Last weekend the o15 beat the then unbeaten frontrunner Fc Utrecht 2-0. Also this weekend a title contender came to De Herdgang: AZ.
Prior to the match, the Alkmaarers were in third place with 20 points from 11 matches. Utrecht was in first place with 24 from 11. But Ajax had the fewest points lost: 22 from 10. So it was very important for AZ to return to Noord-Holland with three points.
The match in Alkmaar earlier this season ended in 0-0. And that was quite unusual since AZ scored the most goals with 34. That includes a 2-9 result against Willem II, by the way.
A battered PSV started today. A great opportunity for other players to show their capabilities.
In the first half there was not much to note. Most of the game took place in the PSV half. But despite that, AZ did not get a single ball between the posts. Halfway through, AZ came very close when Tijn Daverveld initially blocked an effort and then saw the rebound go wide.
The only team to hit the post in the first half was PSV. A free kick by Sekou Sidibe, however, was an easy target for the AZ goalkeeper.
Because AZ failed to take full advantage of a sloppiness in the Eindhoven defense in the 26th minute, both teams went to the dressing rooms with the familiar glasses.
In the second half, PSV had the best of the game. However, they did not get many chances. That was mainly due to the choices they made. Or with the bad luck that a cross just did not reach a fellow player.
Just after halftime a free kick by Davy van den Berg was cleared just in front of the head of a PSV player. And Arne Bens headed onto the roof of the goal moments later.
After 10 minutes in the second half, the home team put a fluent attack on the (artificial turf) mat. But again Sekou Sidibe's cross towards Yasin Aalillou was cleared at the last moment.
The latter headed the ball up instead of into the goal a minute later after a good action by Sekou Sidibe.
In the 48th minute, PSV swooned when AZ got a corner. This landed at the far post where an Alkmaar defender headed the ball toward goal. Another AZ player extended the effort with his heel after which it landed on top of the crossbar.
With 20 minutes to play, Sekou Sidibe tested the qualities of the AZ goalie with a great free kick. But he turned the effort away with a beautiful reaction.
AZ took the lead, out of nowhere in fact, in the 56th minute when a quick conversion was effectively completed. PSV then had to come forward but could not make a fist sufficiently up front. And AZ almost made it 0-2 with a counter. Fortunately the ball hit the post.
In the very last minute PSV had another opportunity. After a good move by Mathijs Bel the ball ended up at the feet of Yasin Aalillou who took a too wild shot and saw it go far over.
Thus the game ended in a 0-1 defeat. PSV did not get enough. A draw would have been a better reflection of the proportions on the pitch this afternoon.
Kyan van Dorp; Tijn Daverveld, Shurandy Sambo, Dennis Vos, Bryan van Hove; Mathijs Bel, Davy van den Berg (c), Arne Bens (61' Vince Colpaert); Sekou Sidibe, Sem van den Broek (55' Joop Daniels), Yasin Aalillou.