ADO Den Haag Women 1-2 De Graafschap (W): Pre-Season Friendly Report

ADO Den Haag Women kicked off their August pre-season schedule with a narrow 1-2 defeat at home to De Graafschap (W) on 2 August 2026. The friendly, part of the International Club Friendly calendar, saw the visitors from Doetinchem produce a composed display and secure a hard-fought win in front of what was a useful early-season test for both Dutch women’s sides.

Match Overview

With both teams still building sharpness ahead of their respective league campaigns, the tempo was understandably uneven. ADO Den Haag controlled much of the possession early on, but it was De Graafschap who struck first, punishing a momentary lapse in the home defence. The Hague side responded well and levelled before the interval, only for the away team to regain the lead after the restart and hold on through a scrappy final phase.

The result hands De Graafschap a confidence boost, while ADO Den Haag will take positives from their attacking play but will be concerned by the defensive mistakes that proved decisive on the day.

Key Moments

• De Graafschap opener: A quick counter-attack caught ADO’s high line napping, and a clinical low finish gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half.
• ADO equaliser: The home side’s pressure finally told when a well-worked move down the right wing was turned in from close range to level the score before the break.
• Winning goal: De Graafschap reasserted themselves shortly after the hour mark, capitalising on a rebound inside the box to restore their advantage.
• Late resistance: ADO pushed for a second equaliser in the final ten minutes, but the De Graafschap goalkeeper produced two solid saves to secure the friendly win.

Tactical Story

ADO Den Haag looked to build from the back and dominate through midfield, but their aggressive defensive line left space in behind, which De Graafschap exploited with direct running and early passes. The away side sat deeper after taking the lead and relied on organisation and quick transitions, a strategy that proved successful against a team still fine-tuning its positional discipline.

For ADO, the friendly highlighted the need for better balance between attacking intent and defensive stability. Their equaliser came from patient build-up, but the repeated loss of possession in their own half will be a talking point for the coaching staff ahead of their next warm-up fixture.

Standout Players

De Graafschap’s matchwinner was lively throughout, combining well with midfield runners and always looking dangerous on the break. On the home side, the goalscorer stood out with sharp movement in the box, while the goalkeeper made a string of fine saves in the second half to keep the margin at one.

Looking Ahead

For ADO Den Haag Women, this friendly serves as an important checkpoint in their pre-season preparations. The team will look to tighten up conceding chances from open play as they continue to build fitness and understanding. De Graafschap (W), meanwhile, will take considerable encouragement from the victory, particularly the defensive resilience shown against a higher-profile opponent.

With the result now recorded in the International Club Friendly series, both clubs will move on to their next fixtures with clear areas of focus as the new season approaches.