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PSV again have trouble scoring
Saturday 27 September 2008
PSV Eindhoven created a handful
of chances against relegation candidates FC Volendam,
but scored only one to book a 1-0 victory.
Belgian midfielder Stijn Wuytens
scored the only goal in the 73rd minute.
The last four encounters with Volendam
all ended in humbling defeats for the boys from the
little fisherman's town: 7-0 (1996), 6-0 (1997), 10-0
(1998) and 7-0 (2005).
But tonight PSV were unable to
continue the amazing series.
Despite fielding two out-and-out
strikers - Danko Lazovic and Danny Koevermans - PSV
were unable to score in the first half, although that
was also due to a number of excellent saves by Volendam
goal keeper Jeroen Verhoeven.
The scoring deficits first came
to light two weeks ago against Sparta Rotterdam (1-0).
It seemed an incident then, but
the defeats against Atletico Madrid (3-0)
and AZ Alkmaar (1-0)
showed that PSV under Huub Stevens are not yet the team
that won four consecutive league titles.
Stevens does not yet seem to know
what is the right combination of players, although it
seems clear that Lazovic should not count on starting
in any of the upcoming matches after his poor performance
tonight.
Stevens was forced to play without
the injured Ibrahim Afellay, but even without the playmaker
PSV should be considered to beat Volendam easily.
However PSV played too sloppy,
piling one bad pass on top of the other.
Fortunately for the home crowd
Wuytens did manage the one goal to give PSV the three
points, but that does not lade the 2004 CL semifinalists
with too much confidence for this week's encounter with
Liverpool FC.
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