The Eredivisie in the Netherlands has been a breeding ground for many magnificent footballers. Ajax are renowned as being one of the great developers of young footballers for a period of around 50 years. Players who went from Dutch football to becoming global superstars. Bergkamp, van Basten and Cruyff. Kluivert, Seedorf and Krol. Rijkaard, Sneijder and Davids. Not only did Ajax create their own they polished foreign imports. Luis Suarez became a star at Ajax and in the Eredivisie. Ronaldo became a phenomenon at PSV as did Romario before him.
On 7th October 2007 the Eredivisie saw a performance that surpassed all of these legendary figures.
Dutch football is dominated by the big three of Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. These clubs dominate off the field as well as on it. Any player who performs to a high level for a club outside of that trio is highly likely to be signed by one of them, their spending power a long way beyond those around them. Klaus-Jan Huntelaar scored sixteen times for Heerenveen during the 2004/5 season. Half way through the 2005/6 season Huntelaar had seventeen goals. Ajax paid nine million Euro to sign Huntelaar in January (he would score sixteen for Ajax), leaving Heerenveen flush with funds and in the market for a striker.
The scouts settled on a Brazilian striker playing in Sweden for Malmo. In Summer 2006 Alves was in his fifth season of Swedish football. He had been a consistent goal scorer, with a lowest tally of ten and a high of fourteen. Heerenveen plucked Alves away from Malmo after just seven games of the Swedish 2006 season.
The signing proved to be inspired. Alves scored thirty-four league goals. Heerenveen finished fifth. Alves began with a crisp low half volley from right to left across the goalkeeper at Den Haag. The strike of a clinical goal scorer. The goals flowed continuously and with brilliant variation. As though Alves had a check list of goals to work through.
Long range free kick. Check.
Hip swerving solo run. Check.
Calm pass beyond the advancing goal keeper. Check. Check. Check.
Touch and lob. Check.
One touch finish. Check.
Text book downward header. Check.
Round the goalkeeper. Check.
Poacher’s tap in. Check.
Volley. Check.
Alves scored five hat tricks that season. On the final day of the season Heerenveen played Dutch giants Feyenoord. Four Alves strikes later and Heerenveen have seen them off 5-1 to finish two points above Feyenoord. Alves first goal of the game is a stunning 35 yard free kick struck with the type of venom and swerve that would have made Eder, Zico and Roberto Carlos swell with pride. Top left corner sought and found.
For his second goal Alves controls a long ball from the right to left. Alves touch takes him to six yards from the touch line just inside the left edge of the box. Alves is one on one with the last defender, the penalty area vacant bar the goalkeeper. With the outside of his right foot Alves pushes the ball inside the defender towards the six yard box. His acceleration moves beyond the defender. Attackers and defenders flood into the box but Alves is not interested in them. Alves is only interested in a powerful strike from the edge of the six yard box ripped into the roof of the net above the goalkeeper’s left hand.
Alves completes his hat trick with a penalty into the bottom left corner but he has one more to come. A second free kick of the game. Closer this time, 25 yards out and positioned outside of the left hand post. Alves goes for power goalkeeper’s side of the wall. The shot starts outside the posts and fades back in, past a flying goalkeeper and just inside the right hand post. A signature performance to end the season.
It was the second coming of Ronaldo. The return of Romario. Dutch football had once again found the next great Brazilian striker. Real Madrid and Inter Milan had Alves in their sights. Rumours swirled. How could Heerenveen keep this stunning talent? This future Balon d’Or winner? Heerenveen surely would collect a huge transfer fee.
No bid came in. Alves missed the first five games of Heerenveen’s season. In game six he started against Feyenoord. At half time Alves was withdrawn and Heerenveen lost 2-0.
Then came October 7th.
Ajax was a legendary name before Dutch football. A great warrior in the storied Trojan war. He fought with great sword and shield, leaping from ship to ship to keep hold off the entire Trojan fleet single handed. When AFC Ajax formed in 1900 they formed with a great warrior’s name and had a great warriors success
Following this trend how can you top the greatest of the Greek warriors? By naming your club after the son of Zeus, Heracles (or Hercules). Heracles immense achievements and adventures are the stories of legend. In 1903 Heracles formed, changing their name to SC Heracles before becoming Heracles Almelo. Unfortunately, the effect of choosing a strong name has not been as effective for Heracles as it has for Ajax.
When Heerenveen played Heracles on October 7th 2007 the spirit of the great hero was absent for Heracles. Instead it flowed through Afonso Alves.
Ten minutes in to the match one low pass threaded through the retreating Heracles defence. Afonso Alves ran onto the pass. His first touch with his right foot took him from five yards outside the penalty area in on the advancing goalkeeper. Alves steadied himself to caress a low right foot finish across goal but the effort was smothered. Unfortunately for Heracles the ball broke into Alves’ stride with an empty goal in front of him.
One.
Five minutes later Heerenveen had a freekick 30 yards from goal. Only one player is ever going to take it. The line of the free kick is to the left of the penalty spot. The wall is lined up to protect the left side of the goal with the goalkeeper covering the right side. Alves picks his spot. Striking with the power we have now become accustomed to. The ball is goalkeeper’s side but hardly moves.
Two.
Alves only has to wait another two minutes to complete his hat trick. A long ball lofted forward into the channel between the right central defender and right back. The centre back has it covered but he has not seen Alves behind him. Poor chest control allows Alves to pinch the ball and run in on goal one against one with the goalkeeper. Alves opens his body out in the manner of Thierry Henry to guide the ball into the far bottom corner.
Three.
Alves then took a break. It would not be until the 68th minute that he would score again. Receiving the ball a few yards outside the Heracles penalty area he skips around a challenge, then a fake shot forces another defender to raise his leg and show Alves his back. Alves slides round the defender and into the area, moving ever more from left to right of goal. The goalkeeper moves forward but Alves shoots low and early, through the legs and into the middle of the goal.
Four.
From the Heerenveen left a cross is fizzed in right footed. The ball skips, bounces and swerves across the penalty area as defenders stand statuesque, watching the ball pass them by. Alves is not standing still and meets the ball, completely unmarked in the middle of the six yard box. A raised right foot guides in another goal.
Five.
A low pass puts Suljamani away on the left side of the box. As the goalkeeper rushes forwad Suljameni slides a left foot pass square. There is Alves between the penalty spot and the six yard box. He takes a touch with his right foot and has enough time to look around. No defenders are close. Alves decides he doesn’t need a second touch and watches the ball spin forwards across the line. Seventy four minutes have passed.
Six.
Out on the left Heerenveen have a free kick. The wall is not back far enough. Alves is moving towards the near post with no defender close enough to put a hand on him. The score is 7-0 in the 77th minute on the 7th of October and Alves is about to score his seventh. The free kick is flighted in and Alves throws his body at the ball as two defenders react. They can not prevent Alves getting a touch to force in his record breaking goal.
Seven.
Alves’ Heerenveen career had peaked. Arguably his whole career peaked. Four more goals would follow for Heerenveen before signing for Middlesbrough in January 2008. Not Real Madrid, not Barcelona, not Inter, but Middlesbrough. The fee was twenty million Euro.
Alfonso Alves was greeted by Samba dancers, Brazilian flags and a frenzy of excitement. While Europe’s footballing giants no longer believed Alves to be the second coming the Middlesbrough fans did. It was not until April that Alves hit those heights with two goals at home to Manchester United. A neat left foot finish one on one with van der Sar, one from the dink category, followed by the open the body, curved, Thierry Henry style finish.
Alves only scored one more that season before the final day. An extraordinary game against Sven Goran-Eriksen’s Manchester City. Alves struck his first after Roechemback followed a tidy dribble with a precise reverse pass. From close to the penalty spot Alves stroked home a low left foot finish. Alves was then set through an absent Manchester City defence. His finish one on one was not the tidiest, striking the elbow of the goalkeeper before finding the corner. Late in the game Manchester City carelessly concede possession close to their own area. Two passes later the ball comes to an unmarked Alves on the penalty spot. This time the right foot finish completed another final day hat trick and completed an 8-1 victory. Middlesbrough started to believe once again that they had the next great Brazilian striker.
That hope dissolved in the 2008/9 season. Alves played 35 games in all competitions. His goal total was seven. As many as he scored in that one Heracles match. Middlesbrough were relegated, and Alves moved to Al-Sadd in Qatar.
The record Eredivisie haul and a 34 goal league season will always be Alves great legacy. He will also always exist as an allegorical and cautionary tale when signing a forward from the Eredivisie.
Will he be the next Ronaldo or the next Afonso Alves?
Will he be the next Ruud van Nistelrooy or will he be the next Afonso Alves?
Will he be the next Luis Suarez or will he be the next Afonso Alves?
None those players ever had a day like October 7th 2007.