Go Ahead Eagles are cup winners: Football fairytale ends 92-year drought

After a successful past, things have been quiet for a long time for Go Ahead Eagles Deventer. But this cup season, the football club caused a sensation, winning in a dramatic final. It's their first title in a long time.

Go Ahead Eagles Deventer has caused a Dutch football sensation, crowning themselves cup winners for the first time. In a dramatic final, the underdog triumphed 4-2 on penalties against favored AZ Alkmaar. After extra time, the score was 1-1 (1-1, 0-0). Go Ahead Eagles Deventer last won a trophy 92 years ago—back then, the Dutch championship.

In front of 51,177 fans, Alkmaar dominated the game, but needed two penalties to take the lead. Following a foul, AZ striker Troy Parrott initially missed a shot on Deventer goalkeeper Jari De Busser. However, because the latter had illegally left the line too early, Parrott was given another chance – and scored (54').

The Go Ahead Eagles, led by German central defender Gerrit Nauber, subsequently had two dangerous chances, but Sören Tengstedt (82') and Oscar Pettersson (90'+6') initially missed the chance to fire in a late lucky punch. Then Alkmaar's Teun Koopmeiners handballed the ball in the penalty area, and Mats Deijl held his nerve to force extra time (90'+9'). The final decision, however, came in the penalty shootout, in which De Busser emerged as the hero with two saves.

Deventer last won the Dutch championship in 1933. They had previously won the title four times. After some turbulent years, they won the Dutch second division in 1959. They had a chance to win the Dutch Cup once before: in 1965, but lost the final to Feyenoord Rotterdam. On their way to this year's final, they also eliminated FC Twente, among others. The search engine Google honored their title win with its own animation.