Jong AZ vs Willem II Match Recap - Oct 20, 2025

Jong AZ Stun Promotion-Chasing Willem II with Emphatic 4-0 Victory in Alkmaar, Shaking Up Eerste Divisie Dynamics

On a blustery evening at the AFAS Trainingscomplex, a Jong AZ side mired in the depths of the Eerste Divisie table delivered a performance that both defied expectation and demanded attention. Entering the match with just two wins from eleven attempts this season, Jong AZ faced a Willem II squad with promotion ambitions and a five-game record boasting four victories. That context, as the final whistle confirmed a stunning 4-0 rout for the hosts, lent the proceedings an air of shock—and perhaps a measure of reckoning for the league’s hierarchy.

From the opening minute, the tone was set not by the visitors, but by the home side’s youthful exuberance. Kasper Boogaard wasted no time, making the net bulge in the fourth minute. Picking up a loose ball at the edge of the box, Boogaard’s left-footed drive zipped past Willem II’s keeper, rendering moot any half-formed defensive structure. The early lead was a statement—Jong AZ would not play the role of easy prey tonight.

If Willem II expected the opener to be a fleeting aberration, the ensuing half-hour quashed those hopes. Their attacks—methodical, but blunted by a disciplined home midfield—never forced Jong AZ’s young goalkeeper into desperate action. Instead, it was Sem van Duijn, already a bright spot in Jong AZ’s patchwork season, who doubled the advantage at the 34-minute mark. Latching onto a precision ball from midfield traffic, van Duijn showed composure beyond his years, slotting home with deft accuracy and bringing the sparse crowd to its feet.

From that point, the match pivoted. Willem II, fifth in the standings before kickoff, seemed caught between urgency and disbelief. Their high press broke down repeatedly as Jong AZ found space across the flanks. The second half, then, became a showcase for the home side’s counterattacking prowess and an indictment of Willem II’s defensive shape.

Kevin Toppenberg added the third in the 67th minute—a goal not just for the scoreboard, but for the team’s battered self-confidence. After a driving run down the right, Toppenberg jinked past a defender and unleashed a fierce low shot. The finish, clean and clinical, left Willem II’s back line in disarray and, perhaps, their ambitions in doubt.

As the match wore into its closing stages, van Duijn put an emphatic stamp on proceedings. His second goal of the night, in the 87th minute, was a microcosm of Jong AZ’s evening—sharp, opportunistic, and wholly deserved. Cutting in from the left, van Duijn navigated a forest of legs before firing past the keeper, capping what was likely his most memorable performance of the campaign.

For Willem II, the final whistle was a mercy. Having conceded just six goals in their previous five matches, they were uncharacteristically porous, their attack rendered toothless by spirited defending and a midfield that denied any rhythm. No red cards marred the contest, but the visitors’ collective disappointment was visible—a team that had been building momentum now left to wrestle with the psychological weight of a heavy defeat.

Tonight’s result reverberates beyond the immediate. Jong AZ, still marooned in 18th place with just eight points from eleven matches, showed a resilience that belies their league position. Their recent form—one win, one draw, and three heavy losses—suggested a squad in search of answers, not giant-killing. Yet, the comprehensive nature of this victory signals a potential turning point, particularly for their attacking core: van Duijn, Toppenberg, and Boogaard all finding the net in the same evening for the first time this season.

Willem II, meanwhile, remain in fifth, their tally frozen at 20 points. They will look anxiously over their shoulder as the pack tightens in pursuit of the playoff places. Their own run—four wins and one loss in the previous five games—suggested a side primed for promotion. Tonight, however, exposed vulnerabilities that their rivals will be keen to exploit.

The head-to-head between these clubs has rarely swung so dramatically. Willem II, traditionally the more seasoned campaigners, now face questions that stretch beyond their immediate ambitions. Can they rediscover their defensive discipline? Can the attack, led by Thomas Verheydt and Devin Haen in recent weeks, recapture its potency after being stifled so thoroughly?

Jong AZ’s next challenge is consistency—a trait that has eluded them through eleven matchdays. For a team whose results have oscillated from spirited wins to heavy defeats, tonight’s performance offers not just hope, but a blueprint. If their young talents continue to develop, the season’s narrative could yet shift.

For Willem II, the equation is simpler yet harder: respond or risk slipping further. Their next fixture now bears greater weight, not only for the points but for the psyche of a squad abruptly reminded of football’s unforgiving nature.

Monday night in Alkmaar may prove, in hindsight, to be an inflection point for both clubs—a reminder that in the Eerste Divisie, reputations count for less than the courage to rewrite them anew.