PSV Champions
Since I started travellling to Eindhoven in 2004, PSV has won the championship three years in a row. Going into the finals weeks of the season, it looked like a sure thing to happen again.
On April 13 we had a false alarm as PSV only managed to pull off a tie and was therefore unable to clinch the championship over 020 (not allowed to say the team name or Vosking will not speak to me!) This was such a shame, as the entire town was decked out and ready to party! As this was a home game, and PSV had never failed to clinch if they had the opportunity at home before, they even had the parade route planned out from the stadium to city hall for immediately following the game.
Well, this is the Netherlands, and everyone here loves an excuse to party, and since everything was there already, may as well make use of it.
On April 20, I left Dusseldorf early (too early *ugh* since I only got to bed at 6AM following the meetup) and drove back to Eindhoven. Less than 1 hour drive from hotel to apartment...very nice! Decided not to go overkill so I timed my arrival at the stadhuisplein (City Hall Square) to meet my friends duuring halftime. When I got there, it was MOBBED! And this was only one of three squares in the center that had crowds watching on the big screen!
I managed to find my friends in front of the fountain and proceeded to do more insult to my liver by starting with a beer already. PSV was tied at 0-0 and 020 was already ahead 3-0! A tie for PSV would still clinch the title, but without a comfort goal, it was a little tense. Well, two minutes into the second half, we got the comfort goal and the square went wild! I forgot the tradition of throwing beer and was soon soaked! Luckily I hadn't pulled out the camera yet! 45 minutes later, we had our fourth championship in a row, and the party began. Coupled with the prior two nights, I only lasted out until 8PM or so before heading back home to start the recovery process...
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