Emmen made no mistakes in their club friendly against Almere City on Friday, running out 4-0 winners at home. The Dutch sides met as part of their pre-season preparations, and the hosts dominated from the opening whistle. By then, the pattern was clear: Emmen controlled possession and created chances at will.
The breakthrough came in the twenty-sixth minute when F. Quispel found the net, and two goals later J. Cooper-Love doubled the lead just before half-time. To be fair, Almere City had their moments, but they simply could not convert any of them. Emmen were sharper, more organised, and they took their chances when they appeared.
The second half brought another booking in the fifty-ninth minute, a yellow card that did little to change the momentum. D. Lambers then added a pair in quick succession, scoring in the seventy-eighth and eighty-third minutes to make it four. Things came to a head late on, with Almere City chasing the game but finding no way through.
The statistics tell the full story. Emmen registered 68 attacks compared to 50 for their opponents, and they claimed 11 corners against just 4. Possession sat at 58 percent for the hosts, and they earned 10 free kicks while conceding 14. Almere City had one offside and no red cards, but those numbers barely scratch the surface of what happened on the pitch.
This result does not mean much in the league table, but it says something about the work being done behind the scenes. Emmen have lost three of their last five friendlies, and this performance suggests they are finally finding their rhythm. Almere City have shown flashes of promise, but they will need to be more clinical if they want to compete at this level.