Van der Vaart's admiration: Weghorst's four goals help Twente crush Excelsior 9-0

It was, by any measure, a one-sided afternoon in Rotterdam. FC Twente travelled to Excelsior on Sunday and left with a 9-0 victory in the VriendenLoterij Eredivisie, the kind of scoreline that forces everyone to stop and take notice. The context matters. Excelsior played almost the entire match with ten men after Nesto Groen was sent off, and against a side a man short, Twente showed no mercy whatsoever. From the first goal to the last, they kept their composure and their precision. At the heart of it all was Wout Weghorst. The Twente striker scored four times, his name attached to the 0-1, the 0-2, the 0-3 and the 0-7. This was not merely a goalscorer's afternoon; he was the focal point of everything Twente did going forward, and Excelsior's defence had no answer to his movement or his physical presence. Rafael van der Vaart watched it all with real delight. Speaking on Studio Sport, the former Netherlands international said: “This afternoon was truly unique. I saw goals from him that looked like Bergkamp and Van Basten goals. He was absolutely fantastic. You have to be able to say that.” He was equally honest about the broader perception of Weghorst. “Of course, a lot of people find him irritating. I was one of them too. But everything came off today. Everything was beautiful. I really enjoyed it.” Weghorst was not the only standout. Sondre Ørjasæter provided five assists, a feat no player had managed in an Eredivisie match this century. “Madness,” said Imke Courtois. “I think he's a very good player anyway. Mainly because he can play so easily with both his left and right foot. He can go around the outside or cut inside. He's also very quick over his first few metres, and he keeps his head up.” Van der Vaart agreed with that assessment, though his enthusiasm carried a note of regret. “I enjoy watching him too. It was all perfect,” he said. “But I have to say that seeing a 9-0 scoreline in the Eredivisie makes me a little sad. To get a red card and then give it away like that is a bit bad for the league.” Still, he was quick to credit the winners. “But Twente simply have a good team. They can get the job done against ten men,” he added. “But it was Weghorst I enjoyed watching most of all.”