Goal festival
In a free weekend the D3 had to play on Sunday against AFC from Amsterdam. AFC is one of the amateur clubs in the Netherlands that play on the highest level. Today the under 11 selection traveled to Eindhoven. With some delay - with a closed A2, Eindhoven is not easily accessible - they still arrived in time for the match at the Herdgang.
The D3 started the match superbly. Combining nicely from behind, the AFC defense was outplayed and it was soon 1-0. Huseyin releases Steven who passes the ball to Jordan who slides the ball in easily. Then a nice attack on the right, Ruud was released and his shot went via the goalkeeper to the feet of Jordan (2-0).
The sun came out and everyone sat up and took notice. The travelers from Amsterdam looked a bit gloomy but not rightly so, because the excellent AFC players were not afraid and after overconfident defending they manage to make it 2-1.
The game was constantly undulating up and down. The PSV players win a lot of individual duels, but also often push their actions too far, resulting in ball loss and then AFC is quickly on the other side again with some quick passes. PSV looks for the 3-1 after the 2-1, James among others manages to create danger with some beautiful solos but it is AFC who manages to make the 2-2 simply through the middle.
PSV can also counter sharply. After a corner kick by AFC, the defense quickly took the ball to midfield, Ruud was launched and ran towards goal to make it 3-2. The newly arrived Cody now rushes time and again along the right, serves Ruud and so it is already 4-2; the margin is 2 again. PSV D3 apparently also enjoys this nice lead, loses concentration and helps AFC back in the game because after a wrongly taken throw in, the excellent striker of AFC can score the 4-3.
Halftime, such a half with 7 goals back and forth is a rarity but the second half shows that it was not such a rarity after all.
From a scrimmage Huseyin manages to shoot the 5-3 dry and hard into the cross just after halftime. The D3 gets a few more chances but does not manage to extend the lead and today a difference of 2 goals is really nothing. AFC can take a free kick, 3 players are as free as birds and one of them can make it 5-4. All the D3 players are looking for the linesman who they think should have flagged for offside, but now I also see that on this Sunday the linesmen had the day off; so there was nobody to protest against.
AFC's equalizer (yes yes the 5-5) seems like two drops of water. Again, the D3 players think / hope for offside, but whether it was offside, or whether there was no offside today, I do not know, but in any case, the AFC players are back on track and have realized that there is something to be gained today in Eindhoven.
Although first comes another lead for PSV. A free kick in a nice spot in front of the goal. It looks as if our boys have also learned something from the big Orange, because here it is a tug-of-war over who gets to take the free kick. Cody proved to be the strongest, with a short run he curled the ball beautifully around the goalkeeper, 6-5. He was immediately given a disciplinary substitution by Colin, because apparently this was not the agreement.
Another nice chance for Steven, who is launched by James, but he decides to pass and so it remains exciting; especially when AFC manages to score via a beautiful attack from the right: 6-6. It is a goal-fest today that PSV would still like to decide in their favor. The excellent Björn shoots hard at the goal, but just misses. And then it is AFC who manages to make it 6-7 at the other end via a carom.
It must be said, the extremely athletic and attractive playing AFC came away with the victory. They kept believing in it, taking advantage of the chances they got.
Report courtesy of Hans Bosma