The first point in season 2016/2017 is gained. FC Utrecht played a draw 2-2 on Friday evening in the Abe Lenstra stadium against sc Heerenveen in a game that had many faces.

‘You know what, I’ll just do it.’ That is what Bart Ramselaar from Amersfoort seemed to think after thirty minutes of play in Friesland with the ball at his feet 25 meters from the goal. ‘I’ll do it, and I’ll do it right’. And that is what the former youth player of FC Utrecht did. Ramselaar shot the ball in and provided FC Utrecht a 1-2 lead and put the game completely upside down. 

Wealth
Upside down, because four minutes previous to that goal sc Heerenveen led 1-0. A lead that came from a shot from nearby by Luciano Slagveer good ten minutes into the game. 

Daddy Cool
But that lead thus went up in smoke 25 minutes later. Ramselaar scored the 1-2 in a beautiful way and also Sébastien Haller picked up a goal in Friesland. He did so by cashing in a penalty, after a foul on Yassin Ayoub during one of his incomparable dribbles. The Fenchman cashed in the penalty in a way only Haller can do it. Booed out by thousands of Frisians the French FC Utrecht striker, looked into the eye by a determined goalkeeper, did not give a winch, waited for the whistle by referee Jeroen Manschot and beat as Daddy Cool goalkeeper Erwin Mulder: 1-1. 

Ghoochannejad tips in
When entering the last quarter of the match, Jurgen Streppel brought in Henk Veerman for more attacking force. The tall and strong man from Volendam who works in Heerenveen was postured in the point of the attack. Barely three minutes later sc Heerenveen scored. Out of a corner the ball ended up in a packed five meters at the feet of Reza Ghoochannejad. The Iran international pricked in: 2-2. 

No more goal tune
An exciting final phase followed. With chances for both teams it was the Frisians who put most pressure on the Utrecht defence. However, there was no need to start a new goal tune, because there were no more goals after the 2-2. 

Next mission: home game against AZ
Eredivisie season 2016/2017 continues for FC Utrecht on Sunday 21 August when Europa League participant AZ visit Stadium Galgenwaard. The game starts at 14.30 and tickets are already available. No club card is needed to buy tickets for this game.  

sc Heerenveen - FC Utrecht 2-2 (1-2)
12. Luciano Slagveer 0-1
33. Sébastien Haller (penalty) 1-1
35. Bart Ramselaar 1-2
69. Reza Ghoochannejad 2-2

Yellow cards: Jeremiah St. Juste (sc Heerenveen), Sofyan Amrabat (FC Utrecht).

Attendance: 20,850.

Referee: Jeroen Manschot.

Line-up sc Heerenveen:
Erwin Mulder; Stefano Marzo, Jeremiah St. Juste, Joost van Aken, Lucas Bijker; Pelle van Amersfoort (66. Henk Veerman), Stijn Schaars, Younes Namli; Luciano Slagveer (84. Morten Thorsby), Reza Ghoochannejad (87. Simon Thern), Arber Zeneli.

Line-up FC Utrecht:
Robbin Ruiter; Giovanni Troupée, Ramon Leeuwin, Willem Janssen, Kevin Conboy; Rico Strieder, Bart Ramselaar, Sofyan Amrabat, Yassin Ayoub (90+1. Andreas Ludwig); Rubio Rubin (73. Patrick Joosten), Sébastien Haller.