Dutch Eredivisie Roundup, Aug. 8
FC Groningen held Ajax to a 2-2 draw on Sunday in the opening round of the Dutch league.
Mounir El Hamdaoui's two goals gave Ajax the edge until Nicklas Pedersen smashed an equalizer in the 86th minute to earn Groningen a point. Tim Matavz also scored for Groningen in the 72nd.
Feyenoord scored three goals in the second half to earn a 3-1 comeback win over FC Utrecht, which took the lead in the 12th off Ricky van Wolfswinkel's goal. Alje Schut, Luigi Bruins and Leroy Fer were on target for Feyenoord.
Defending champion FC Twente drew with Roda JC 0-0 on Friday.
Rydell Poepon, Muslu Nalbantoglu and Steve de Ridder each scored to help De Graafschap beat fellow league newcomer Excelsior Rotterdam 3-0 on Saturday.
Ola Toivonen scored twice and Orlando Engelaar added another as PSV Eindhoven beat SC Heerenveen 3-1. Milan Kopic got Heerenveen's lone goal. Also Saturday, Ramon Zomer scored in NEC Nijmegen's 1-0 victory over VVV-Venlo.
In other games, it was: NAC Breda 1, AZ Alkmaar 1; Vitesse Arnhem 3, ADO The Hague 1; and Heracles Almelo 3, Willem II 0.