Today the distant away match against Aachen is back on the calendar. Where the first match was played in a dunghill, today a different anlage was chosen, one with artificial turf or what passes for it. This one is next to the Tivoli stadium where the local home ground is. Since the pros are already kicking off at 1 p.m., we have to pay €5 to park somewhere. At kickoff, it turns out once again that no linesmen are used in Germany. So Bei uns is alles besser does not apply here today, but that is an aside. Now for the match. Just like last Wednesday against Eindhoven, the opponent immediately tries to put us under pressure. In the early stages, PSV finds it difficult to play football because there is too little movement and because Aken is held back. However, there were no dangerous situations. After about 10 minutes the pressure from Aachen decreases and it becomes easier to find the free man. The game starts to turn in PSV's favor. After fifteen minutes PSV takes a 0-1 lead, when a ball enters the 16-meter area and Mo controls it well, screens it and fires it in impeccably. Usually the team then gets a boost and can start controlling the game. For a moment an Aachen player slips in, but Edson plays well and can prevent worse. It also becomes clear again why there are linesmen in football, when the referee overlooks offside. PSV then goes into halftime with a 1-0 lead after a half with two faces. A difficult first 10 minutes, after which the game is controlled, but without reaching the level of last Wednesday. In the second half, PSV tries to decide the match immediately. After a combination between Joop and Davy, Greg appears in front of the goalkeeper, but finds it in his way. Moments later Joop, sent off by Davy, even seems to be on his way to the 2-0, but the goalkeeper can save with a quick foot reflex. PSV has things under control at the back, only a second goal is still missing. A corner by Niels is stylishly headed at goal by Joey, but just over. An unwritten football law is that when the goal does not fall on one side, it falls on the other side. After Kyan had previously deflected danger with good footwork, a quarter of an hour before time he was unable to save the shot from the Aachen attacker on the edge of the penalty area. Instead of the 2-0, it is now 1-1. The match seems to end in a draw, but a few minutes before time PSV gets a free kick on the side halfway the Aachen half. Via Davy the ball ended up at the feet of Mo, who was offside, and PSV took the lead again. The spoils seem to be in sight after all. A minute before time Jay gets his first yellow card of his career on the halfway line after a professional foul. The free kick is pumped into the 16 meters and Kyan is able to save. Everyone thinks so, but the referee inexplicably decides to put the ball on the spot. Aachen did not let this opportunity slip away and the staff kick went in via the inside post, which meant the 2-2 final score. It's a pity that in this way two points were taken away from the team on the way up.
Where two months ago we might have been satisfied with a draw this now starts to feel like a defeat. A sign that the boys are on the right track.

Report with thanks to Eric Zeegers