BEFC continued their foray into division 1 with a rainy late kick off against BFC, who they had played in last season's FJC Cup. The wet conditions made smooth passing difficult and opened up the premise of forced errors making the difference. With this in mind both sides began playing no nonsense balls until they could get a handle on the game.
It was BEFC who began to dominate slowly, after containing the BFC attack and then easing on the attacking pressure. A goal was coming and 5 minutes from time it was rightly deserved as a cross into the box was scrambled clear but only as far as the edge of the box, where the perfectly positioned Timothy Witvliet was right on cue to smash the ball into the bottom left corner. Much jubilation ensued as BEFC rightly felt they deserved the lead, and maybe there was something there that triggered what BEFC would then rather forget.

Immediately afterwards BEFC continued to apply the pressure, perhaps a little too much as a lost ball on the right wing left BEFC in limbo as the BFC striker sped free into acres of space down the line. Dashing back the covering BEFC defence were unable to reshape quick enough, which allowed BFC to drop a cross onto the back post between the full back and center back, for their attacker to chest the ball down and shoot on the turn. It was a great ball and finish, but also made possible by being caught on the counter.
If things couldn't get any worse the momentum then changed with BFC seeing a way to threaten BEFC and they very quickly won another corner, exploiting space behind the back line. Using a screen their target man found his way to the front post unchallenged to put BEFC down 1 - 2.

BEFC's response was as some put to 'panic' but in the sense of rushing forward looking for the equaliser rather than staying calm, tightening up and waiting for their chance. This high risk strategy can pay off, but leaving huge areas of space behind the back line was something that maybe in division 2 you can get away with, but in division 1 you will get punished, and punished they were. The following goals pretty much followed the same pattern of BFC sitting back, BEFC attacking, losing possession and being exposed on the counter attack. Three of the final goals were pratically 1 vs 1s against the keeper (with a pursuing defender).

There were plenty of things to unravel in this match as to where things went to pieces right after BEFC scored the first goal. Because despite the scoreline it was a match mostly dominated by BEFC in BFC's half. Some players later said they felt there was a lack of intensity and passion compared to the previous matches, and by comparison it felt that way.

However one player who could not be accused of lacking passion was Timothy Witvliet. Putting in a trademark bossing in midfield, Witvliet was ever present in the challenges and running down of BFC players who tried to work they way through the middle of the pitch. Not only leading by example Witvliet continued to motivate and marshall his team mates, keeping everything positive and encouraging everyone to up their fight as well as communicate with players into keeping the team's shape and working as a unit. His own position was spot on and that match awareness to be in the right place lined him up perfectly to slay in the opening goal.

For his strong performance, drive, high level of positive communication to his team mates and match awareness, Timothy Witvliet is the Adecco BEFC Most Valuable Player against BFC.