Spacious defeat in Utrecht

PSV O14 had to travel to Utrecht last Saturday, where the match of the year would be played. With a win by PSV, the Eindhoveners would be the leaders. If Utrecht won, the flowers would stay in Utrecht and they would be the champions. When you see the differences when shaking hands, it is clear that this is going to be the match of the men against the boys. Utrecht is much further ahead physically than PSV, but that was common and does not mean much in advance. But with Utrecht, the physical boys can also play good football. Overall, Utrecht was the better team. And although the result suggests otherwise, PSV played well. But Utrecht's balls went in easily and PSV was not always lucky in the final phase of the build-up. But for the PSV players a nice learning match, which you don't play that much in your career.

Because of the tension and pressure on both teams, both teams started the match cautiously and played fairly closed. PSV had a few small chances; Jason van Duiven was brought down in the penalty area, but the referee let the game continue. A shot by Jason a few minutes later went just wide. Isaac Babadi also tried a shot, but it was an easy catch for the goalkeeper. In the sixteenth minute, PSV did not get the ball out of the penalty area, which allowed an Utrecht player to get free and tap the ball in behind Bart Hamers, the PSV goalkeeper. A few minutes later it was Jason who did not come out well from a cross and went just under the ball. The game continued to go up and down with two teams playing good football. In the last two minutes of the first half Utrecht managed to score two more goals, partly because the PSV defense did not handle the ball well. PSV went into the break with a 3-0 deficit.

With some big games in the Champions League in memory, we knew anything was still possible. Unfortunately, the central defender, and always his man Bram Rovers, could not return in the second half. This could make things more difficult. And PSV was clearly outclassed by Utrecht in the second half. The effort was fine, but Utrecht was simply too big for PSV. And this can be seen literally and figuratively. Through sloppy mistakes by PSV, Utrecht was able to take a 6-0 lead. Khaled Rhazak returned the favour by scoring, but to no avail. Utrecht could celebrate, and the PSV players could leave the field with their heads held high, thinking that everything had been done. But Utrecht is the rightful champion.

Despite this painful loss, PSV O14 can look back on a nice and good season. We competed for the prizes until the end. And perhaps more importantly, had many learning moments and made good progress. Two more matches to go now and some big international tournaments. Here they can show without pressure how well they can play football.

Composition PSV:
Hamers, El Melliani (57/Hagens), Rovers (36/Geerts), Van den Boogaard, Tytens, Vergeldt (50/Waayers), Van den Heuvel, Babadi, Verkooijen (42/Rhazak), Van Duiven, Bars.