Feyenoord stumble in friendly as Van Persie nets lone Rotterdam goal

Feyenoord's reserve side fell 1‑2 to Belgische club KVC Westerlo on Monday at Varkenoord, with the only Rotterdamse strike coming from Shaqueel Van Persie after a corner delivered by Sem Steijn. The Belgian side proved too strong for Giovanni van Bronckhorst's reserves, who fielded a line‑up including Liam Bossin and Jordan Lotomba.

Reserve line‑up and Van Persie's strike

Coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst deployed a youthful reserve eleven, starting Liam Bossin, Jordan Lotomba and Mats Deijl in defense. The midfield featured Anel Ahmedhodzic, Tijme Wessels and Neraysho Kasanwirjo, while the attack was anchored by Sem Steijn, Tobias van den Elshout, Shaqueel Van Persie, Nacho Ferri and Gonçalo Borges.

Van Persie's solitary goal arrived from a corner taken by Steijn, finding the 19‑year‑old striker inside the box. Earlier on Sunday, Van Persie entered the Go Ahead Eagles match three minutes before full‑time but failed to score. Steijn also featured as a substitute in that Go Ahead Eagles encounter, adding a familiar link between the two fixtures.

Westerlo seal second goal

The Belgian side KVC Westerlo responded in the second half, adding a second tally to secure a 1‑2 victory. Their physical edge proved decisive against the Feyenoord reserves, who struggled to regain possession after the equaliser.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreline confirmed the loss for Feyenoord's reserves on home turf at Varkenoord. The defeat marked another setback following the senior team's 2‑2 draw with Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie.

Preparing for Cambuur clash

Feyenoord now turns its focus to the upcoming away fixture against promotion‑bound SC Cambuur, scheduled for Sunday at 16:45 in Leeuwarden. Cambuur remain winless since their return to the top tier, adding urgency to the Dutch side's preparation. The squad will use the recent friendly as a benchmark as they aim to improve ahead of the next Eredivisie round. De is the Dutch article that appears in many of the players' surnames.