Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle | Netherlands)

Epic, just epic.

The first person who says he should move to an EPL club had better dunk their head in the nearest dunny.

To think if he was in England he'd be stuck playing under 21s. Get out now Tim Payne

Wow just wow, great performance. This kid is going somewhere

This kid is already somewhere.

Hope they start looking for the next Ryan Thomas too. Imagine if someone like Tyler Boyd ended up in Holland.

Just got back from Rotterdam. Wonderful game by Zwolle, outstanding play by Ryan.
Words can not describe the party that is going on here.

Wow, what a fantastic & unexpected result.

Awesome news Wood in the EPL next season, Thomas Killing it in Holland national team is on the way up.

What an amazing debut season.

Wow!

What a huge upset result and great performance from Ryan.

Extended (seven minutes) highlights:

http://livefootballvideo.com/highlights/netherlands/knvb-beker/pec-zwolle-vs-ajax-2

PEC players receive the Cup and winners' medals:

http://www.voetbalonline.nl/item/22357/VIDEO:-Huldiging-PEC-bij-KNVB-Beker

Ryan has a NZ flag around his waist!

Ryan on the left with his NZ flag. 

So much drama surrounding this game: PEC's management threatened to walk off early on after massive amounts of flares were thrown on to the field early on - played on only under protest. Thirty-three Ajax supporters arrested for throwing flares and drunkenness.

Looks like Hades around the Ajax goal with all the flares early on in the highlights above. Ajax manager de Boer has spoken out strongly about the bad behaviour of many Ajax fans. Dutch FA is investigating and may impose sanctions on Ajax.

And then the football - one of the biggest upsets in Dutch Cup history. PEC 4-1 ahead after 40 mins and 5-1 ahead after 49 mins. One of the most embarrassing results in Ajax's long illustrious history for sure.

Ryan will have lots of Dutch and foreign clubs interested in him now. Will add a few million Euros to his transfer value.

Interview with Ryan post-match in Dutch papers:

http://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/381167/familie-van-bekerheld-pec-zette-de-wekker-ze-keken-via-een-stream-.html

Wout Stravers
ROTTERDAM

The New Zealander made ​​shortly after the second fireworks break the score 1-1 and tapped out soon after the 2-1 Maikel van der Werff hit the post. With his goals, he might even reach the newspapers in his native New Zealand. "Yes, it would be quite a nice headline to be there," laughed Thomas in the mixed zone opposite Football Scoop . "I am very happy that I can do this. For the team"

"The first few minutes were pretty crazy with all the fireworks. They made ​​a great goal and then we had to come from behind. After the break we've done a fantastic job, "said Thomas, who had never dreamed this result. advance "No, certainly not. Sneaky I was hoping we could go. A 2-1 victory, there is something off with the profits., But we won 5-1. The way we did it was great."

In New Zealand it was the middle of the night, but his family set the alarm for the final. "I think they looked. Using a live stream. I have a lot of text messages. Everyone is very happy for me. It's a fantastic first season for me in Zwolle. To that crown this way is great. "

Players PEC will the next few days from one end to the other party. Thomas will enjoy it. "How much beer I'll drink? I do not drink alcohol. Probably a lot of water."

Compilation of Dutch reports on the Final:

http://www.voetbalnieuws.ws/knvb-beker

http://www.voetbalnieuws.ws/eredivisie/pec-zwolle

http://www.voetbalnieuws.ws/eredivisie/ajax

Very impressive - and he's got Europa League to look forward to next year as well.

He looks about ten

incredible effort!! remaining sober however, that would be tough after that sort of win

Can't argue with his decision to turn the Nix down.

Declan's international credibility just gone up by power of ten. See what happens next.

Hes got a europa league 'playoff' to look forward to. Nit pickin

Dutch football newssites calling Ryan the executioner of Ajax. From what i've heard, Ricardo van Rhijn checked under his bed tonight to make sure Ryan wasn't there to torment him again.

Just awesome. Looking forward to see him play against SA.

Wow....what a match. And what a game from Ryan. He must think its all a fantastic dream. First year in European pro football and he gets a brace in a Cup Final. Well done lad!

Sure wish more kiwi kids would head to the second tier Continental counties like Holland, Belgium etc than wasting away playing age group stuff in England. Payne and Howieson  would get first team action in the Dutch league IMO. Great place to learn technical football. Wonder if there will be a few more Dutch scouts checking out the NZ football scene now

 If Thomas can make the grade there would Boyd also?

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 8:16a.m. TEST
former All White and current Auckland City Captain. Ivan played in Holland for Roda JC and RKC Waalwijk between 2001 and 2008 making 173 appearences and scoring 16 goals... and that makes him the right person to tell us about Ryan Thomas...

http://www.radiolivesport.co.nz/Ivan-Vicelich/tabid/454/articleID/18168/Default.aspx

Your boy made grown men cry on the terraces of De Kuip. Now, the whole town of Zwolle is still dreaming with eyes wide open.

Two hours prior to the match coach Ron Jans, a man with great didactional skills, called the guys together for a his brainchild, a motivational video. Each player was adressed by a family member for a boast cq inspirational peptalk. It was welcomed with sheer emotion an the screaming sound of impressed silence.

The parents of Ryan Thomas were recorded in New Zealand and featured in the motivational video, much to his astonishing surprise and emotion.

That's awesome!

Ryan interviewed straight after the game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQAWJea5LOo

Five minutes highlights with English commentary;

"Tremendous skill from the young Kiwi":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDJIapcQ5_M

Lots of fun little videos surrounding the game such as:

"PEC Man" T-Shirts gobbling up Ajax and the Cup ("Pacman"  - get it?):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgepk57Yf6Y

PEC fans greet the team bus arriving with flares and fireworks - Ajax fans kept theirs for the pitch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Y6Adh7HngE

Zwolle fans partying from beginning to end of game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf7H0H785xE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iWol6bBH2M

Flares and smoke bombs on the ground from Ajax fans and Ajax director Van der Saar addresses Ajax fans "Stop this shit!You're sending your club to hell!" (Hey, they were sent to hell anyway 5-1!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM-fusretUs

Slide-shows of the final and build-up:

http://www.peczwolle.nl/nl/fotoverslagen

Scroll down to find links to various photo albums - first five relate to the Final: hundreds of photos in each album:

These will help you identify what's in each album on the link above identified by the photos you click on:

(1) Final training in Zwolle stadium before the final: supporters so enthusiastic they're letting off flares already - at training!

(Ryan features in some photos)

PEC Zwolle uitzwaaitraining April 19, 2014

(2) Hundreds of photos of supporters outside the ground and later inside (PEC fans seem a relaxed and amiable lot - nice atmosphere):

In this together at home (photos Henry Dijkman)

(3) Cup Final Album: Action from the game:

KNVB Cup final PEC Zwolle - Ajax 5-1 (4-1) April 20, 2014

(4) Team parade on the canals in Zwolle and town square reception (uniquely Dutch canal parade with picturesque scenery, boats and whole town lining the banks):

Boat trip and ceremony April 21, 2014

http://www.rtlnieuws.nl/sport/voetbal/beeld-een-historische-avond-voor-pec-zwolle

This supporter had the right idea about the score before the game:

Hah cool videos

Fantastic effort all round (including Big Pete). Both Ryan and Greg Draper have European Football lined up for 2015. Woods and Howieson maybe for the EPL. Looking good for the future. Starting to make the All Whites look promising over the next 10 years.

ITS WOOD FFS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Howieson wont play prem cmon

Damn, we're playing Te Puke tomorrow. I hope Ryan hasn't got any young brothers playing there

These are screengrabs from a nationwide weekly football magazine:

On the cover:

PEC Zwolle Writes History

Inside:

Bring On Manchester United

Dazzling performance

Humiliating defeat

This will still be making headlines after 30 years

Next week this collector's item hit the local stores:

The rhyming book title Zwolluh Door Het Dolle spells Zwolle in local slang. It roughly translates as 'Zwolle Over The Moon' or 'Zwolle Going Berserk' or  'Zwolle Ecstatic' or 'Zwolle Going Mad'.

The subtitle 'Hoe PEC Zwolle De Beker Won' translates as: How PEC Zwolle Won The Cup.

However, this book is not the first in these amazing mini- documentary series. PEC Zwolle lost in extra time as a second division team in 1997:

Great to have the input from a Dutch Zwolle supporter above by the way!!! 

Back to earth this morning in the Sunday night game with PEC losing 2-1 at home to mighty PSV:

http://int.soccerway.com/matches/2014/04/27/netherlands/eredivisie/bvo-fc-zwolle/psv-nv/1478622/

Ryan started and got 58 mins.

Park Ji-Sung played for PSV and Fulham loanee and Costa Rican international Bryan Ruiz scored.

Also I note that J. Hendrix didn't die - he's playing as a defender for PSV!!!

Leaves PEC tenth on the table with one round to go:

http://int.soccerway.com/national/netherlands/eredivisie/20132014/regular-season/r21384/

PEC could finish ninth if results go their way.

Looks like Ivan Vicelich's former club Roda JC will be relegated unless they have a big win and other results go their way..

Top four are Ajax, Feyenoord, Twente and PSV.

(Ajax = Champions League, Feyenoord =  CL qualifiers, Twente and PSV = Europa League)

Vitesse could still knock PSV off fourth spot.  

2-1 loss to PSV while most of the squad was probably hungover not a bad result.

The 1-2 loss to PSV was pretty unlucky, could've gone our way. It's a shame a club from the 'big 3' came here to defend and counterattack, instead of actually trying to play decent football. Positive thing about the game; it seemed like the players still really wanted to take these 3 points. Ryan had a decent performance, nothing spectacular though. The away game at FC Twente is the only one remaining, i hope  they can manage to grab at least one point. Although Twente already secured the 3rd place, i'm pretty sure they'd like to win their last game of the season as wel..

Here we see our Kiwi-Boy paying a visit to the Isala Clinics in Zwolle, one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands. It offers basic care and highly-specialised care (heart- and neurosurgery, dialysis, stem cell transplantation and radiotherapy). Yearly more than 2000 patients with cancer are treated.