Women's Pinoké on threshold of first ever play-offs

With three rounds of play to go, Pinoké occupies third place in the league table with forty points. That is seven more than number five Kampong, which still has a theoretical chance of reaching the play-offs. Kampong plays Sunday at home against Amsterdam, the number four in the rankings with 38 points.

If Kampong fails to win against Amsterdam, participation in the play-offs is already a fact for coach Daan Sabel's team (pictured), regardless of the Steekneuzen' own result in their home duel with leaders Den Bosch.

In the event of a draw by Kampong, that team can never again leapfrog Pinoké in the standings, as the Steekneuzen will always finish above the Utrechters in the event of a tie, due to the difference in the number of matches won. If Kampong loses to Amsterdam, the division of the last two tickets for the play-offs will be final: they will go to Pinoké and Amsterdam.

Matla's sledgehammer blows

If Pinoké does not want its chances of a historic Sunday afternoon to depend entirely on the game in Utrecht, the team will have to deal with Frédérique Matla, among others, in the top match against Den Bosch. The striker of the Bosschenaren is considered the executioner of the team from Amstelveen.

The numbers are downright impressive. Since her debut in the Hoofdklasse in season 2012-2013, no other player has made things as difficult for Pinoké as Matla. The Stekneuzen have already collected 27 goals from Den Bosch's high-scoring striker. Against no other team did Matla score as many times in her career.

• Most league goals against Pinoké since 2012-2013
  
  27 goals - Frédérique Matla (Den Bosch)
  17 goals - Yibbi Jansen (Oranje-Rood, SCHC)
  15 goals - Maartje Paumen (Den Bosch)
  15 goals - Caia van Maasakker (SCHC)
  11 goals - Ginella Zerbo (SCHC)
  9 goals - Michelle Fillet (Kampomg, Amsterdam)
  9 goals - Ellen Hoog (Amsterdam)

Thirteen goals in a row
As if it is an unwritten tradition, she scored in all the last thirteen meetings with the Amstelveners, a series that can be extended on Sunday. The Amsterdamse Bos in particular has often been the scene of Matla's goal-scoring demonstrations: no fewer than fifteen times she has let the board vibrate or the net bulge there, also an unrivalled number.

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More than six years ago, on 9 December 2019, Matla put the absolute crown on her work when she accounted for seven of the eight Bosch goals during a historic 0-8 win by Den Bosch over Pinoké: the Brabanders' biggest ever away win against the Stekneuzen.

Partly due to Matla's scoring prowess, Pinoké have failed to achieve an appealing result against Den Bosch for years. Indeed, the Amstelveners have never won a league game against the record champion: 47 matches between them resulted in 46 (!) wins for Den Bosch and one draw (0-0 in Amstelveen on 7 October 2007).

Read the preview of all matches of the 20th round in the Tulp Hoofdklasse here.