Tactical Analysis · Groningen
Vaessen Turned Groningen's Goalkeeper Into an Attacking Position
Etienne Vaessen helped create Groningen's first three goals in a 4-1 win at ADO. His distribution can become a system if it survives opponents prepared for it.
The attack began farther back than ADO expected
Groningen beat promoted ADO Den Haag 4-1 on Sunday for a second win in two Eredivisie matches. The striking detail was not only the margin. Goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen was involved in the first three goals, repeatedly turning distribution into immediate attack before ADO could establish its defensive shape.
NOS reported that Groningen produced six shots on target inside the first 35 minutes. That volume came from more than loose defending. Vaessen's early passing changed the starting point of possession: instead of asking midfielders to build through a settled block, Groningen attacked the space created while ADO were still moving forward.
The goalkeeper now has four Eredivisie assists in his career, a total surpassed among keepers only by Gábor Babos in the competition's recorded history. The number is a curiosity. The repeatable value lies underneath it. Vaessen is not stealing a creative role from the outfielders; he is giving their runs an earlier clock.
A long pass becomes a plan when the next touch is shared
Direct distribution is sometimes treated as the opposite of sophisticated possession. Groningen showed why that distinction is lazy. A goalkeeper's driven pass can be highly structured if the forward pins a defender, the wide runner attacks the blind side and a midfielder arrives where the second ball is most likely to fall.
Vaessen's delivery matters because it reaches those movements before the opponent can retreat. The receiver does not need to win every first contact cleanly. He needs to make the contest predictable for teammates. When Groningen secure the next touch, the defense is facing its own goal and the attack begins with momentum instead of congestion.
That mechanism also gives shorter buildup more space later. Opponents who leave two defenders deeper to protect the channel cannot press Vaessen with the same numbers. The goalkeeper's range therefore creates value even when he chooses a simple pass. The threat rearranges the field before the ball has left his foot.
Two wins do not make the solution universal
The obvious caution is that ADO are newly promoted and defended the early phase poorly. Groningen have played only two league matches, and being level with AZ at the top in August carries no serious title meaning. A spectacular afternoon can encourage a mechanism without proving that every opponent will permit it.
Prepared teams will drop a fullback earlier, block Vaessen's preferred angle or allow the initial pass while overwhelming the landing zone. They may also invite him to play long by removing Groningen's shorter options. The next stage is not repeating the same delivery more loudly. It is recognizing which space the opponent has conceded to prevent it.
That is where Vaessen's role becomes genuinely creative. If the direct route pulls a winger deeper, he should release a center back into midfield. If a striker screens the central pass, the fullback should receive with time. Distribution should remain a decision tree, with the memorable assist as one branch rather than the whole identity.
Repeatability will separate a fast start from a feature
Groningen's opening has earned attention because the team look decisive, not merely fortunate. Four goals at ADO and two victories provide early evidence that the attacking movements are connected. The danger is allowing the novelty of a goalkeeping playmaker to obscure the work required after opponents study the film.
The coaching test is measurable. Do runners continue to move with the same conviction when the first two passes are intercepted? Can the midfield win enough second balls to keep direct play from becoming surrender? Does Vaessen change height and pace rather than searching for a highlight with every restart? Those answers will determine whether the idea travels.
Vaessen gave Groningen an attacking advantage from the position opponents usually allow to have the ball. That is clever football, and it deserves more respect than a quirky statistical note. The season will become interesting if Groningen can keep the goalkeeper central to the attack while making his most dangerous choice impossible to predict. The supporting runs, rather than the assist column, will reveal whether that advantage has become durable.
2026-2027 season
Eredivisie standings
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  AZ Alkmaar |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +7 | 9 | W W W |
| 2 |  PSV Eindhoven |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +5 | 7 | W W D |
| 3 |  Go Ahead Eagles |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +5 | 7 | W D W |
| 4 |  Feyenoord |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +4 | 7 | W D W |
| 5 |  Groningen |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | L W W |
| 6 |  Ajax |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | +2 | 4 | D W |
| 7 |  Sparta Rotterdam |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 4 | D W L |
| 8 |  Fortuna Sittard |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | L W D |
| 9 |  Heerenveen |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 | L D W |
| 10 |  Excelsior |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +3 | 3 | L W |
| 11 |  NEC Nijmegen |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 3 | W L |
| 12 |  Twente |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 3 | W L |
| 13 |  Telstar |
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 3 | L W |
| 14 |  PEC Zwolle |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 | W L L |
| 15 |  Utrecht |
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -4 | 1 | D L L |
| 16 |  Willem II |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -6 | 0 | L L |
| 17 |  ADO Den Haag |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -7 | 0 | L L L |
| 18 |  Cambuur |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -9 | 0 | L L L |
