Substitutions

Martens skipped past one defender, then another. The crowd rose in anticipation. He slid a pass toward Altidore—

Chris: [Altidore! Can he turn?]

Altidore held off his marker, shifted the ball onto his right foot, and struck—

Blocked.

Again.

Rob: [Den Haag are throwing bodies in front of everything! AZ Alkmaar just can't find a way through!]

The ball ricocheted off a defender's shin and rolled toward Henriksen, who reacted quickly, hitting it first-time—

Over the bar.

A collective groan rippled through the stadium. Henriksen buried his face in his hands before jogging back into position.

Chris: [You can feel the frustration now. AZ Alkmaar have had all the ball, all the pressure, but still no breakthrough.]

Gertjan Verbeek had seen enough. He turned to the bench, waving for the changes.