Rijnvogels Boys saw off VV Hedw 2:0 in a club friendly on 8 August, easing into the new campaign with a comfortable result at home. The match ended without incident, the hosts keeping a clean sheet and taking all three points from the encounter.
Two goals separated the sides, and here's the thing about friendlies — you watch how the side holds together, not just the scoreline. The hosts didn't concede, which means the defence worked, even if the opposition never really troubled them.
By then, Rijnvogels had been through a mixed run. They beat Volendam 7:0 late in May, then lost 2:0 to HHC Hardenwijk. Before that came a 4:2 win over Sparta Rotterdam II, followed by a 3:2 defeat to Spakenburg. And 18 May brought a 2:0 victory over Koninklijke HFC.
To be fair, the recent form shows inconsistency — two wins and two losses from five matches, with goals flowing both ways. The 7:0 against Volendam looked impressive, the 2:0 loss to HHC showed vulnerability. This friendly didn't tell you much, except that the defence held firm.
The result means nothing in any table. Friendlies don't move you up or down. But for a side that has conceded in four of those five recent games, keeping a clean sheet is worth noting.