FC Twente won its maiden Dutch league title Sunday after a 2-0 win
over NAC Breda.
In the process, Twente coach Steve McClaren became the first
English manager to win a major European league title since Bobby
Robson with FC Porto in 1996.
Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch scored on a rain-soaked final
day of the season to give Twente the title ahead of wealthier teams
from Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Eindhoven.
It is the second straight season - and third in 35 years -
that the title has not gone to Ajax, Feyenoord or PSV Eindhoven,
with AZ Alkmaar winning it twice.
Twente finished the season on 86 points, one more than Ajax,
which beat NEC Nijmegen 4-1.
"Fantastic. We deserve it," said McClaren, who turns 49 on
Monday. "Ajax have been coming but we kept winning. It's
unbelievable. We got better and better after finishing second last
season."
Based in the university town of Enschede, Twente was formed
in 1965 following a merger between two city teams, one of which had
picked up an Eredivisie title 39 years earlier.
Things could not have started any worse for NAC, which had
Csaba Feyer dismissed in the 21st minute for fouling Theo Janssen.
Two minutes later, Ruiz capitalized on a defensive error inside the
NAC area to put Twente in front and Stoch's solo effort 14 minutes
from time sealed the win for Twente.
Sunday's victory also marked an emotional end to captain
Blaise Nkufo's eight-year career at Twente. The 34-year old
Congolese-born Switzerland international is set to join Seattle
Sounders FC in Major League Soccer next season.
"It's hard. This club means a lot to me," said Nkufo. "We
deserve it. It's an amazing year. Time to relax."
Ajax, which earned a Champions League berth by finishing
second, made a perfect start by scoring first-half goals from Luis
Suarez, Demy de Zeeuw and Marko Pantelic. Suarez added another in
the 63rd minute but it was not enough to stop the celebrations
kicking off in Enschede.
Also Sunday, Feyenoord trounced SC Heerenveen 6-2, with
veteran striker Roy Makaay marking the end of his career by scoring
a hattrick. AZ and PSV, which like Feyenoord will play in the
Europa League next season, drew 1-1.
Also, it was: FC Groningen 3, Sparta Rotterdam 1; FC Utrecht
2, Vitesse Arnhem 2; Roda JC 3, Willem II 2; RKC Waalwijk 1,
VVV-Venlo 2; Heracles Almelo 4, ADO The Hague 2.
