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.