Through the first three weeks, it's been smooth sailing for the lads of PSV Eindhoven.

PSV wasted several chances throughout the first 40 minutes. Marcus Berg likely should have given the home side the lead after 15 minutes, but his touch was too strong.  With two minutes remaining before the break, Berg would not be denied again.  This time a ball down the left side drew Joe Didulica off his line, but the on-loan striker slipped a ball to the far corner of the goal giving PSV the half-time lead. 

AZ’s Erik Falkenburg levelled things five minutes into the new half, with a back-post header that slipped under the grasp of Andreas Isaksson.  PSV quickly regained the lead, three minutes later, when Berg doubled his efforts in front of the goal on a low cross from Jeremain Lens.  Ibrahim Afellay would add some insurance in the 90th minute, on a great individual effort, as PSV won 3-1.

Ajax Amsterdam received a strong boost to an already potent squad when Luis Suarez returned to action after serving a two-match suspension.  Hosting Roda JC Kerkrade, Mounir El Hamdaoui continued his strong start to the season witha pair of goals for his new club: pouncing a ball inside the six after 34 minutes and finishing another close-range shot at the 72nd minute mark. 

El Hamdoui and Suarez will likely form the league’s most dangerous duo.  Suarez who scored in the 52nd minute, with a low shot to the far corner, was assisted by El Hamdaoui; while the Urguayan international had a hand in bothof the former AZ man’s goals, recording an assist on the second.  It was a simple contest for Ajax, who easily won 3-0.

Ton Du Chatinier’s men have rebounded well from an opening loss to Feyenoord, as FC Utrechtare now winners of two straight.  Forward Ricky van Wolfswinkel continued his hot start to the season, netting a first-half brace.  A foul in the box by Willem II Tilburg’s Marlon Pereira set up van Wolfswinkel from the spot, and a cross from Edouard Duplan assisted his second goal in the 33rd minute.  In-form midfielder, Dries Mertenscleaned up a loose ball in the box at the 28-minute mark, for Utrecht’s second goal in the 3-0 win.

S. B. V. Excelsior have won two straight, after dropping its debut effort, as it cooled off two-match winner, NEC Nijmegen at home.  After a hat-trick last week against Willem, NEC’s Bjorn Vleminckx opened the scoring with a sliding effort in the 32nd minute.

The second-half was full of goals as Excelsior’s Jordy Claise blasted home a rebound off NEC’s goalkeeper, Gabor Babos.  Only three minutes later, the Roodzwarten the doubled the lead with a Daan Bovenberg header.  The match was level yet again when Bas Sibum jumped on a bouncing ball and scored it past the goalkeeper, making the score 2-2.

NEC then saw the match slip out of its grasp as Babos failed to control a shot from distance and Roland Bergkamp tapted it home.  Excelsior added another goal late, when speedster Guyon Fernandez was left all alone down the right flank, raced toward goal and around Babos to cap the 4-2 win.

It probably took much longer than many, if not all, off supporters wanted, but FC Twente are on the board.  It was a bit of rocky start for the champs, as they travelled to Vitesse Arnhem.  Usually the goal scorer, Bryan Ruiz cleared a ball of his own goal-line to avoid going down after 32 minutes.

New striker, Marc Janko scored Twente’s first goal of the season in the 58thminute, with a low striker across the goal, that gave Twente the 1-0 lead.  A long through ball to Luuk de Jong was converted, as the Netherlands U-21 player crossed over in the 18-yard box.  He would tally again, in stoppage time, on a short pass from Ruiz, as Twente earned its first win, 3-0.

A suspect foul in the box allowed Andreas Grangvist to convert a penalty kick for FC Groningen, as De Graafschap went down a man in the 17th minute.  Thomas Enevoldsenthen extended the lead with a tapper in front of goal, two minutes after the half-hour mark.  De Graafschap was able to reduce the lead in the 68th minute.  Rydell Poeponsqueezed a shot inside the near post, but it wasn’t enough as Groningen won 2-1.

SC Heracles Almelo and Feyenoord Rotterdam remain mid-table in the early season after another draw.  Making a somewhat distant near-post run, Heracles’ Mark Looms masterfully redirected a 15th-header corner kick with his head to the back post.  Heracles was pleasantly led newcomer, Glynor Plet, with some crafty possession in the midfield.  Feyenoord equalized on a great strike from youngster, Georginio Wijnaldum, in the 71st minute.  The 19-year-old struck high and to the far corner of the goal from 18-yards out, as his goal tied the match at its eventual ending point, a 1-1 draw.

Down a goal after just a minute, SC Heerenveen looked to be in trouble as NAC Breda took the early lead on a Matthew Amoah goal.  A pair of Bas Dost goals secured the win for Heerenveen, who also were credited for an own goal by NAC’s Kees Luijckx, as Heerenveen won 3-1.

Yuri Rose and his De Graafschap mates had a tough time at Philips Stadium, falling to PSV Eindhoven, 6-0.

One hundred and eighty plus minutes into the new season and the champs have yet to score.  At the start of the season, Ajax Amsterdam look the same as they did during last year’s opening, inconsistent.  PSV Eindhoven, well, they look like a team on a mission. 

Before the PSV faithful could find their seats, the home side was up one and the visitors down a man.  De Graafschap’s Purrel Frankel pulled down Jeremain Lens on a goal-scoring opportunity, earning his 4th-minute dismissal.  Balazs Dzsudzsakhad no trouble with the penalty kick.  Ola Toivonen now has five goals in two matches, after netting a hat-trick.  Nordin Amrabat and Ibrahim Afellay also scored for PSV, in a 6-0 routing.

It’s been a disappointing start for Ajax this season.  Losing 2-0 lead late last week and then going to goal-to-goal with Vitesse Arnhem this week.  Some poor marking by de Godenzonen allowed Davy Propper enough room to head in the opening goal.  Ajax levelled on a blast-of-a-free-kick by Jan Vertonghen, in the 37th minute.  Gregory Van Der Wiel soon poked in the go-ahead goal, before Marko van Ginkel drew the match even again, two minutes before the break.

It took all of 17 seconds into the new half before Ajax would regain the lead, for good.  Siem de Jong got just enough of his boot onto a Florian Jozefzoon cross, to squeak one past Eloy Room.  Waves of Ajax attacks continued throughout the second half.  The cushion was doubled in the 58th minute, on a spectacular effort by Vernon Anita, beating his man and placing a ball above and beyond Room.

Van Der Wiel and Mournir El Hamdaoui could have easily increased the lead late into the match, but missed the target.  The match finsihed a deceptive 4-2 win for Ajax, who will see Luis Suarez return to Eredivisie action next week against Roda.

The only side who’s start has caused more stress than Ajax, would be F.C. Twente.  The champs found themselves in another scoreless draw, this time with SC Heerenveen.  Christian Grindheim should have scored on a pretty back-heel from Bast Dost, when he hit the post in the 5th minute for Heerenveen.

Twente very well could have equalized in the second half with a shots from Ismael Tiote and David Carney, but a pair of fantastic saves from Kenny Steppe kept things even.  Nacer Chadli could have sealed it late for Twente with a clear look from inside the box, but his shot was high.  The pressure of repeating is already quickly building to more and more for the men of Enschede.

The new derby in Rotterdam saw a surprise winner this go round, as S.B.V. Excelsior shocked Feyenoord Rotterdam, 3-2.  A 29th-minute run by speedster Guyon Fernandez ended with a wonderful chip to the upper-right corner of the goal, putting Rotterdam’s “other” club up one.  Ron Vlaar tied the match at one, four minute before the half, with a header coming from a corner kick.  Feyenoord regained the lead after an own goal, that deflected off a defender’s back. 

The lead didn’t last long as Excelsior marched down the pitch, earning a dangerous free kick.  Swung into the crowd of players, Daan Bovenberg rose above the rest for the match-tying header.  Stoppage time was down to its finally few seconds when a goal kick was sent well down field and headed on for Fernandez.  Battling with his defender, Fernandez managed to poke a shot on goal that would hit the post and come right back to him, giving clearance for late match-winner.

On Sunday, NEC Nijmegen travelled to Willem II Tilburg, where there were goals a plenty for the supporters, and the defenses took the day off.  Juha Hakola tapped in the opening goal after six minutes, but not before NEC’s Lasse Schone struck home from inside the box twelve minutes later.  The two sides traded goals again, with Frank Demouge and Bjorn Vleminckx tallying for their respective clubs.

NEC then doubled its lead in as the second half wore on, with Demouge and Bas Sibum recording a pair of tap-ins.  Willem’s Andreas Lasnik reduced the lead from the penalty spot with 20 minutes to go, but Vleminckx would strike again, completing the hat-trick, as he glided around Nikki Maenpaa in the 90th minute.  It was certainly an impressive showing by NEC, as they won 5-3 on the road.

FC Utrecht looked sharp at home hosting NAC Breda.  A pair of goals from Ricky van Wolfswinkel highlighted the match, as the 21-year-old redirected a first-half cross and converted a second-half penalty kick.  NAC’s Matthew Amoah was aware enough to pick off an errant pass back, resulting in his teams only goal.  Dries Mertens, who assisted van Wolfswinkel’s first, also tallied for Utrecht in a 3-1 win at home.

The rebuilding effort in Alkmaar continued when AZ Alkmaar took on FC Groningenon Saturday.  A scoreless first half was offset by each club scoring late.  Groningen’s Tim Sparv struck an impressive chest-to-boot volley past AZ’s goalie, Joe Didulica in the 76th minute.  AZ secured the point at home when Maarten Mertens buried a 16-yard strike with just three minutes to spare, as AZ drew 1-1 with Groningen.

Thanks to an 11th-minute goal from Ruud Boymans, VVV Venlo held off SC Heracles Almelo, 1-0.

Roda JC Kerkrade defeated ADO Den Haagwith goals from Mads Junker, Laurent Delorge and Jimmy Hempte.  A fourth-minute tally from ADO’s Frantisek Kubik was not enough to offset the eventual 3-1 win for Roda.

Seen as somewhat of a surprise to claim Dutch dominance last year, Twente finished in the top four for three seasons prior.  So rather than count this group of Tukkers out, expect another run to the top.

Much like last season, the road to glory will be far from clear and even a little bumpy at times, but should prove to be another thrilling finish.

Let’s take a look at the teams vying to knock of the champs this season:

ADO Den Haag:

A dysfunctional bunch, ADO narrowly escaped relegation this summer.  Alles Door Oefening translated means Everything Through Practice, which the men of green and yellow will need much of this season.  Led by midfielder Lex Immers and defender Danny Buijs, the squad will hope that new transfer Dmitry Bulykin can blossom into the game-changer they are expecting.

Predicted finish: 17th

AZ Alkmaar:

Former Heracles Almelo man, Gertjan Verbeek, takes over at AZ.  Winner of the Eredivisie two years ago, AZ were crippled by a poor start and the pressures of Champions League play, but rebounded well to finish in fifth place.  Leading goal scorer, Mounir El Hamdaoui has left for Ajax, so there is question where the goals will come from this season.  The addition of very promising Kevin Valkenburg will help ease the loss of El Hamdaoui as AZ aims to compete at the top once again.

Predicted finish: 4th place

Suarez and his 35 goals last season will be highly pursued by some of the world's best.

Ajax Amsterdam:

The Godenzonen will look very similar to last years team that finished so strong.  The lone noticeable change will be El Hamdaoui in for Marko Pantelic at the central striker role.  A new cast of young and talented players, including Gregory van der Wiel, Siem de Jong, Nicholas Lodeiro and Urby Emanuelson all received invaluable first-team time last season.  Optimism around Amsterdam ArenA says that Ajax second-half form will carry over and run throughout the season, all the way to the Eredivisie crown.  If Jol, Suarez and company can display that kind of form for a whole season the title is surely theirs to lose.

Predicted finish: 1st

De Graafschap:

Back in the Eredivisie again, De Graafschap is saying all the right things, after an impressive first-place finish in the Eerste Divisie last season.  So far it’s done the right things as well.  Additions of goalkeeper, Boy Waterman and forward, Rydell Poepon are a good start, but far from what will be needed.  The Superboeren also bring with them, Hugo Bargas, a 23-year-old striker, who netted 16 goals a year ago.  Avoiding relegation won’t be easy, but won’t be impossible either.

Predicted finish: 14th

Excelsior:

The Eredivisies other new side, gained promotion with an upset victory over Sparta Rotterdam.  One of the younger teams in the league, Excelsior also lacks the funds to support itself in top-flight Dutch football.  The Kralingers will likely find themselves back in the Eerste Divisie a year from now.

Predicted finish: 18th

FC Groningen:

Not really expected to challenge for a spot in Europe last season, The Green-White Army snuck into the last qualification spot.  Groningen would love to re-do the first half of its season as early losses found them near the bottom of the table, but the team gelled rather well and managed a mid-table finish.  Led by the heroics of Slovenian national team striker, Tim Matavz, Groningen will be hungry for another shot at Europa League.

Predicted finish: 9th

How far can the 21-year-old, van Wolfswinkel carry Utrecht this season?

FC Utrecht:

Management at Utrecht took a risk last season signing several young Dutchmen, hoping that something beautiful would blossom.  Well, it did.  A seventh-place finish has Utreg looking up at the top of the table this season.  The off season saw an Austalian influx with Tommy Oar, Adam Sarota and Michael Zullo all coming over from Brisbane Roar.  Their transition to Dutch football will be important for Utrecht, who will rely on budding stars Dries Mertens and Ricky van Wolfswinkel to take that next step.  Expect Utrecht to pull a few upsets at home against the leagues upper echelon.

Predicted finish: 6th

Feyenoord Rotterdam:

A fourth-place finish last season was seen as a disappointing season for the men of Rotterdam.  A league-leading 12 draws, along with a +23 goal differential suggests that Feyenoord was better than its record would indicate.  But one would be hard pressed to say they have improved.  Roy Makaay and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have hung up their playing boots, leaving Jon Dahl Tomasson left to to carry the load.  The maturation of Giorginio Wijnaldum will be the key to awakening Slapende Reus (The Sleeping Giant).

Predicted finish: 5th place

SC Heerenveen:

Maybe the biggest disappointment of last season, Heerenveen fell to 11th in the table.  More changes have been made after two coaches were dismissed throughout the year.  Regulars such as Gerald Sibon have been let go and Heerenveen have acquired the talents of former Heracles man, Bas Dost.  The talented u-21 Netherlands player will pair with Roy Beerens and Serbian starlet Filip Duricic to create a formidable attack. 

Predicted finish: 7th

Heracles Almelo:

Former boss, Gertjan Verbeek has left for AZ and leading scorer Bas Dost to Heerenveen.  Hopes of repeating last years surprise sixth-place finish seem dim.  New coach Peter Bosz comes over from the Feyenoord organization and will continue the all-out attacking ways.  Willy Overtoom and Everton Ramos da Silva will be expected to pick the load. 

Predicted finish: 8th

NAC Breda:

An aging squad that failed to find any new blood in this summers transfer window.  The NAC will need plenty of support from a trio of veteran strikers, Anthony Luring, Matthew Amoah and Leonardo as there is little fight left in this Yellow Army.  Anything above a mid-table finish would be quite surprising for this side.

Predicted finish: 12th

NEC Nijmegen:

Another mid-table squad whose hopes of success rest on potential and promise.  19-year-old striker, Rick ten Voorde has been labeled “little van Basten”, and in the Netherlands those are big boots to fill.  NEC will get Danish midfielder Lasse Schone back from injury.  They had their moments last season, but were rather inconsistent.  If ten Voorde fills his lofty expectations and Schone returns to his “player of the year” form (voted on by NEC supporters in ‘08) then NEC could make some noise this year.

Predicted finish: 13th

PSV Eindhoven:

The title appeared to be theirs last season, before a titanic fall in the second-half of the season.  The fall-off appeared to coincide with the sale of Danko Lazovic to Zenit St. Petersburg.  And rumors continue to circle Philips Stadion that Ibrahim Afellay is on his way out as well, but PSV continue to stand firm.  The Red White Army stand to have had the best summer of all, adding quality in the form of Jeremain Lens, Marcus Berg and Marcelo.  Barring any kind of second-half collapse, PSV will most certainly be considered the favorites to win the title.

Predicted finish: 2nd

Roda JC:

Think the little engine that could.  Roda is by far one of the smaller clubs in the Eredivisie, and has been formed by the merger of smaller clubs in the past.  Another merger with a few smaller clubs (including VVV Venlo) has been discussed.  At times De Limburgers played like the big clubs it so desires to emulate, yet at other times it played more to its size and was little of any challenge to others.  The conductor to this train is on-loan striker, Mads Junker, who netted 21 goals in his ‘10 campaign.

Predicted finish: 10th

Twente is no. 1 now, but if Ruiz leaves they will be hard pressed to repeat.

Twente Enschede:

The champs return with a new cast of players, a new coach and a chip on their shoulder.  The way in which it closed the season was not to the standards at which it preformed throughout the beginning months.  Michael Preud’homme takes over for the departed Steve McClaren and his slowed down approach to Dutch football.  Marc Janko should prove to be more than an adequate replacement for the aging Blaise N’Kufo, who left for the Seattle Sounders.  The club also has high hopes for 22-year-old Emir Bajrami.  The biggest question surrounds goalscorer, Bryan Ruiz and whether he will be around all season to help defend the title?

Predicted finish: 3rd

Vitesse Arnhem:

Strapped by financial issues, Vitesse was forced to sell several of its regular first-team players.  Future national-team goalkeeper, Piet Velthuizen remains, for now.  Vitesse did manage to secure one player this summer, defender, Luca Caldirola, from Inter Milan.  While he will help Velthuizen and the rest of the defense, this team will struggle to score and ultimately fail to win matches.

Predicted finish: 16th

VVV Venlo:

Last season was a tale of two halfs for Venlo, with Japanese star Keisuke Honda and without him.  The Good Old surprised many in the first half, with Honda directing things, but fell apart after his transfer to CSKA Moskow.  Venlo enters the new campaign hoping to strike it rich again with some foreign imports, as players from Portugal, Nigeria and Japan have been brought in to compete for time.

Predicted finish: 11th

Willem II Tilburg:

Named after a former King to the country of the Netherlands, the Tricolores finished in a club-worst 17th place a year ago.  Sadly there is little to think that this season will be any better.  The addition of Yevgeniy Levchenko to the midfield will bring a calming presence, but the Ukrainian will need more help around him.  Avoiding relegation will be a success for this squad.

Predicted finish: 15th

A 2-0 victory against Feyenoord Rotterdam has the Dutch leaders one match away from its first title since its 1965 merger.  Blaise N’Kufo and Miroslav Stoch both tallied for Twente in comfortable win.

Now a point ahead of Ajax Amsterdam with a single remaining fixture on the season, Twente will look to make it two straight years that a “big three” team has failed to capture domestic glory.

But as simple as a victory over NAC may appear, Twente and its supporters should not forget that this same mid-table squad gave PSV Eindhoven its first loss and drew with Ajax as well.

Hoping for another strong NAC performance and Twente slip up, is Ajax.  A loss or draw by Twente coupled with an Ajax win at NEC Nijmegen will secure Amsterdam its 22nd championship.

Ajax made simple work of SC Heracles Almelo, with a 4-0 win at home.  A first-half brace from Siem de Jong set the home team on cruise control before the half-time whistle.  Marko Pantelic flicked in a 59th minute goal and saw a Martin Pieckenhagen save fall to him a yard away from the goal before doubling his total in the 64th minute.

Trying to salvage a poor end to the season, PSV, hosted FC Groningen. 

Three minutes into the match, Groningen’s Tim Matavz broke the deadlock with a blast from 12 yards out.

The hosts responded well with a lofting 20-yard shot from 17-year-old Zakaria Labyad, in the 25th minute.

The second-half was three minutes old when Balazs Dzudsak curled a free-kick from the far right, just outside the 18-yard box.  The well placed shot gave PSV the lead as it beat Groningen goalkeeper, Brian van Loo, to his near post.

With six minutes remaining, PSV was on the attack again when Labyad put the match out of reach with a tapper, as the match finished 3-1, to PSV. 

Moving into fourth place with a 3-0 victory, AZ Alkmaar now hold a slim one point lead for an automatic bid to Europa Leauge next season.

Sporting a new black and yellow third kit, AZ benefited from well balanced attack, receiving goals from Hector Morneo, Brett Holman and Mounir El Hamdaoui, respectfully.

FC Utrecht secured its Europa League playoff spot with a 3-0 win at Sparta Rotterdam. 

After a first-half goal by Jacob Lensky, Sparta had a chance to equalize just before the half, but Rydell Poepon’s penalty kick was saved by Michel Vorm. 

Utrecht striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel capped a half-field dribble run with a with a chip to the back post.  The visitors added some insurance when defender Erixon Danso cleaned up a Jacob Mulenga miss in the 75th minute, giving Utrecht the 3-0 win.

NAC, who will look to play spoiler against Twente, are holding on to a thread for their Europa League lives. 

A much needed fixture at SC Heerenveen slipped away with a 0-0 finish.

Heerenveen should have taken the points when Gerald Sibon was awarded a penalty kick in the 76th minute.  An ill-placed ball fell to the mit of NAC goalkeeper, Jelle ten Roulwelaar, as the draw was preserved.

The final week of the Eredivisie season will wait a week to commence as the Ajax will face Feyenoord Sunday for the Dutch Cup final. 

But two weeks from now the regular season champion will be decided.  The must see match will be Twente travelling to NAC.  The hosts have made winning in Rat Verlegh Stadion a difficult task and when seems to flounder it is on the road.  But NAC have struggled to score goals this month, as scoring on the Twente defense is tough enough.  NAC will make things interesting at home, but fall in a close 2-1 loss.

PSV narrowly escaped AZ with a 1-0 win in December at Philips Stadion.  But these two sides have been heading in opposite directions for the last few months.  This time AZ gets revenge with a 2-1 win to close out the season.

Panic struck the faces of the Eindhoven faithful when a 72nd minute quick free-kick by NAC Breda’s Tom van der Leegte found Robbert Schilder, who held off Marcellis, in route to the match-winning goal against PSV.

Replays later showed that the defender tripped without contact from Schilder. 

The win was much more than just an upset of the Eredivisie’s top club, as it also snapped a 32-game unbeaten streak in Eredivisie play.

Orlando Engelaar put PSV ahead early after a long run of play in the 18th minute and NAC’s Donny Gorter beat Andreas Isaksson in the 35th minute to equalize before Schilder’s second-half strike. 

The back and forth race for the top spot in the Netherlands took another turn after the PSV loss.

While many would have expected a more convincing win from Twente Enschede against the lowly RKC Waalwijk, a 69th minute goal from veteran midfielder Kenneth Perez was all that was needed in this match.

First-half goals from Bryan Ruiz and Douglas Franco were recalled by the side official for offsides.  Coach Steve McClaren’s half-time speech was cut short after the second-year coach met the officials on the pitch at the break to vehemently discuss his disagreement.

Twente finally reached the scoreboard when Perez met a Ruiz cross inside the six.  The 35-year-old’s goal did not come without a price, as Perez collided with RKC goalkeeper, Ohad Levita, calling for a substitution shortly thereafter.

The win now moves Twente into a two point lead over PSV for first place.  Still chasing the top spot, Ajax Amsterdam are now an achievable six points away from Twente.

A convincing 3-0 win at Sparta Rotterdam means the leagues most in-form squad still has a chance at the title, with a crucial home match against PSV coming this week.

Playing without league leading goal scorer, Luis Suarez, Ajax received first-half goals from Siem de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel, and Dennis Rommedahl tallied his fifth goal of the season at the hour mark to seal the comfortable victory.

After a mediocre month of February, Feyenoord Rotterdam are now winners of two straight.  The latest coming in the form of a 4-2 win at Roda JC Kerkrade.

Sekou Cisse’s brace gave the visitors a commanding lead, with goals in the 14th and 60th minutes, respectively.  Roda’s Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo cut the lead in half two minutes after Cisse’s second goal.

Luigi Bruins doubled the Feyenoord lead again in the 71st minute and veteran striker Roy McKaay put the match out of reach with his third goal of the season, in the 82nd minute.

An 85th minute goal from Roda defender Boldiszar Bodor was not enough as the match finished 4-2 to the visitors.

AZ Alkmaar continued its climb back up the Eredivisie table with a win over SC Heerenveen as it closes in on a secured Europa league spot. 

The away side of Heerenveen struck first with a 20th minute goal from Filip Djuricic. 

But the hosts would not be deterred as it would strike four consecutive goals en route to 4-1 finish.  Maarten Martens, Mounir El Hamdaoui, Jermain Lens and Brett Holman all recorded goals for AZ in the win.

Two goals from Willem II Tilburg’s Gerson Sheotahul were not enough to capture three points on the road against SC Heracles Almelo, losing 3-2.

An early goal from Darl Douglas set the tempo for Heracles.  After Sheotahul equalized in the 24th minute, Marko Veijnovic put the hosts ahead, two minutes before the break.

Everton Ramos da Silva doubled the lead for Heracles, his goal in the 50th minute turned out to be the eventual difference when Sheotahul notched his second impressive goal on the night, in the 66th minute.

Looking to recover from a 4-0 drudging last week at the feet of Ajax, FC Utrecht hosted NEC Nijmegen, in hopes of keeping its slim hold on a shot at Europa League next season.

Second-half substitute, Ricky van Wolfswinkel made the best of his cameo when he found the bottom corner of the goal in 85th minute.

The 21-year-old found plenty of open space from twenty yards out and beat NEC goalkeeper, Gabor Babos for the matches lone goal, as Utrecht won 1-0.

Week 27 in Eredivisie action offers the match that many have been waiting for.  PSV will look to prove that this weeks loss was just a fluke and the title is still theirs to lose or Ajax will make it two straight for the men of Eindhoven and make the this turn the championship hunt into a three team race.

Suarez will be rested for this match and Ajax seems to have learned from the inconsistency that plagued it during the first half of the season; while PSV is looking beat up down the stretch, Ajax wins at home, 3-1.

Feyenoord will host Heracles with strong Europa League implications on the line.  Experience wins out this time, as Feyenoords home record surpasses Heracles road efforts this season.  Feyenoord wins, 2-1.

Still undefeated:

There are not one, but two undefeated teams in the Netherlands this season.  Twente Enschede (15-2-0) and PSV Eindhoven (14-3-0) sit a top the table, having yet to concede defeat.  Both squads are five wins ahead of their respective totals at last seasons winter break.

Since Steve McClaren took over coaching duties at Twente, the club has risen in its yearly table positioning.  The former England national team boss has introduced a slower and more patient style of soccer, unlike most tradtitional Eredivisie teams.   But there are no lack of goals to speak of, while defensive numbers remain similar, Twente’s offensive output has improved.

Credit Bryan Ruiz for that.  The young Costa Rican forward is second in the league with 13 goals scored, four of which have been match-winners.

PSV, arguably the more talented of the two teams, boasts a powerful offense of its own.  Lead by midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, PSV has a plus 30-goal differential at the break.

Before AZ Alkmaar’s championship last year, “total football” reigned in the Netherlands, on the field and at the top of the table.  Twente must not only hold off PSV in the second-half of the season, but it must overcome a lack of championship experience.  PSV had won the previous four Eredivisie titles before AZ last season.

Along with Twente’s domestically-unestablished style of play and its lesser goal differential (+23), consensus would lean towards Twente being the first undefeated to fall.  Because of AZ’s success, Twente appears to have more of target on its back than PSV, due to its different style of play.  Twente is not far from a title, but for now, expect PSV to take the title this year.

The best team doesn’t always win:

One of the most sought after names in the upcoming January transfer window, a plus 38-goal differential and the national team starting goalkeeper; it all pertains to, currently third-place, Ajax Amsterdam.

Eredivisie-leading goal scorer, Luis Suarez, may be the late Christmas gift that many clubs (Chelsea and Manchester United, among others) are hoping for.  For now he is still in Amsterdam.  Suarez’s 18 goals have a large part to do with Ajax having the league’s largest goal differential at the winter break. 

Couple that with the likes of Marko Pantelic, Demy de Zeeuw and Urby Emanuelson, and Ajax has the most talent-laden side in the Netherlands.  But it also has three losses and a difficult nine-point gap from the top of the table.

While high-scoring matches have been common this season, and more exciting than results by Twente or PSV, Ajax has been inconsistent.  This is most noticeable in it’s star forward, Suarez. 

Eighteen goals is a noteworthy accomplishment at this point in the season, but when Ajax has found itself in must-win matches or against some of the tougher opponents in the Eredivisie, Suarez has been quiet.

Against the other top six teams on the table (let’s be honest; the Eredivisie is maybe only seven teams deep) Suarez only has five goals.  In losses versus Twente and FC Utrecht, Suarez has zero goals.  Eight of Suarez’s 18 goals have come against teams in the bottom half of the table.

There is talent after the top 3:

Mads Junker (Roda JC Kerkade) - This Danish striker goes into the winter break having scored in five straight matches, and having scored nine goals this season.  None of his Roda teammates have more than two goals.  As Junker goes, so will the success of Roda.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel (FC Utrecht)- The Dutch youngster is one the two most exciting prospects in Holland.  The 21-year-old striker has five goals this season, including a brace versus Twente in September.  Although his name was not found on the score sheet, van Wolfswinkel had several opportunities and was key player in the 2-0 upset of Ajax in December.

Bas Dost (SC Heracles Almelo) – The other promising young Dutch striker in the Eredivisie, Dost has eight goals at the winter break.  The 20-year-old striker has carried his team to a surprising fifth-place spot in the table.

Rob Van Dijk (Feyenoord Rotterdam)- The 40-year-old goalkeeper is still playing at a high level for Feyenoord.  With eight clean sheets this season, Van Dijk has been instrumental in the defensive success of Feyenoord and its fourth-place standing.

Eredivisie play will resume on January 17, when Ajax travels to NAC Breda.  Utrecht will also look to knock off Twente, as it hosts the table-toppers.

A trip inside the box by Utrecht’s Gianluca Nijholt, gave Vitessethe 1-0 lead as Lasse Nilsson converted the 27th minute penalty kick.  The visitors responded quickly with goals from Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Jacob Mulenga, to take a 2-1 at half.

But the inexperienced Utrecht side allowed an 89th minute goal by Vitesse midfielder Domingues De Souza Claudemir, after a back-heel pass from Paul Verhaegh, to tie the match at 2-2.

The draw leaves Utrecht four points behind forth-place Feyenoord Rotterdam.  Playing away at SC Heerenveen, the green shirts of Feyenoord were denied a goal for the first 67 minutes of the match thanks to several quality saves from goalkeeper Brian Vandenbussche.  That was until Kevin Hofland’s half-volley, after a Vandenbussche save, deflected off the keepers leg for the go-ahead goal. 

Veteran Danish forward Jon Dahl Tomasson capped off a magnificent display of passing by Feyenoord, when he flicked the ball over the head of Vandenbussche for the 82nd minute goal.  The goal made it 2-0 Feyenoord, as the match would finish with the same score.

After the victory, the top three teams in the table are still within sight for Feyenoord.

There has been an unusual amount of goals scored by coach Steve McClaren’s squad in it’s last two matches.  With four goals in the win versus NEC Nijmegen last week, the defensive minded Twente Enschede tallied another three at home against NAC Breda this week.  It was a total that could have easily been one higher if Blaise N’Kufo did not have his penalty kick saved. 

NAC would strike first with Edwin de Graaf’s fourth goal of the season in the 43rd minute.  Twente would get another opportunity from the penalty spot though, and Mirslav Stoch would convert this time, drawing the match even at one.  Nine minutes later, Stoch struck again, with a beautiful shot to the upper corner of the goal, giving Twente the 2-1 lead.  Bryan Ruiz would add an insurance goal in the 82nd minute, netting his thirteenth goal of the season.

Just as it has been for most of the season, PSV Eindhoven remains two points behind Twente.  PSV needed a late goal from Ola Toivonen to beat AZ Alkmaar, at home.  Toivonen, an 80th minute substitution into the match, headed in a cross from Erik Pieters, for the 86th minute match-winner.  Toivonen continues to be a great asset off the bench for PSV coach Fred Rutten, as the Swedish forward has now scored eight goals this season.

Behind PSV in the Eredivisie table sits, Ajax, looking to rebound after last weeks loss at Utrecht. 

Luis Suarez returned to his scoring form, as he broke the deadlock just before the half with a flick of the ball from insidethe six-yard box, giving Ajax the 1-0 lead at half of NEC.  Ajax would add two more goals in the second-half from two seldom used midfielders, in Siem De Jong and Mitchell Donald.  The match finished 3-0 and was the eighth shut-out of the season for goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

Next weeks must-see match will be Utrecht hosting Twente.  The young Utrecht team will look for another Ajax-type upset-win, but a veteran Twente squad has been superb on the road so far this season.  Utrecht isn’t there quit yet, expect McClaren’s squad to teach the youngsters at Utrecht a lesson or two.

The win keeps Ajax on the heels of PSV Eindhoven, who needed two second-half goals from Jonathan Reis and Balazs Dzsudzsak to defeat Sparta Rotterdam, 3-2.  Two goals from Sparta’s Rydell Poepon offset an early goal from Danko Lazovic, but were not enough to against an undefeated PSV squad.

The red and white shirts of Eindhoven are not only team that remains undefeated in the Eredivisie.  Twente Enschede sit atop the table with 41 points, two points ahead of second-place PSV.

Twente, without the services of midfielder Theo Janssen, went on the road to Willem II Tilburg and won 3-1.  First-half goals from Wout Brama and Mirslav Stoch were enough to negate a Willem penalty kick goal by Christophe Gregoire.  Team leading goal scorer and runner-up in the Eredivisie for goals scored, Bryan Ruiz, netted his eleventh goal of the season in the Twente victory.

Janssen, who had been a regular starter for Twente, was suspended on Monday for two months after being involved in a car crash under the influence of alcohol.

In Den Haag, Ron Vlaar’s header was all that Feyenoord Rotterdam would need in route to a 2-0 victory over the struggling ADO Den Haag.  Currently sitting in 16th place, ADO Den Haag has not won a match since an early September upset of AZ Alkmaar.

AZ were victors with a 2-0 win over VVV Venlo, Jermaine Lens and Brett Holman were the goal scorers in that match.

Even with the win, last years champions, AZ, are in sixth place with 25 points.  The club above them, quietly having a solid campaign is FC Utrecht.

Utrecht defeated NAC Breda 3-1 at home, without promising young forward, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, due to a coaches decision.  His replacement, Kevin Vandenbergh, gave Utrecht the lead in the 55th minute with a turn-around shot from inside the six.  Gianluca Nijholt’s beautiful free kick in the 59th minute was the match-winner for Utrecht after Matthew Amoah put Breda on the board a minute later.

Fifth-place Utrecht will now be involved in what will likely be the match of the week, when it hosts Ajax on Sunday.  With the current playing status of van Wolfswinkel in question, it will be difficult to keep up with the high-powered Ajax attack.

Defenders Urby Emanuelson and Greg Van Der Wiel both scored second-half goals for Ajax, while Luis Suarez, leading goal scorer in the Eredivisie this season, added to his total with two more goals.  Suarez now has 14 goals on the season.

Twente Enschede continued it marvelous unbeaten season as they cruised to a 4-0 victory over FC Groningen.  Midfielder Miroslav Stoch set the tone early with a strike from about 25-yards out in only the 5th minute of the match.  The dangerous combination of Bryan Ruiz and Blaise N’Kufo each netted  goals in the home victory.  Steve McClaren’s squad will have its have a real litmus test on its hands when they host Ajax in two weeks.  While the season has been impressive so far, a win at home versus Ajax would warrant attention on the world scale for The Reds of Twente.

Four seemed to be the lucky number atop the table this week.  PSV Eindhoven scored four goals on the road versus NEC Nijmegen.  The win came with relative ease as PSV found the back of the net all four times within the first 55 minutes of the match, allowing coach Fred Rutten to rest key players such as Ibrahim Afellay and Danko Lazovic for most of the second-half.

Remaining in the fourth spot in the table was Feyenoord Rotterdam with a 1-0 victory over VVV Venlo.  While the score line does not show it, Feyenoord dominated possession of the match, with the lone goal coming on a mishandled ball by Venlo goalkeeper Kevin Begois.

FC Utrecht rounds out the top five of the table, which appear to have separated themselves from the rest of the table.  Utrecht, lead by the promising young forward Ricky Von Wolfswinkel who scored the game winner in the 74th minute off a his first shot that ricochoted off the post, defeated Roda JC Kerkade, 2-1.

Looking to add their name to the top clubs in the Eredivisie is SC Heracles Almelo, which have won three out of its past four.  Heracles won 2-0 on the road versus Vitesse Arnhem. 

The key match ups for week 12 will be Ajax playing host to Feyenoord.  The visitors have struggled to score goals this season, while Suarez leads the high-scoring attack and Maarten Stekelenburg heads up the rejuvinated defense.

Heracles will look to continue its good form facing Utrecht at home, trying to narrow the gap between these fifth and sixth place teams.

Implementing a patience to go along with an already sound defense, McCaren’s squad has yet to fall in defeat this season.  Victories, under McClaren are slower and more methodical than the attacking styles of prototypical Dutch football.

Twente, who has never won the Eredivisie, now sit two points above second-place PSV Eindhoven.

It was touted as the possible match of the week, FC Utrecht hosting PSV, but neither side could find the back of the net in a 0-0 draw.  Although PSV was lucky to leave Standion Galgenwaard with a point, as Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Utrecht relentlessly attacked a PSV squad in poor form.

Ajax Amsterdam were no more inspiring in their 2-2 draw with bottom-of-the-table Roda JC Kerkrade.  Ajax needed two goals from Luis Suarez on the road, the latter of which came on a 20-yard free kick sent curling into the upper left corner of the goal.

With another two goals, Suarez continues to lead the Eredivisie in goals scored, also propelling Ajax to a league-high 27 goals scored this season.

Last years league champions AZ Alkmaar, found the win column after a winless month of September in league play.  AZ held on to defeat NAC Breda 1-0 at home, with a 30th minute strike from Jeremain Lens.

With a slew of international World Cup qualifiers set to take place this weekend, the Eredivisie will take a week off this upcoming weekend. League play will resume on the weekend of Oct. 17.  The key match then will take place in DSB Stadion, where AZ will host Twente in a match-up of last years champ versus this years current leader.  Look for a low-scoring match as two of the better coaches in the Eredivisie, Ronald Koeman and McClaren will face off.