Rotterdam deadly on own pitch and have club record in sight

Rotterdam's goal-scoring machine was again at full speed last weekend. In the home game with Schaerweijde it was 5-1, with striker Guus Jansen scoring twice. This brought his season total to ten goals. Jansen thus improved his personal record from the previous season, when he stuck to nine league goals.

Defender Pepijn van der Heijden also made a notable contribution to Rotterdam's production. With ten goals in home games, he is the most scoring player in the Hoofdklasse this season. No player has scored more goals in home matches than the Oranje international.

Club record up for grabs
With the 45 home goals, a club record is also in sight. The Rotterdam record stands at 47 goals and dates back to the 2011-2012 season. With three home games left to play, it is only a matter of time before that number is tightened.

The overall premier league record is a lot further away for now. That has stood for over forty years in the name of Klein Zwitserland, who scored 84 (!) home goals in the 1980-81 season. Other historic seasons - such as those of Klein Zwitserland (66 goals in 1981-1982), Bloemendaal (63 in 1999-2000 and 60 in 2006-2007) and Amsterdam (59 in 1994-1995) - are also still out of reach.

It is remarkable that Rotterdam scored so easily on their own pitch this season, in the first year without club icon Jeroen Hertzberger. The goalscorer and all-time top scorer in the Hoofdklasse was the face of the Rotterdam attack for years, but his departure does not seem to have slowed down the team's production for the time being.

Het algehele hoofdklasserecord is voorlopig nog een stuk verder weg. Dat staat al ruim veertig jaar op naam van Klein Zwitserland, dat in het seizoen 1980-1981 84 (!) thuisdoelpunten maakte. Ook andere historische seizoenen – zoals van Klein Zwitserland (66 goals in 1981-1982), Bloemendaal (63 in 1999-2000 en 60 in 2006-2007) en Amsterdam (59 in 1994-1995) – liggen nog buiten bereik.

Opvallend is dat Rotterdam juist dit seizoen zo makkelijk scoort op eigen veld, in het eerste jaar zónder clubicoon Jeroen Hertzberger. De goalgetter en topscorer aller tijden van de Hoofdklasse was jarenlang het gezicht van de Rotterdamse aanval, maar zijn vertrek lijkt de productie van de ploeg vooralsnog niet te hebben afgeremd.