PSV D2 recorded another victory on Saturday: the 14th of the season already. The 3-7 in Breda against Baronie D1 brings Twan Scheepers' team one step closer to a possible championship. That goal got an extra push on Saturday because Willem II/RKC lost again and are now literally a length behind. What is the matter with the team that less than a year ago was a real fear opponent?
Actually, only FC Den Bosch, which won 2-1 against NAC on Saturday, now seems to pose a threat to the D2. If Den Bosch wins all their matches from now on (for Den Bosch that's 10 points) they could end up with a maximum of 56 points; namely 10 x 3 points = 30 points + the 26 points already accumulated. PSV is now on 42 points and thus still needs 15 points from 7 games to finish one point (57 total) above Den Bosch. Simply put, PSV may lose two games to become champion, provided Den Bosch wins all its games. Not a bad prospect at all!
Well, back to Saturday. A wet, heavy pitch with patches of fog. The opponent was a stable mid-table team that was easily beaten 9-1 at home earlier. Dante Rigo was on the pitch again and right from the start provided more offensive impetus from midfield. PSV got off to a furious start and actually locked the game after 37 seconds of play. A Daan Winter cross from the right flank was tapped in with control by Matthias Verreth: 0-1.
The 0-2 fell seven minutes later. After some counter pressure from Baronie, PSV sets up a counter attack that runs via Dante and ends up with Matthias. The sharply drawn ball from Matthias was touched by the attentive Giovanni Nicolaas and caromed over the Baronie goalkeeper into the goal.
Then the game subsided a bit and the physically strong and fast right-wing Baronie striker occasionally found some holes. However, it never became dangerous. Roel van Linschoten and Koen Vos in the center, Ties van den Eijnde on the left and Ymanuel Hurkmans on the right ensure that there are hardly any dangerous moments in the penalty area of PSV. Alternately Roel, Ym, Koen and Ties provide offensive support in the build-up. PSV continues to keep possession of the ball, but is no longer effective in finishing. In the twentieth minute, Ties put the ball through on the left and Matthias had a chance. Two minutes later Koen scored from a corner by Dante and with his 'lesser' left foot he drove the ball into the crossbar: 0-3. The game seemed to be over when Daan scored just one minute later: 0-4. Just before the halftime signal, PSV let Baronie get 'back' into the game when a free kick was not handled well: 1-4.
After the break a fierce PSV, with three instead of four defenders and Jeroen Swinkels at right back. Already after four minutes Zohair Labyad gives a clever pass through the middle to Ertem Bölükbas, who neatly slides the ball through the legs of the goalkeeper into the Baronie goal: 1-5. As in the first half, some sloppiness then creeps into the D2's play. There is another chance for Zohair, but moments later Baronie are free to run through on the left, outsmart Aaron and shoot in. Ties cleared the ball from the goal line, but could not prevent the ball from being tapped in: 2-5.
In the nineteenth minute, Mats Grotenbreg scored the 2-6 from a deep pass from Dante, but just a minute later Baronie made it 3-6 (again from a free kick from about 30 meters). PSV made it 3-7 two minutes later when Mats curled the ball past the Baronie goalkeeper after a good combination with Joey Konings. In the chaotic final phase Twan Demin had a great opportunity to take a cross from Joey on the slipper, but he missed the ball only just. Mats hit the post and from an Ertem free kick Matthias headed into the goalkeeper's hands.
All in all a good victory. The D2 is playing together better and better and has noticed that there is much more to be gained in combination than blindly going for own victory. Saturday the team played some very fast and good combination football and can look forward to the confrontation with Willem II/RKC with confidence.