Max de KokMay 13, 2026
NewsKNVB announces match date for the Johan Cruyff Shield
1 min readIn the Netherlands, the football season is traditionally opened with the contest for the Johan Cruijff Shield. This is the match between the league champion and the cup winner from the season before.
Next season PSV will once again contest the battle for this trophy and this time the opponent is AZ. This season, AZ managed to secure the KNVB Cup by settling matters in the final with clear figures against NEC (5-1). The KNVB has announced that this match will be played on Sunday, 2 August 2026.
For a long time, the question was whether the match PSV - AZ would be played on Friday 31 July or on Sunday 2 August. Now it has become clear that the match will simply be played on Sunday and that the contest will be held at the Philips Stadium.
Comments13
Neutral take: the article is spot on about the transition moments. PSV win games when they can counter quickly, but if that rhythm breaks, they need a plan B fast.
The praise for the youngsters felt spot on. They look fearless going forward, and that is exactly what you want at PSV. Just hope the manager keeps giving them minutes even when the match gets messy.
I like that the piece focused on the fullbacks getting higher. When the wide areas open up, it makes everything easier for the attackers, and PSV look way more dangerous.
Hearing the coach talk about intensity makes sense, because that is the difference when PSV are at their best. Still, I want to see more ruthlessness in front of goal, not just good spells. Overall though, this reads like a plan that could work.
The best part for me is the work rate. Even when things get messy, PSV never look like they switch off, and you feel it in the crowd.
If PSV really want to press like the article says, I just hope they can keep their shape in midfield. With the way teams skip past our first line, we cannot go chasing shadows for 90 minutes.
Good read, but I'm not convinced the article solved the biggest issue yet. When the midfield gets overrun, the wide channels get exposed fast. Hope we see a more stable midfield plan, not just more running.
Seeing the coaches trust the young guys is refreshing, but they need to be sharper with the final ball. A few good runs were wasted by sloppy decisions.
I like the way they set up, but I still worry about the late-game control. Once the legs go, it feels like they give away the easy transition ball.
Really liked the bit about PSV pressing higher and not just sitting back. If they can keep that intensity without burning out by the 70th minute, we can genuinely control games instead of surviving them.
That midfield shape has been so much better lately. If that press triggers higher up, PSV look way more dangerous going forward.
I'm not convinced by the defensive setup yet. The article mentions structure, but I keep seeing gaps when we turn the ball over. If that is fixed, then great, but right now it feels risky against faster counters.
Really liked the bit about PSV being brave in build-up. If we keep the tempo high and Mazraoui stays disciplined, I think we can hurt teams early. The midfield control looked promising.