If you listen closely, you can almost hear the echoes ricocheting off the old stands at GelreDome—ghosts of Eredivisie campaigns past and a fanbase wondering: how did we end up here, with Vitesse rooted bottom, staring down the Eerste Divisie abyss? The answer, of course, is never one thing; it’s a cold stew of missed chances, leaky defenses, and, let’s be honest, a dash of bad luck. But, as fate would have it, what better occasion for a resurrection than squaring off against high-flying Roda, the team that’s got its own eyes locked on promotion, not relegation?
Vitesse finds itself in the kind of existential crisis that makes for the best radio, or at least the most dramatic post-match phone-ins. Twentieth place. Negative one point. Not a typo, just the kind of math that makes supporters reach for the aspirin and opposing fans reach for the banter. But here’s the rub: this is not a dead team walking. If you’ve caught their last handful of matches, you’ve noticed a pulse—maybe even a drumbeat. A 4-0 hammering of FC Eindhoven, an emphatic 2-0 against Jong Utrecht, and the kind of wild 4-2 win at Emmen that makes you believe in late-night miracles.
And if you’re circling names with your stubby golf pencil, start with Marco Schikora. The man’s been everywhere, doing everything but checking tickets at the gate. Four goals in his last five, including the late equalizer at Almere City and a defiant reply against Den Bosch even as his team came up short. Schikora’s joined by the likes of Adam Tahaui, who’s scored decisive goals, and the ever-dangerous João Pinto, whose presence in the final third has started to look like trouble in the making for defenders waking up in cold sweats.
Don’t sleep on Dillon Hoogerwerf and Elias Huth, either—both in the goals lately and both crucial outlets when Vitesse breaks at speed. This is a forward line that prefers chaos over chess, and for a Roda side that likes to control tempo, that could be a spanner in the works.
But let’s not kid ourselves: Roda will waltz into Arnhem with the strut of a team that just thrashed Den Bosch 6-0, and only lost once in five. Their last outing was Michael Breij’s coming-out party—a four-goal masterclass that has stat nerds reaching for the record books and opposition managers reaching for the Pepto-Bismol. Breij, in tandem with Anthony van den Hurk, gives Roda a front line that can punish lapses with ruthless efficiency. Van den Hurk is the sort of striker who pops up in the right place so often you wonder if he’s got insider info on the defender’s WhatsApp group.
With Cain Seedorf pulling strings in midfield and Joshua Schwirten running box-to-box like he’s got frequent flyer miles to burn, Roda can play it both ways: dig in for a scrap, or carve you open with a passing move. And don’t underestimate their tactical flexibility. They’ve shown a knack for tilting the field, bringing fullbacks into the action and pressing high when the opening’s there. That makes for an interesting chess match with a Vitesse side that’s looked increasingly comfortable playing direct, bypassing the midfield congestion and flooding the box with runners.
Both teams, then, are riding a bit of a high—Vitesse fighting not just for pride, but for survival, while Roda daydreams about promotion and maybe, just maybe, a return to the Dutch football promised land. For Vitesse, every point is oxygen; for Roda, it’s jet fuel for a campaign that’s found serious lift-off.
You want tactical intrigue? Watch how Vitesse’s back line, shaky for chunks of the season, handles Roda’s aggression. The hosts have been blessed by a recent uptick in goalscoring but have looked vulnerable when pressured. Roda, meanwhile, can’t exactly claim the stingiest defense in the land, so don’t rule out fireworks at both ends.
The stakes? For Vitesse, it’s nothing short of existential. Fail to take points and the quicksand gets deeper; win, and suddenly there’s hope, momentum, and maybe a little of that old Arnhem swagger. For Roda, anything less than a win feels like a missed opportunity in the title chase. They’ll want to prove their thrashing of Den Bosch wasn’t just flat-track bullying, but a sign of a team ready for bigger stages.
And so, as night falls over GelreDome, the scene is set: one team with its back to the wall, scrapping and clawing for every point, the other eyeing the top, eager to show they belong among the elite. Vitesse versus Roda—it’s more than a match, it’s a narrative in motion. And if you’re not tuning in, you’re missing the best kind of radio: unpredictable, urgent, and, come the final whistle, sure to give us something to talk about.