By any measure, WerkTalent Stadion on Friday evening pulsed with tension, expectation, and, ultimately, with the kind of nerve-shredding drama that defines campaigns—not just matches. ADO Den Haag’s determined 2-1 victory over Almere City FC in the Eerste Divisie did more than extend an unbeaten run; it boldly shifted the mood from hopeful to relentless, setting a new bar for the club’s ambitions. No longer is promotion simply an aspiration. If these opening weeks are the measure, it’s now the baseline expectation. Den Haag’s relentless drive is threatening to redefine the upper tier of Dutch football’s second division.

A Night of Edges: Small Margins, Big Statements

While the scoreline ultimately reflected a narrow win, the contest was anything but subdued. Both sides entered with recent history on their minds. Their last six encounters had yielded near parity—three wins for Den Haag, two for Almere City, and one draw, with both teams bagging nine goals across those contests . Yet this night was about far more than the numbers. It was about momentum: Den Haag’s, gathering pace; Almere’s, teetering under pressure.

ADO Den Haag came in on the crest of a wave, unbeaten in four, confidence forged by disciplined defending and critical contributions from emerging leaders such as Jari Vlak and Illaijh de Ruijter . Vlak’s attacking initiative, evidenced by his tally of two league goals so far, pushed Almere City’s shaky back line from the opening whistle. Almere, for their part, entered bruised—two straight defeats, a defensive unit that had leaked goals for twelve consecutive fixtures, and a squad in search of answers.

Key Moments: Grit in Both Boxes

While a full, minute-by-minute breakdown does little justice to the suspense that played out on the pitch, several scenes defined the encounter.

The breakthrough came midway through the first half—ADO Den Haag pressed high, disrupting Almere’s build-up play, and capitalized on a loose clearance. The ball found Vlak just outside the box; his first touch was calm, his finish unsparing. WerkTalent Stadion erupted, the stands green and yellow in collective surge.

Almere, however, refused to fade. Their possession grew more purposeful by the minute. On the hour, they leveled the contest with a sweeping move down the right, catching Den Haag’s fullbacks momentarily outnumbered. For a spell, it looked as though Den Haag’s early dominance had ebbed entirely, their composure threatened.

But with fatigue, pressure, and the home crowd mounting, it was Den Haag’s depth and determination—their real story this season—that told. In the closing stages, substitute Luka Reischl carved out a sliver of space down the flank, squared a ball low and hard into a thicket of legs, only for de Ruijter to pounce. One deft touch, one ruthlessly calm finish: 2-1.

The final whistle brought relief and celebration in equal measure, but also the unmistakable sense that Den Haag had done more than outlast a rival. They’d issued a challenge to the division’s upper echelons.

Player Performances: Den Haag’s Collective Climb

Jari Vlak, already Den Haag’s leading goal scorer this season , did more than pad his stats. His movement between the lines, willingness to track back, and vocal leadership marshaled the midfield and set the emotional temperature. De Ruijter, meanwhile, was all purpose and intelligence, his late goal the kind of opportunistic, big-moment strike that separates promotion contenders from also-rans.

Defensive discipline, too, deserves a mention. Robin Peter’s distribution from the back repeatedly short-circuited Almere’s high press, while Steven van der Sloot’s recovery tackles and Sekou Sylla’s adventurous runs added both steel and flair to Den Haag’s effort.

Almere, for all their creative endeavor, struggled with decisiveness in the box. Their solitary goal owed much to persistent wing play, but when the match demanded heroics in defense, too many were wanting.

Broader Implications: Is Den Haag Unstoppable?

Cautious optimism would appear prudent at this stage of the season—but this was a statement win, and not only because of the result. ADO Den Haag now sit with two league wins and a draw in their early matches: nine goals scored, just three conceded, and an attacking average (3.00 per match) suggesting that their offense is not only functional but fearsome . Almere, by contrast, remain mired—one win, zero draws, and two losses, with as many conceded as scored .

Perhaps most vital for Den Haag is the growing sense of inevitability about their campaign. Under Raphael Wicky’s increasingly coherent system, each fixture reveals another player ready to seize the moment, another crack filled by squad depth that seems finally worthy of the club’s ambitions. In a division often defined by parity and wild swings in form, Den Haag have steadied themselves as early pacesetters, their organizational structure both on-field and off reflecting a club refusing to accommodate mediocrity.

Pressure Mounts: For Almere, a Season in Peril

For Almere City FC, defeat here is about more than early standings. Twelve consecutive matches conceding at least once hints at a malaise far deeper than a short-term tactical issue. Their central defensive partnership, under constant siege, lost key duels at crucial moments. Keeper Nordin Bakker was subjected to a barrage that, while occasionally heroic, left him visibly frustrated by a malfunctioning shield ahead of him.

Almere’s attacking flashes—especially from their wingers—hinted at potential, but the lack of a true finisher and absence of rhythm in the final third have left head coach Alex Pastoor searching for sharper ideas and fresh leadership. With the fixture list ahead offering scant relief, the dangers of lingering in the Eerste Divisie’s lower half are impossible to ignore.

The Road Ahead: Den Haag’s Destiny in Their Own Hands

As the Den Haag faithful spilled into the crisp Dutch night, a feeling pervaded: this is not last year’s project, or some fragile flash in the pan. Already unbeaten in five across all competitions, leaping to the very top of the table seems less like a possibility and more like a demand made by the players themselves. Promotion is no longer only within reach—it’s becoming the expectation from every quarter of this proud club .

For opponents, the message is clear: Den Haag’s journey is fueled by more than form. It carries the weight of resolve—and a warning that anything less than excellence will not do.

In seasons past, victory was relief. Now, for Den Haag, it is routine. And routine, as every champion knows, is where true expectation is born.