De Treffers upset Heracles Almelo in KNVB Cup

Amateur club De Treffers secured a major upset in the KNVB Cup first round by defeating Keuken Kampioen Divisie leaders Heracles Almelo 1-0. The match, held at Sportpark Zuid in Groesbeek, was decided by a second-half goal from Sebastiaan van Bakel.

Heracles Almelo coach Vincent Heilmann opted to rotate his squad heavily, starting eight different players compared to the previous league match. De Treffers coach Theo Janssen noted that the decision to field a modified lineup motivated his players. The match shifted in the second half when Heracles player Ivan Borac received a second yellow card, leaving the visitors with ten men for the final half hour.

While Heilmann expressed regret over the exit, he maintained that his decision to rotate the squad was not a gamble and that the team remained the better side in many aspects of the game.