AZ Alkmaar delivered a dominant performance to thrash NEC Nijmegen 5-1 in the Dutch Cup final, with Troy Parrott and Kees Smit at the heart of an emphatic victory.
The triumph marked AZ’s fifth title in the competition and secured their place in next season’s Europa League.
For NEC, however, it was another painful chapter, as they slumped to a sixth defeat in as many cup finals.
Played in Rotterdam, AZ took control early and were rewarded in the 32nd minute. Ro-Zangelo Daal surged into the box from the left before cutting the ball back for Mees de Wit, who calmly slotted home to give his side a deserved lead.
AZ continued to dictate proceedings, with Jordy Clasie rattling the crossbar from distance, while goalkeeper Jesper Cillessen was called into action to deny Elijah Dijkstra on the follow-up.
NEC’s best opportunity of the first half came when Noé Lebreton narrowly missed the target from Sami Ouaissa’s cross, but clear chances remained limited.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with AZ pressing for a second goal. That breakthrough arrived in the 67th minute when Kees Smit threaded a precise pass to Sven Mijnans, who showed composure to finish past Cillessen.
As NEC pushed forward in search of a response, they were caught on the counter.
Troy Parrott spotted Peer Koopmeiners making a run and delivered a perfectly weighted ball, allowing the midfielder to race through and delicately chip the goalkeeper, a moment of redemption after his costly error in last year’s final.
Koki Ogawa briefly lifted NEC’s spirits with a headed goal from a corner following a short interruption caused by crowd fireworks. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished.
Mijnans thought he had added another, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check.
AZ remained relentless, and deep into stoppage time, Smit capped his impressive display by cleverly lobbing Cillessen from the penalty spot area.
Parrott then completed the rout in the closing moments, firing home a rebound to seal a comprehensive victory and underline AZ Alkmaar’s superiority on the night.
