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PSV in good shape, Bayern disappoints

April 3rd, 2008 | By: Jan | 23 Comments »

PSV hopes to win the Dutch title and they’re also still in the running for the UEFA Cup. The first leg against Fiorentina ended in a 1-1 draw, meaning that a goalless draw next week will be enough. The only worry is the injury of goalie Gomes, who left the pitch on a stretcher in the second half.

PSV could use a good result. The quality of play leaves to be desired in the last weeks, now the prizes are getting in sight.

Vergoosen chose Culina and Mendez instead of the more creative Bakkal and Dzsudzsak. Ibrahim Afellay played on the left instead of his fave central position. But coach Vergoosen got the result and so he must have been right.

PSV had the first chances. Koevermans almost scored after three minutes with a header. Ozzie Culina also had a good chance to score just for the break. PSV wanted an away goal and put pressure on Fiorentina in the second half. After an hour, however, it seemed PSV gave the initiative away. Marcellis misjudged a long ball and Mutu was able to show up before Gomes and score: 1-0.

Gomes got injured in the next attack and was replaced by former Groningen goalie Bas Roorda. He witnessed PSV equalizing almost immediately. Afellay passed the ball to Koevermans, who hit the ball home with his left: 1-1.

In the hectic final phase, Fiorentina went for glory and pushed PSV all the way back. With a little luck, PSV kept their feet dry. Farfan copped a yellow and is suspended for the home game next week.

My football morning actually started with Bayern vs Getafe. The German football machine of Hitzfeld vs the street players of Michael Laudrup.

Bayern – scoring prolificly with the likes of Toni, Klose and Podolski – started furiously. In the first 15 minutes it seemed Getafe was still in the dressing room! Led by a Frenchman of fire, Ribery, we saw attack after attack but the final pass just wasn’t there. You’d expect Bayern to overrun Getafe 6-0 in this game, but after Luca Toni scored a fine header from a Schweinsteiger corner the tempest was over and in the last 20 minutes of the first half, Getafe suddenly got the best opportunities. A header was cleared from the line by Lahm and two more penetration runs were squandered, while the Bayern defense just stood by and watched it all.

Van Bommel, back from the flu, wasn’t himself. His challenges and tackling was under control – he has a yellow and is playing with the handbrake on, it seems – and his passing wasn’t too precise, at times.

Getafe was under pressure in the first half, but never looked worried. In the second half, the game had a different face. Bayern became sloppy in their passing while Getafe showed why they’re so successful. Their positioning play and passing is of high quality and Getafe looked the side to score next. Kahn played a horrible gaming, at one point completely missing a cross, but the header ended on the post. Getafe had the best of play and kept creating opportunities. They could have said, well 1-0 isnt that bad, but they went for the equalizer. And right in stoppage time, they got it! Contra picked the ball up on the chest to set himself up in the box. A Bergkamp like chip fooled Kahn and ended right in the upper-corner. Laudrup must be pleased, taking a 1-1 draw back to Madrid.

I didn’t know too much about Getafe, but since today consider me a fan.

Mark van Bommel played a very strong second half and was replaced five minutes before time. By the look on his face, the guy was totally wasted after his flu.

Tags: Afellay, Group C, Koevermans, Mark van Bommel, Oranje, The Netherlands

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Comments

By Angela | April 3rd, 2008 at 5:32 pm

Thanks Jan. I have recorded this as I’m at work currently, but plan to watch it later. I was wondering how my favorite Dutchman would fare after being ill and also not being able to participate in training yesterday. I think I am dead on about van Bommel… unless he’s bleeding from his eyes or suspended there isn’t anything that will keep him off the pitch…

Posted from United States

By sphinx | April 3rd, 2008 at 8:24 pm

A good defending game by PSV. Kromkamp did very well. If he can play like that in consistent manner, a solution for our defensive scarce. Afellay prove s an all round capability.

Posted from Australia

By Jan | April 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm

Hi Angela, I hope the “thanks Jan” wasn’t cynical (because I ruined your video watching…). Van Bommel played a very solid game. Had some good passes in the second half, but you could tell he was limiting himself a bit. Another reason – than the flu I mean – is because Getafe played a wonderful game “in between the lines of defense and midfield” so sometimes Bommel was outplayed, all alone in midfield. But this time, there weren’t even any foul challenges or mean spirited tackles, so in a way this flu had a good effect on his game .

Posted from Australia

By Angela | April 3rd, 2008 at 9:20 pm

Jan: Oh no not at all! I mean it
I knew he wouldn’t -not- play. It’s not in him. I seriously adore him. He’s part of the reason that I’m such a big Bayern fan. I even recently received a jersey that he signed for me. I love that man. Seriously. I’ve been teased at my Bayern offside that I should have a van Bommel offside so take my word on it. I was just a little worried that he’d push himself too hard because he doesn’t know how to -not- play with all his heart and since he’s not completely well yet, I am glad to hear he still did well.

Posted from United States

By Jan | April 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 pm

Alrighty… Interesting. Most of us are huge Bommel fans, but we’re biased because non-Dutch football fans tend to hate him (because of his tough attitude on the pitch). So, assuming you are American, how did you get this adoration for him? He is not your pretty boy C. Ronaldo or the prolific goalscorer like Totti?

Posted from Australia

By goose | April 4th, 2008 at 2:05 am

Good to know vBommel is loved all over the world (and hated!)!… such a shame things went so bad between him and Marco

good game yesterday by Psv…they look a mature team, esp. nice to see 2 young Oranje players do well; Marcellis (greatest defending talent we had in ages) and Affelay who really is top- european class….think hes a real Arsenal player, the way he played yesterday most of the game was amazing!! what a touch….

Posted from Netherlands

By sphinx | April 4th, 2008 at 4:37 am

I wonder is it time to go back to total foot ball. we have loads of all-rounders.
Like,
Ooijer, Heitinga, Bouma
Castalan, Afelly, sienjder, Dranthe
Vaart, Kuyt, Persie.

Posted from Australia

By Jan | April 4th, 2008 at 4:40 am

Good point Sphinx! Afellay as a Gunner? I can see that. He can easily play with that team. Probably better than in PSV. I get to see PSV tonight on tv. I will watch it. Just read that Gomes’ injury is minor, so no worries for next week.

Posted from Australia

By ayl | April 4th, 2008 at 8:05 am

Afellay was good today. His through ball for Koevermans goal was nice. He did well to turn from his marker and thread it through the 2 defenders and it was a nice run by Kooevermans too. He has a similar style to C. Ronaldo. It always seems as if he has total control of the ball and could produce something from thin air.

Posted from Australia

By Igor | April 4th, 2008 at 1:01 pm

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=522120&root=europe&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1&cc=5901

A story on Gomes and the possibility of him playing for Oranje

Posted from Canada

By Jan | April 4th, 2008 at 11:48 pm

I agree Ayl, he reminded me (Afellay) of C Ronaldo as well. Although CR is actually extremely fast and has a deadly shot and is a good header… Afellay comes short on all these counts, I think.

But!

I wrote my review on PSV without having seen the game myself. I got a chance to see it later (I read several newspaper clips and make my own match review on those) and I must say…for the first time in a long while, I was very impressed with PSV’s performance!

Fiorentina didn’t play too well, but that was also because of PSV. I was in awe of Salcido, he was all over the place, Culina, Simons, Farfan, Kromkamp and in particular Afellay. Their passing/positioning play was tremendous. They looked very comfortable and mature. I am starting to rub off my dislike of PSV if they keep on going like this. They can win this cup!

Posted from Australia

By goose | April 5th, 2008 at 5:20 am

only Affelays control reminds me of Ronnie the handbag…the latter is a much better finisher…a striker…remember that Affelay has scored only 2 (!) goals in the Eredivisie!! thats too few!!

but i do believe that Affelay is our next really big talent…

i also hope that next year Aisatti will have some more playing time and will have grown somewhat bigger aswell…thats the provlem with these Moroccan guys…theyre so small and fragile (except Butcher Boula)

Psv again has defended our reputation in Europe…theyre a strong TEAM

Posted from Netherlands

By ayl | April 5th, 2008 at 5:28 am

I don’t really mean that he reminds me of C. Ronaldo skill-wise so much. It’s more his style. He sorta looks abit like him, they run similarly and i think that Affelay reminds me of a younger Ronaldo. Skill-wise there is no comparison…. yet.

Posted from Australia

By Caleb | April 5th, 2008 at 11:20 pm

Goose – Afellay hasn’t scored many yet, but if you remember Ronaldo in his first few seasons at Man U, he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with his shot. It was horrible, he always skied it and never scored any. Now he’s finally figured out how to shoot (Ferguson must have put him on non-stop shooting practice – everyday) and now he’s scoring like mad. Maybe the same might happen with Afellay?

By Jan | April 5th, 2008 at 11:52 pm

I thnik a dutchman is in charge of technical skill training at ManU. Meulendijk or something like that. He is a student of the Wiel Coerver method. Check out an earlier post on Coerver. Foppe de Haan worked on Ryan Babel’s shot, who always used to have that hipshot-kinda thing.

Posted from Australia

By angela | April 6th, 2008 at 12:12 am

Jan, you’re right, I’m American. I became a big fan of van Bommel when I fell in love with Bayern Munich. His leadership and aggressiveness are actually part of the reason that I adore him. Sure, he doesn’t always go about it the right way, but you gotta love a guy that has that much passion for his profession. I also love his care of his team mates at Bayern. He’s kind of like the daddy that nobody gives credit to. We’d be lost without him. And as much of a hard ass as he is, I really don’t think there’d be too many, if any at all, other players sending text messages to an entire time to encourage them when he can’t be there… or showing up at training when he can’t train to be there with his team. I don’t know, I just love his love for the game and the passion that he has for it. He is truly an amazing person on and off the pitch. I have several autographs from him and now one of his jersey’s that he signed directly to me so you can say he’s earned a fan for life with me.

I actually have a bit of a crush on him too… I get teased a little bit by my readers at the Bayern Offside that I should start a van Bommel offside.. I’m pretty biased when it comes to him I’m also not very normal on the crushes part because I really don’t think that C. Ronaldo is all that good looking… different strokes for different folks right?

Posted from United States

By Jan | April 6th, 2008 at 7:10 am

Haha good one Angela. But eh, where did you obtain those personal signatures? do you travel to Munich to see them play live or was that when Bayern toured the US? And what is Bayern Offside exactly?

I agree with your opinion on Bommel’s dedication. And I also think that is the core of his rift with Van Basten. Van Bommel wants to be important for the team. Van Basten hurt Mark in his pride, by not making him important. Van Basten treated Van Bommel as a player who needed to prove himself. That is something Bommel has trouble with. He always was in the top of the pecking order. From his start at 16 years old till he left for Barca. There he couldn’t be one of the bosses, so his move to Munich was great for him.

I read a wonderful interview with Mark, I’ll try to find it and translate it and post it. It tells you a lot about his football intelligence.

Posted from Australia

By Angela | April 6th, 2008 at 10:30 am

A friend of mine lives in Munich. She goes to the training a lot and got them for me. He signed the back of my jersey “für Angie – Mark van Bommel” And its the first signature of his that I have received where you can actually read the Bommel clearly. I am very happy with it. I adore him.

I would like to read that article if you have the time to translate it. My German is very bad. I know some, but not enough for it to matter. The Bayern Offside is really the sister blog to these ones. You can check out my offisde at http://bayern.theoffside.com

His importance to the team is very obvious. Bayern haven’t lost a game this season with him on the pitch but have lost two without him. They have also conceded more goals when he’s not in midfield than when he is. You can also see a very big difference in team demeanor when he’s on the pitch as opposed to when he’s not. He’s definitely a leader and he does a good job giving the team direction.

Posted from United States

By Jan | April 6th, 2008 at 5:20 pm

Right! Good stuff. I’ll check it out.

Is he actually recognized for that in Munich, you think?

Pop Quiz: which other Dutch players played for Bayern Munich ?

Posted from Australia

By Angela | April 6th, 2008 at 7:25 pm

He is recognized by the team for that and among a lot of the fans of Bayern that I have become friends with. A lot of them hope that he will be team Captain next year. I do too for obvious reasons. He is clearly a leader on the pitch and sometimes you have to wonder, when he gets yellows and gets sent off (like today) if it’s not all part of some unwritten plan because it certainly sparks Bayern’s anger and gets the team going. They were playing poorly until he got sent off today and then they all got the fire lit in them after pleading for Mark not be sent off. He definitely knows his team, knows how to lead them, is not afraid to tell the more popular players (Podolski for example) when they are doing crap and not pulling their weight. He will set them straight and more often than not when you see a training video that someone captured from a public training, he is the one yelling commands on the pitch, getting his team straightened out. Damn right he should be captain. I tend to agree with our commentators here on Gol… when he’s on your team you love him to death, when he’s not on your team you love to hate him because he gets the job done. I am a very dedicated and loyal van Bommel fan.

I’m really knew to the sport and the team. I only started watching during the WC 06. That said, I know that one of them was Roy Makaay. I miss him a lot. I loved him and Mark together. They were amazing. I actually called them my Dutch Dynamic Duo. Other than that, I would be unsure of the answers

Posted from United States

By Angela | April 6th, 2008 at 7:27 pm

PS…

I also wanted to say that part of the reason that I love him is the way he cares for new players. Whether they’re veterans or brand new to the team. I remember an interview with Klose when he first transferred over to Bayern from Bremen he said that his first day to Bayern Mark was the first one to welcome him to the club and make him feel a part of the team. That says a lot about the dynamic that he creates for the team and the new players. I just think he’s an amazing person. I’ve heard stories about him at public trainings that he’s the first one there, the last one to leave and that he always makes time for the fans that have waited for him whether he’s in a hurry or feeling under the weather. That will go a long distance with me.

Oh and well, I’m completely biased on the subject of the Dutchman In case you haven’t noticed that by now.