Heerenveen 2-1 Almere City: Ten-Man Heerenveen hold on as relegation fears deepen for Almere

sc Heerenveen edged a nervy 2-1 win over struggling Almere City on Saturday in a result that pushes the bottom-placed visitors deeper into relegation trouble. Despite finishing with ten men after Mats Köhlert's red card, Heerenveen survived late drama to climb into the top eight of the Eredivisie table and remain in contention for the European playoffs.

Early Drama and Own Goal Misery for Almere

Almere City FC started brightly and took a deserved lead in the 9th minute through Junior Kadile, who capitalized on a defensive lapse to slot home at the far post. The 22-year-old forward has now scored twice in his last three Eredivisie matches, continuing to be a rare spark in an otherwise struggling Almere side.

But the lead didn’t last. Jacob Trenskow equalized just five minutes later after breaking the offside trap on a well-timed ball from Luuk Brouwers. Initially flagged offside, the goal was confirmed after a VAR review.

Before the break, Almere contributed to their own downfall. Jochem Ritmeester van de Kamp scored an agonizing own goal, misjudging a cross that trickled over the line past keeper Nordin Bakker—giving Heerenveen a 2-1 lead.

Red Card for Köhlert, Almere Hit the Post Three Times

The second half saw Almere City grow into the match, thanks in part to the attacking duo of Ali Jasim and Charles-Andreas Brym. The momentum shifted dramatically in the 70th minute when Heerenveen’s Mats Köhlert received a straight red card for bringing down Brym in a last-man situation.

Andries Noppert came up big, saving the resulting free kick from Thom Haye. Almere threw everything forward in the closing stages, but couldn’t convert their dominance into goals.

In a dramatic injury-time sequence, Brym hit the post twice in one attack, while Kadile had also rattled the woodwork earlier.

What This Means for the Eredivisie Table

• sc Heerenveen now sit eighth in the Eredivisie standings, strengthening their bid to qualify for the 2024/25 European playoffs.
• Almere City remain rooted to the bottom, still chasing Willem II in 16th place, the spot that offers a promotion/relegation playoff lifeline.

With only a handful of matches remaining, Almere face a real threat of direct relegation if results don’t swing their way soon.

Match Summary: Heerenveen vs Almere City

Goals:

• 9' Kadile (ALM)
• 14' Trenskow (HEE)
• 38' Ritmeester van de Kamp (OG) (ALM)

Red Card:

• 70’ Köhlert (HEE)

Woodwork Hits:

• Kadile (ALM) – 78’
• Brym (ALM) – 90+2’ x2

Man of the Match:

• Jacob Trenskow (sc Heerenveen) – goal and constant threat on the wing.

What’s Next?

• sc Heerenveen travel to face AZ Alkmaar next in another European qualification six-pointer.
• Almere City FC return home for a must-win clash against fellow strugglers RKC Waalwijk.

SportsLigue