Feyenoord Suffers Defeat Despite Van Persie Jr Goal

Behind closed doors and away from any fanfare, Feyenoord’s reserves slipped to a 2-1 defeat against Belgian side KVC Westerlo on Monday, wasting an early strike from Shaqueel van Persie.

The youngster, son of club legend Robin van Persie, provided the brightest moment of the afternoon. He reacted quickest to a Sem Steijn corner, darted into space and finished sharply to put the Rotterdam side in front. It was the sort of instinctive touch that will only fuel the growing interest around his development.

The lead did not last.

Westerlo found their equaliser before the interval and gradually wrestled control of the friendly, turning the match around after the break. With the stands empty and the tempo lower than a league outing, the game still carried an edge for players chasing minutes and rhythm.

Feyenoord fielded the men who had started on the bench in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Go Ahead Eagles. On the touchline, it was Sipke Hulshoff and Saïd Bakkati directing operations, while Giovanni van Bronckhorst watched his assistants manage proceedings.

Changes came early in the second half. Casper Tengstedt and Jivayno Zinhagel replaced Van Persie and Jordan Lotomba, fresh legs sent on to chase the game. Around the hour mark, Luka Ivanusec entered on the right flank in place of Gonçalo Borges, adding senior quality to the wide areas.

The pressure late on belonged to Feyenoord. Tengstedt carved out two promising chances to level the score, twice finding room, twice unable to apply the finish that would have salvaged a draw. Each miss underlined the fine margins of a low-key but competitive workout.

Westerlo held firm. Feyenoord walked off with a narrow defeat and a reminder that even training-ground fixtures can sting.

Now the friendly is done, the focus snaps back to the Vriendenloterij Eredivisie. After dropping costly points in Deventer against Go Ahead Eagles, Feyenoord head to promoted SC Cambuur on Sunday. Their hosts are still searching for their first point of the season after two rounds.

For a team with title ambitions, anything less than a ruthless response in Leeuwarden will raise the volume around Rotterdam.