We made it to the half -- we even started playing much better toward the end. Defensively we are doing quite well -- covering the lanes and matching them for pace. Let's keep it up for the second half.

2 yellow card fouls by Hendrix after the original first one that the ref refused to call. Hendrix should have been off the field a long time ago.

10 mins to half time -- PSV have taken control of the game -- hope we can hold on and regroup for the 2nd half.

Not to be picky, but the name of the competition is the Johan Cruyff Shield -- (Johan Cruijff Schaal). Although it is also referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. From Wikipedia: The trophy is a silver plate with a 60 cm diameter. It is similar to the trophies received by the champions of the Eredivisie...

I never trust "reports" - agents plant all kinds of stories in an attempt to wangle a better deal, and news outlets publish any kind of rumor in order to bump up sales. Best to ignore all the stories and wait for an official announcement - time enough then to start feeling gloomy.

Searched the web just now for news about Hakim Ziyech, there was nothing about a broken ankle.

All these stories are pure garbage. I can't believe any of us are getting in a tizzy over any of them. Just sit and wait. When something actually is finalized is time enough to talk about it.

Phew! I saw 'Juventus' and my heart sank. No matter where he winds up, playing Italian football would be such a career mistake -- better to quit football altogether and become a shoemaker.

Saw highlights of the U15 match vs AZ which we lost 0-3. From the impression I got just from watching the highlights, it looked to me that if we had their goal keeper and they has ours, we would have been the 3-0 winners. Their keeper made some incredibly impressive saves, whereas out keeper was ext...

He pretty much failed to impress the last time around -- why any interest now?

Just read where Raiola -- who is his agent -- has been suspended from any operations for 3 months -- the article didn't say why -- but maybe this will throw a wrench into any transfer activity on his part.

@rjf do you remember the Dynamo–Lyon game? ;) That level of corruption would not be tolerated in the Eredivisie -- any team that tried that would be drummed out of Dutch football -- more than likely there would be a criminal investigation -- think about it, the difference is close to three times wh...

Don't see why we need a win or a draw to clinch. The way I see it, even if we lose and PSV win that puts us even on points and I can't see how they can overcome our enormous goal difference. Unless I'm missing something, it seems to me that we have clinched already.

It's all over for PSV -- Final: AZ 1 - 0!!!

And that last championship for Liv also involved pulling four goals out of a hat -- at the very end of the second leg -- to snatch a victory from the jaws of what looked like certain defeat. Made a hero of Rafa Benitez among the Liv faithful to this very day.

One down; two to go!!!

What a nice goal by Kristensen -- made a run into the box unmarked, pointing to where he wanted the pass -- Maz led him with a perfectly weighted ball, and BINGO!

Did the ref forget to bring his yellow cards?

And Hunts immediately adds a second with some nice maneuvering and a cool finish. This is more like it!

And yet, we manage to open the scoring -- Daley Blind glancing in a header.

We are too slow of foot and too slow in our ball play. We have to pick up the pace.

Nervous start for both teams -- having trouble keeping the ball in bounds.

I don't think we should take this game too lightly -- remember what happened a couple years back when we were supposed to beat Zwolle in a cakewalk and they wiped the floor with us. If we want to win this game we have to bear down from beginning to end.

Mazraoui is in the 22 man traveling squad but it's not certain he will start. I will miss the match in "real time." I have a Board of Directors meeting of the non-profit organization I serve on that begins at the same time as the match. I've set it up to record and won't be checking anything that m...

Another 'must win' -- but beyond winning we should do all we can to run up the score -- we have a nice GD cushion, but there's no such thing as too much. Unfortunately, start time is in the wee hours of the morning in my time zone, so I'm going to have to miss watching it -- I'll read all the posts ...