Schaars getting the measure of AZ

Midfielder Stijn Schaars says Saturday's Dutch Super Cup game against SC Heerenveen will show whether AZ Alkmaar's pre-season exertions have been worthwhile as they prepare for their UEFA Champions League debut.

Change of leadership
The Johan Cruyff Shield game at the Amsterdam ArenA will be AZ's first competitive fixture since the departure of coach Louis van Gaal for FC Bayern München, with Ronald Koeman having been charged with leading them into the group stage of Europe's top club competition. It will also be their first Super Cup game, with the competition not running when AZ won their only other title in 1981.

European outlook
"In training we have worked hard and experimented with a lot of different lineups," said Schaars. "We are trying to be well organised every time because, especially in the UEFA Champions League, that is very important as you cannot afford to be naïve. But on Saturday we will see where we stand. We have to go for the trophy. Every honour you get is nice, but we will have to be sharp against Heerenveen."

'I feel good'
Back-to-back 1-0 friendly defeats against Club Brugge KV and Hamburger SV in recent days have kept AZ's feet on the ground, but the jury is still out on how they will fare in the season to come. The 25-year-old Schaars said: "We have worked hard and worked a lot on physical power, but we will only know whether this preparation period has gone well once the season begins. Personally I feel good, and am getting stronger all the time."

New contract
Given that he missed most of the 2007/08 season with an ankle injury, that can only be good news, and with Schaars having recently agreed a new two-year contract tying him to AZ until 2012, he is determined to build on the great performances he put in last season, and end the campaign at the FIFA World Cup finals, for which the Netherlands have already qialified. "AZ are playing in the Champions League and I am really eager to make a good impression," said the nine-times capped Dutch international. "After my injury, I want to play a lot of games again this season, and with AZ I will have that chance. And it is clear that I have to play a lot to go to the World Cup finals with the Oranje."