The ball is in the court of the undefeated De Zaan in top match against UZSC | Watch Water Polo matches via Eyecons
This weekend, six matches will be played in the Eredivisie men's league and three in the women's league. The men's teams of PSV and ZV De Ham ZC will not play a league match. The team from Krommenie competes in the Nordic League group stage. You can find the schedule of the Krommenie team on this page. The women of De Zaan will play the quarterfinal match against Panionios tomorrow evening.
There is also a top match scheduled in the Eredivisie men's league. Leader ZV De Zaan will face the second-placed UZSC. Both teams are in great form, promising an exciting match. We look ahead with Don Rempt and Joep de Jong.
Excellent form
Under the guidance of coach Andreas Mirales, ZV De Zaan has remained unbeaten in both the Eredivisie and Europe for a year and a half. They narrowly won the last match against ZPC Amersfoort (13-11). The undefeated status of De Zaan is impressive. The talented 21-year-old Rempt knows that the winning streak has been hard-earned. He emphasizes the excellent team spirit.
"It feels great to be undefeated for so long. I believe we continue to grow as a team and remain consistent. We train hard every week leading up to the weekend where we need to perform. I think we as a team stand for and with each other through thick and thin. When someone is struggling, we all pitch in to solve it together. Additionally, we are like one big family, and I think those are our strongest points," said the left-handed driver who has scored 26 goals this season.
UZSC saw four experienced players leave this summer and welcomed three young players and the experienced Brent Hofmeijer. According to De Jong, the team is making good progress.
"After the changes in the squad this summer, we are steadily growing. Things are looking up, as seen in our almost perfect start this season. We lost once and after the match against De Zaan, we'll face Donk. It's a good measuring point for us against the top two teams from last season. Our team's strength lies in the deep squad where all players are fit," explained the 23-year-old right-handed player who has been with UZSC for seven years.
Preparation for the top match
In May 2023, the agile and speedy Rempt made his debut for the Netherlands team in the lost international match against Montenegro. He is pleased with the victory last weekend against Amersfoort and realizes that the team must give their all against UZSC.
"It was a nice result against a strong team. We take the positive momentum into tomorrow, and we know what we have to do. The ball is in our court, and we must show that again this weekend. As long as we play our game and maintain high tempo throughout all four periods, we should be fine."
UZSC, led by coach Sebastiaan Brands, secured a convincing 15-9 victory against ZVL 1886 last weekend. It will be a different game against the reigning national champions. After the away win last season, they are eager to snatch the points from the current league leaders again on Saturday.
"It will be a tough and interesting match. They have a young yet experienced squad with a coach who values fitness and prepares them tactically well. They are undefeated for a reason. We have a plan against them, and we must execute it as best as we can. We trust in our abilities, and last year we showed in the away match that we can compete with them. I have full confidence in a great match that I am looking forward to."
It promises to be an exciting battle between two top teams. De Zaan will aim to maintain their unbeaten record, while UZSC is determined to level with them and eventually take the top spot. The form on the day and tactical choices will determine the final result.
The match will be live on Saturday via this livestream with commentary by Dennis Ketelaars. The full schedule for the men's league can be found through this link. The women's schedule can be found on this page.
