Jong AZ claimed a comfortable 4-1 victory over Volendam in the Eerste Divisie's seventh round on Thursday evening. The hosts moved to 10 points from eight matches, while the visitors remained on nine points after six games. It was a result that reflected the gulf between efficiency and control — Jong AZ had less possession but far more to show for it.
De Wit opened the scoring in the 17th minute, and the momentum shifted immediately. Armantrading doubled the advantage just before the break with a 30th-minute strike, and Volendam's trio of substitutions — Huisman, Amevor, Wolff — came on together at 31 minutes, a tactical response that arrived a touch late. Robbemond picked up a yellow card in the 44th minute as the hosts grew more physical.
And here's the thing about matches like this — the turning point often isn't the scoreline but the pattern. The second half opened with Kovács adding a third in the 61st minute, and Volendam's goalkeeper, Jurgjus, was left with six saves to his name. Ihler's yellow in the 45th minute had been for a different half's intensity, but by then the game's shape was clear: Jong AZ were everywhere, and Volendam were reacting.
Oerip made it four in the 70th minute, and Ihler scored his own goal in the 75th — a late flourish that sealed the result. Elkjær Andersen and Robbemond were withdrawn together at 73 minutes, while de Wit and Kovács came off at 80. The substitutions told their own story: the hosts managed their lead, while the visitors had nothing left to offer.
The statistics paint a stark picture. Jong AZ registered 10 shots on target against Volendam's three, and their 48 per cent accuracy rate contrasted sharply with the visitors' 38 per cent. The hosts created zero big chances, yet still found the net four times. Volendam held 55 per cent possession and completed 378 passes to Jong AZ's 317, but possession without penetration is just circulating the ball.
By then, the league table had already shifted in tone. Jong AZ sit 10th with 10 points from eight games, while Volendam remain 11th after six matches. The visitors' recent results — 2-0 against Den Bosch, 3-5 to Emmen, 6-1 over Dordrecht — suggest a team that can score but also concedes freely. This result will not change that pattern, but it may force a conversation about what possession actually achieves.
