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Vitesse Arnhem’s rise to the summit of the Dutch Eredivisie this season confirms their position as one of the most surprising and impressive outsiders throughout Europe’s major domestic football leagues. While the majority of the major leagues across the continent have been already decided by mid-April, or are currently led comprehensively by an established football powerhouse, in Holland the story reads somewhat differently.
Following their 3-3 draw away at relegation-battlers Roda JC at the weekend, Vitesse Arnhem find themselves still in contention for the Eredivisie title with just four games of the league campaign remaining. They are competing for the top spot with three historical heavyweights of the Dutch game and regular candidates for domestic honors — Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven, and Feyenoord.
After falling to a 2-1 defeat by NEC Nijmegen on 3 February this year, Vitesse have remained unbeaten in the league and drawn just two of their following nine games. In his first season in charge, Fred Rutten has led his side to seven straight wins, before this weekend’s draw with Roda JC, lifting them to just five points behind current leaders Ajax, and clear in second place, a point ahead of PSV and Feyenoord. The Eindhoven side remain ahead in third due to a far superior goal difference.
Central to Vitesse’s dramatic rise towards the summit of the Eredivisie this season has been the consistent goalscoring form of their Ivorian striker Wilfred Bony. With four games of the season still to play, Bony leads the league goalscoring chart with a hugely impressive 30 goals, seven clear of his nearest rival, SC Heerenveen’s Icelandic striker Alfred Finnbogason. If they are to maintain their push to the season’s finale, surely Vitesse will need their leading target-man to keep his shooting boots well polished.
The situation in Holland draws to mind Montpellier’s success in the French Ligue 1 last season, however while the French side held on to become unlikely domestic champions, what makes Vitesse’s recent run to the top of the Eredivisie all the more remarkable is the club’s history in the Dutch game. They have yet to attain any silverware in their time in the top flight and have failed to finish in the league’s top two places since 1915. On the 16 August 2010, Georgian businessman and former footballer, Merab Jordania became the new owner and chairman of Vitesse Arnhem, in doing so becoming the first foreign owner of a Dutch football club. There is no doubt his investment has indeed helped the progress of the team and added more quality to the playing staff, however they are still nowhere near the level of the big three in the Dutch game, and the mere fact that they are challenging for these lofty positions is quite remarkable and a credit to all involved.
Ajax undoubtedly still remain favourites to regain their title, an impressive and perhaps very significant 3-2 victory away at PSV at the weekend strengthening their position further, however with the end of season now very much in sight, the league’s top positions and perhaps even the championship crown itself remain all to play for.
No matter what materialises between now and the end of play this season, the side from Arnhem has surpassed all expectations and upset some of the established powers of Dutch football along the way. The club and their fans have much to be proud of.
Editor’s note: For viewers in the United States, ESPN3.com will be broadcasting live Eredivisie matches this weekend including Friday’s game between Heerenveen vs. Ajax at 2pm ET. On Saturday at 2:45pm ET, the match between AZ Alkmaar (starring Jozy Altidore) and PSV Eindhoven will be shown on ESPN3.com

Vitesse Arnhem – A Small Dutch Club In Contention for the Eredivisie Title

Vitesse Arnhem – A Small Dutch Club In Contention for the Eredivisie Title - World Soccer Talk

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His current side may have just this week dropped out of Europe’s premier club competition. However personally it has been a pleasure to witness the return of Didier Drogba to the Champions League in the colors of Galatasaray. Albeit his absence was short-lived, having departed Stamford Bridge for China last summer only to return to Europe in January to join the Turkish side, his return has been a welcome reminder that the Ivorian striker still has something to offer at this elite level.
In fact, it could well be argued that Drogba would have had a significant role to play at his former club Chelsea in the current campaign had he stayed on beyond last summer. This argument is further strengthened by the current shortage of first team strikers available to the club, a situation which could surely have been made easier by electing to hold on to the very talented 19 year old Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian international was sent on a season-long loan to West Bromwich Albion in August with only an inconsistent Fernando Torres and unfavoured Daniel Sturridge remaining as first team strikers at the club at the time. Chelsea did of course strengthen their forward-line in January with the signing of Demba Ba from Newcastle United, while the largely un-fancied Sturridge left for Liverpool, however I can’t help but wonder what impact Drogba’s presence and leadership may have had on their season. Perhaps most interesting of all would have been Drogba’s working relationship under Rafael Benitez, one which I can only imagine wouldn’t have been without its difficulties along the way.
Didier Drogba has always divided opinion and it can indeed be argued he has often deserved the criticism he has come to receive, however his goal against Real Madrid in the second-leg of the Champions League quarter-final this week epitomised everything that is good and great about the former Chelsea striker. His strength to hold off the 19 year old French centre-back Raphael Varane, and his composure to flick the ball beyond Fernando Muslera in the Galatasaray goal, captured in one wonderful moment the talents and attributes of a player who must surely be considered as one of the more significant to grace the Champions League stage over the past ten years. It was not the first time Drogba had gotten the better of Varane and the Real defence on the night, his physical presence, strength and composure had been causing the visitors a headache throughout the game, and by the time his goal arrived it was well deserved.
Galatasaray went on to win the second-leg 3-2 on the night (eventually losing the overall tie 5-3 on aggregate), and as has more often than not been the case with Madrid in this season’s competition, Cristiano Ronaldo proved the critical difference between the sides. However it was not Ronaldo and his goals at either end of the game which remained in my thoughts following the final whistle, but the moment of brilliance provided by Didier Drogba, offering a welcome reminder that the powerful Ivorian is still an impressive talent capable of creating great moments, and is far from a spent force at the very top level of the game.
As it happens, his fellow countryman Emmanuel Eboue’s equaliser on the night wasn’t bad either.

Didier Drogba Makes a Welcome Return to the UEFA Champions League

Didier Drogba Makes a Welcome Return to the UEFA Champions League - World Soccer Talk

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Stoke City have enjoyed relative success as a football club over the past few years. Under Tony Pulis they have become an established Premier League team, and in doing so have come to rely on an often criticized, but largely effective style of play.
The Britannia Stadium has become something of a fortress during their time in the top flight with the home fans generating a raucous, often gladiatorial-style atmosphere, and each of the league’s elite sides have come to view their visit as one of the toughest away fixtures of a league season. The criticism has been for a largely physical and direct playing style, sometimes unfairly seen as merely bullying the opposition into submission. This has been rebuffed quite successfully by Pulis as he has led the club to regular mid-table finishes in the Premier League, and a first ever FA Cup final in 2010-11.
He has indeed been seen to be attempting to steer his side to a more possession focused style of play in recent seasons, through the signings of several smaller in stature ball-playing attackers such as Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant and Charlie Adam. However the transition in playing style has been far from seamless and more often than not the team have returned to the long-ball, physical tactics which they have become synonymous with under Pulis.
Until the current campaign, the playing style has gone largely unopposed by the home fans as results have legitimized the approach. However the club head into their final six games of the 2012/13 season having won just once in their previous 13 matches, and hovering three points above the relegation positions. For the first time since their return to the top flight in 2008, the club face the real possibility of losing their place amongst the elite.
The Britannia crowd remains vocal, and their backing of the team has rarely faltered. However there is no doubt the stadium holds less fear and intimidation for the opposition than in previous seasons. Following their latest defeat, at home to fellow relegation candidates Aston Villa at the weekend, the final whistle was met with a chorus of boos, and the manager cut an isolated figure on the touchline. Pulis continues to remain positive and has called for character from his players for the run-in to the season. However their predicament poses a weightier question; with the modern game adapting around them towards a more free-flowing, possession and passing focused style of play, epitomised by the emergence of Swansea and Southampton among others, is the Stoke City, Tony Pulis way not only out of style, but out of time?

Time Is Running Out For Stoke City to Escape Relegation

Time Is Running Out For Stoke City to Escape Relegation - World Soccer Talk

David Lonergan is a freelance sports writer and life-long football fan, with an expert knowledge of the game. Originally from Wexford in the south-east of Ireland, he is currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Alongside his passion for football, David works in the film and live events industry. Follow David on twitter via @dnrlonergan

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