The Report
PSV O15 entered the weekend after Carnival against the number four: Vitesse. An important game in which it could do good business today. After all: leader Ajax played at number 3 AZ, and PSV played number 2 at home against Vitesse. Because AZ - Ajax was already played at 10 o'clock, we knew that the match there had ended in 2-2. With a win, PSV would approach the leader to four points. But then they had to win. Vitesse had previously won in Amsterdam at Ajax and in Rotterdam at Feyenoord.
The opening phase was clearly for PSV. Especially on the left flank, the home team was very dangerous through Jayden Braaf. But unfortunately striker Jason Pigmans just could not get his foot to a hard cross in the first minute. In the first quarter of an hour, PSV strung together a number of chances. Shots by Jason and Mathijs Tielemans did not hit the target. And Kees van Lindert saw his effort deflected out of the goal by a fine reaction from the goalkeeper. The same player had THE chance for the opening goal on a silver platter in the twelfth minute when, after a good move by Jayden, he had the ball up for grabs from close range. Miraculously, however, the ball did not cross the goal line. No hawk-eye was needed for that. After fifteen minutes Vitesse got a penalty. Fortunately goalkeeper Peter Strijbosch chose the right corner and had a great reaction. Fifteen minutes later both teams went to the dressing room.
After halftime the same picture of the game as before: PSV the better, footballing team, Vitesse lurking on the switch with their fast strikers. After Jason saw a header cleared from the mouth of the goal just after halftime, PSV finally took the deserved lead in the 43rd minute. A flank ball ended up with Jayden who laid back to Joost de Schutter who shot from inside the goal area and saw his shot changed direction by Kees from close range: 1-0! Vitesse now had more to come and that gave PSV more space in front. However, they were unable to make it two goals today. And then the hope is that you don't give anything away at the back. PSV did that well. Yet Vitesse managed to come alongside when a corner was simply headed in in the 57th minute. After the equalizer the game went up and down. Both teams wanted to go for the win and had opportunities to do so. It is fair to say that Vitesse had the biggest when the striker took advantage of hesitant action by a PSV defender, but luckily shot wide.
Thus, today's topper also ended in a draw and neither team gained anything. Laughing fifth was Feyenoord, who took third place.
Setup: Peter Strijbosch; Thomas Cox, Emmanuel Matuta (c), Joost de Schutter (63' Joep Kluskens), Heritier Deyonge; Mathijs Tielemans, Amin Doudah (49' Nigel Lonwijk), Kees van Lindert; Fodé Fofana (42' Jur Clabbers), Jason Pigmans, Jayden Braaf.