Dortmund delight in Eindhoven

A tremendous strike from Remco van der Schaaf was not enough for PSV Eindhoven as they slipped to a 3-1 home defeat at the hands of BV Borussia Dortmund at the Philips stadium in Eindhoven in UEFA Champions League Group A.

Unstoppable strike
With his side trailing 2-0 and seemingly out of the game, Van der Schaaf picked up a loose ball around 30 metres out and fired an unstoppable effort into the top corner. The goal seemed to spur his side on, and Dennis Rommedahl was desperately unlucky to see his angled volley clip the top of the crossbar with Dortmund goalkeeper Jens Lehmann well beaten. However, an injury-time third from substitute Marcio Amoroso, allowed time and space as the home side pushed forward, ended all hope for PSV.

Early opportunity
The home side began much more positively than they did in last week’s tie with Arsenal FC, when the away side took the lead after only 20 seconds. Indeed, in a near-reversal of last week’s fortunes, PSV nearly snatched an early lead, as André Ooijer saw his header from point-blank range spectacularly tipped over the crossbar by Lehmann in the third minute.

Golden chance
Undeterred, the home team continued to press, and Mateja Kezman missed a golden opportunity to put his side into the lead on the quarter-hour. Rommedahl was involved again, bursting down the right, but his low cross was fractionally behind Kezman who, unmarked, sliced his shot high and wide from ten metres.

Simple goal
Dortmund steadily grew in confidence as the half wore on, as Czech playmaker Tomáš Rosický came more into the game. It was the midfield player’s persistence that created his side’s goal in the 21st minute, as PSV were indecisive in defence, and Rosický dispossessed Kasper Bøgelund. His low cross gave Jan Koller an unmissable chance, as he tapped into an empty net from three metres.

Chances for 2-0
Dortmund were firmly in control from then on, with Koller causing the PSV defence particular problems. A minute past the half-hour, his low free-kick forced a save from Ronald Waterreus at the base of his right-hand post, and three minutes later, he headed a Rosický corner wide when well placed. Ewerthon also nearly benefited from Rosický’s generosity, sprinting on to a low cross inside the area but hitting his shot high and wide.

Long range effort
Dortmund came closest to extending their lead in first-half stoppage time, as Torsten Frings won the ball in midfield and, from around 35 metres, produced a thunderous swerving shot that Waterreus did well to palm on to the crossbar.

More chances for Dortmund
PSV began the second period in much more positive fashion, and pressed forward but without really creating any clear chances. When goalscoring opportunities did arise, they largely fell to the away side, and Rosický and Ewerthon twice all missed presentable chances to extend the lead.

Rosický races in
However, it was 2-0 in the 69th minute, as Rosický skipped away down the Dortmund left and, with the PSV defence perhaps anticipating a cross, raced clear to prod the ball past Waterreus.