The verdict had already been given: relegation to the Third Division was a fait accompli for Rijswijk Ladies 1. Until suddenly an unexpected plot twist presented itself: thanks to a protest with the association, the lost game against Dopie had to be replayed and the team got a second chance. Maybe, just maybe, things would turn out differently this time. But Rijswijk just swallowed the acid of relegation one more time.
How does it feel to be relegated twice in three weeks? Player Jessey Rosenthal (26) of Rijswijk sums it up sharply: “Most of the girls have drunk a lot of alcohol. Sometimes sadness just needs to be drowned.’
Back to Sunday, June 1, the day the curtain first fell. In Delft, visiting midfielder Dopie, Rijswijk, number eleven in the league with two games to go, had its back against the wall: only a win could prevent relegation. But there was no miracle. A 4-2 defeat relegated Rijswijk to the Third Division, a blow that hit hard. Nevertheless, one striking detail did not escape the players: the goalkeeper of Dopie was a completely different person than the one they had seen in the first match.
‘I usually pay attention to that. In the outward match there was a completely different goalkeeper in goal. With a completely different goalkeeper’s suit,’ Rosenthal observed. ‘The Dopie players told me she was a substitute goalkeeper. So I went digging to see if she was actually officially on that team. Well, that turned out not to be the case. So I reported it to our match secretary, who sent it to the KNHB. Because yes, it just didn’t feel quite fair.’
Great was the joy when Rijswijk won 5-1 against Catwijck, giving them a second chance against Dopie.
We were so happy, it felt like we were given a second chance .
In the end, her intuition proved correct: something was indeed wrong. The KNHB determined that the goalkeeper who had been standing under the crossbar was not entitled to play. The verdict: Dopie was deducted three points, but more importantly for Rijswijk: the match had to be replayed. Suddenly the door to survival was ajar again. I was at a youth camp with a few girls from my team. And then suddenly this news arrived. We were so happy. It felt like we were being given a second chance as a gift.’
The fire in the team suddenly began to burn again. They were still alive. Suddenly everything felt possible again, even the impossible. ‘We knew it would be difficult, but deep down we believed in a stunt,’ Rosenthal says. The assignment was clear: get six points from the last two duels. And then came the moment they had so hoped for. The sign that the season might yet end differently. Catwijck, nota bene the number four of the league, was beaten by large numbers (5-1). The job was not yet done, but this felt like the first step toward something special.
Everything now depended on one game: the catch-up game against Dopie, last Sunday. A win over the team from Delft would be enough to still maintain their position. The team felt the tension in every fiber, says Rosenthal. But we played well. In the first few minutes we had some chances right away. And in the second half … well, then we really almost only stood in their half.’
Nine penalty corners Rijswijk scored. Chance after chance was created. It seemed only a matter of time before the goal would fall, but luck let the team down. At a score of 0-0, a few minutes before time, Rijswijk decided to change their goalkeeper. A last attempt to make the impossible still possible. But all hope was dashed. Dopie struck mercilessly from the counter: 1-0. And so the curtain fell once again.
Being relegated twice in three weeks really does something to you. It brought us closer together. Rijswijk player Jessey Rosenthal
Which relegation hurt the most? The second one, Rosenthal says firmly, “It’s like failing your re-exam. The first time you’re balking, but you have another retake. So you hold out hope. But then when you fail again, it hits you extra hard. Then you know: it’s finished.
In sports terms, the relegation was a bitter pill. But socially it also brought something beautiful. Something you cannot express in points. Rosenthal: ‘We were already a tight group, because most of us have been playing together for years. We’re more than teammates; we’re really friends. But what we’ve gone through together now has only made our bond stronger. It touched me deeply that after the last game we were lying defeated on the floor. Our tears spoke volumes. Being relegated twice in three weeks really does something to you. It brought us closer together.’
It was not the first time the team felt the merciless pain of relegation. Two years ago it also relegated, from the First Division. Where will this end? Rosenthal: “We will come back stronger. I know that for sure. I am convinced that next season we will finish at least in the top three.’ That’s reassuring. They’ve had their share of relegations by now.
by Hockey.nl
