-time — gave Volendam a foothold they had lost after RKC's quickfire double. Neither side could find a winner in the closing stages, with the game petering out to a draw.

Alex Plat (FC Volendam) — Introduced as a half-time substitute, Plat scored the 72nd-minute equaliser that secured the draw. His energy in central midfield helped Volendam regain control after RKC's spell of pressure.

Azzeddine Dkidak (RKC Waalwijk) — Involved in both of RKC's goals. Hit the crossbar in the first half, won the penalty that turned the game in RKC's favour, and converted it with composure. A busy afternoon for the midfielder.

Roy Steur (FC Volendam) — The goalkeeper made several important saves to keep Volendam in the match, particularly a sharp stop from Quentin van Beekveld's shot shortly after the own goal. Could do little about the own goal or Dkidak's spot-kick.

Sven van der Plas (RKC Waalwijk) — A mixed afternoon. The own goal that opened the scoring was unfortunate, but his header from a corner six minutes later restored parity and showed character to bounce back immediately.

The 0-0 half-time scoreline masked a game with chances: Blondeau hit the post, Dkidak hit the bar, and Belfqih had a goal disallowed. Both sides had enough attacking intent to suggest goals would come.

Four second-half goals in 26 minutes (46', 52', 56', 72') reflected a more open game after the break, with both defences pushing higher and transitions becoming more frequent. The scoring sequence was notably varied: an own goal, a header from a set piece, a penalty, and a close-range finish from open play.

Van der Plas's own goal and his immediate equaliser formed a rare sequence — a defender scoring at both ends inside six minutes.

Both sides are in the early stages of pre-season preparation. For RKC Waalwijk, this was their second match of the day — they also drew 1-1 with Alemannia Aachen earlier on 18 July — so fitness management was a factor. Head coach Henk Fraser will be encouraged by the attacking intent but concerned by a defence that conceded twice in 26 minutes.

For FC Volendam, the result extends a mixed pre-season run since 5 July: a win over RKAV Volendam (3-2), losses to Jong AZ (3-1) and Almere City (2-1), and now this draw. The comeback from 2-1 down shows resilience, but conceding first in three of four friendlies is a pattern worth watching. Volendam's next friendly is against FC Groningen on 24 July.

A pre-season friendly that delivered exactly what the format promises: a goalless first half giving way to open, error-strewn entertainment after substitutions. The result is secondary to fitness work, but the rapid-fire sequence of four goals in 26 minutes gave both coaching staff plenty to analyse. RKC's set-piece threat and Volendam's ability to fight back from a deficit are the two takeaways worth tracking when the competitive season starts.