Soccer-Winning start for Van Basten as AZ win 3-0 away

Reuters

AMSTERDAM, Aug 9 (Reuters) - New coach Marco van Basten got off to a winning start with AZ Alkmaar as they won 3-0 at Heracles Almelo on the opening weekend of the new Dutch league season. But his former club Heerenveen suffered a surprise 2-1 loss to newly prompted FC Dordrecht, while fellow league newcomers Excelsior earned a 1-1 draw at NAC Breda. A late equaliser saw Twente Enschede draw 1-1 at SC Cambuur in Saturday's other match. AZ netted three goals in a 20-minute spell in the second half with Steven Berghuis opening the scoring before Guus Hupperts and Muamer Tankovic added two more in Van Basten's first match in charge. He moved from Heerenveen at the end of last season. Dordrecht marked their return to the top flight following a 19-year absence with a surprise away win at Heerenveen, with Joris van Overeem scoring the winner 10 minutes from time. Youness Mokhtar got an 88th minute equaliser for Twente as Cambuur let a 12th minute lead slip. Champions Ajax Amsterdam begin the defence of their title on Sunday at home to Vitesse Arnhem while last season's runners-up Feyenoord are at ADO Den Haag. (Reporting by Mark Gleeson,; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)