Dutch Women’s Gold Cup Round 2: Amsterdam Hit Nine, Hurley Hit Six, Three Ties Go to Shootouts
Cup nights in the Netherlands don’t do gentle. Round 2 of the women’s Gold Cup produced 14 ties, 60-odd goals, three shootouts and a couple of proper hidings.
The biggest statement came from Amsterdam, who put nine past AthenA in a 9-1 rout. Hurley weren’t far behind, winning 6-1 away at Myra. When the big clubs smell blood in the cup, they don’t tend to let up.
The tight ones went the distance. Almere and Bully finished 2-2, Schaerweijde and Gooische finished 4-4, Leiden and HGC finished 4-4, and in each case the asterisked side — Almere, Gooische, Leiden — went through, the cup’s usual mark of a shootout win. Fine margins, and exactly what the early cup rounds are for.
Elsewhere: Pinoké won 4-0 at Zwolle, Bloemendaal edged HBS 3-2, Leonidas beat Victoria 3-1, Ring Pass won 1-0 at Klein Zwitserland, HDM won 3-0 at Cartouche, Push beat Were Di 4-2, Tilburg won 5-2 at Voordaan, Delta Venlo won 2-1 at Nieuwegein, and Nijmegen won 1-0 at HCAS.
Why it matters
The Gold Cup is the Netherlands’ national knockout, the one competition where the whole pyramid collides. For the Hoofdklasse giants, it’s a trophy in its own right and a midweek sharpener. For the smaller clubs, it’s the night they get to test themselves against the best — and occasionally, the night they become the story.
Round 2 didn’t produce the giant-killing. But three shootouts and a 9-1 suggest the next round might be worth watching.
Related: Hoofdklasse women Round 6 preview, Netherlands women training group, Leagues.
