Telstar seeks revenge after painful loss in Visserijtoernooi

The early afternoon at the Visserijtoernooi saw Telstar of Velsen‑Zuid line up under a grey sky, the crowd buzzing as the De Witte Leeuwen prepared for their opening duel. Vandaag, the club entered the tournament with high expectations, despite fielding a side missing many regular starters.

The two one‑hour matches were scheduled for Saturday as part of the day’s programme, giving the Haarlemse side a compact test of depth and resolve.

In the first encounter, the De Witte Leeuwen – favourites in the Eredivisie – were humbled when Koninklijke HFC surged ahead to a three‑goal lead, a margin that included an own goal by Tycho Groeneveld.

At the break, the fifteenth‑placed team from the Tweede Divisie of the previous season found themselves three goals down, a stark reminder of the gulf between the two clubs.

New Telstar coach Henk Brugge had begun the match without many of his usual starters, a circumstance the club openly acknowledged as a mitigating factor.

Later that day Telstar exacted immediate revenge against Katwijk, securing a two‑goal victory thanks to strikes from Jeff Hardeveld and Rui Mendes.

Although extending the title race in the Visserijtoernooi proved difficult, the Haarlemse club clinched the final win of the tournament and restored confidence among players and supporters.

Looking ahead, Brugge’s side will launch their Eredivisie campaign in two weeks with an opening away fixture at NEC, a test of the progress made during the Visserijtoernooi.