Today the friendly match PSV D3 - Zulte Waregem was on the program.
After two postponed games (MVV and VVV) we had to see if our boys could still play football.
Siberian conditions on the herdgang (because it was terribly cold again) made us long for a good portion of football.

It was a bit of a scramble for both teams as they obviously did not know each other yet.
You could see at the beginning that PSV had a lot of respect for Zulte Waregem. And the guys from Eindhoven didn't care about that of course.
But as the match progressed, PSV supporters began to see that Zulte Waregem was not just any old team.
And the players felt that too, of course. But at PSV's first corner kick, Cody popped the 1-0 on the board with a fantastic overhead kick.
Five minutes later it was already 2-0. Nice pass from Cody to Robin and he turned the ball nicely around the goalkeeper.
There was already talk of double digits among the supporters. Especially when the Zulte Waregem goalkeeper just managed to defuse an attempt by Jordan.
We were then 8 minutes into the game.
But the Belgian top class team was not going to leave it at that, and they headed towards the PSV goal.
Arne played the ball out a bit too quickly and intercepted it and the ZW striker slammed it in. 2-1. This was avoidable.
ZW apparently drew a lot of energy from this and they did not let PSV get back in the game. Because the next blast is again from ZW, but that shot goes just wide.
Then, when Zulte Waregem's first corner kick resulted in a miscommunication and the ball fell just in front of a visitor's foot, he did not hesitate and scored dryly.
It is 2-2. The game goes back and forth.
Arne then saved a shot by a breakaway ZW player and the goalkeeper on the other side saved a shot by Jordan.
There is no longer too much respect. We play football freely.

After mutual agreement we play 3 times 25 minutes, so the boys from Zulte Waregem (who are very far from home) can play a little longer.
The first chance of the second period is for ZW but the shot goes just wide. Second chance is for Robin but he shoots over. Roland also hits the goalkeeper.
A nice through pass from Roland to Cody and Cody goes past everything, including the goalkeeper, and effortlessly scores. 3-2. Now hopefully the PSV train has left.
Steven doing his "line" again and coming in nicely also pokes at the goal, but the goalkeeper is again in the right place.
Meanwhile, Stan has come on in place of Arne and his first ball he plucks nicely out of the air on a corner kick from the visitors. Confidence ball, ideal for a goalkeeper.
Huseyin puts his buddy Roland in position once more but "Ro" cracks his shot and shoots just wide.
ZW came back and it was clear that the game could still go either way. Stan had to intervene again when a player broke through, the rebound was a clear penalty according to the visitors,
but the referee doesn't whistle. Björn, who defused the visitors' shot with a flying tackle, also had a good game,
as are Armando, Baggio and Luc. But they have to, because the visitors are not going to give up just like that. Belgians are "fighters" who never give up.
And I should know :-).

The third period is the most exciting. PSV tries to keep the lead and put up a wall in front of Stan's goal, but they forget to take advantage of the offensive moments.
A high shot or is it a cross that Stan almost misses, he can keep the ball out of his goal but a well followed player shoots the rebound in. 3-3.
Exciting though...
Five minutes before time, free kick from Zulte Waregem. Stan is still there but cannot keep the ball out of his goal. 3-4.
The Belgians go crazy and spontaneously start a party on the field with the reserve players, trainers, coaches, grandparents, uncles and aunts.
This team is a team of all friends, you can tell.
Zulte Waregem now crawls to the back and now lets PSV come again, and of course you should never do that, because in the closing seconds James rams in the 4-4 on a cross from Raphael.
The Dutch are now going crazy in turn. What a state of affairs. Football can be beautiful after all.

Final score remains 4-4.

Exciting match with both teams going for the win.
At the end of the game, the Belgians perhaps felt a little short-changed. This probably had to do with the goal in the final seconds by PSV which they had not counted on.
Netherlands - Belgium, it remains something special.

Report courtesy of Joel Lekens