Even half an hour is enough for this Dragons to achieve their pass of 7.
Waterloo Ducks 2-3 Dragons
Waterloo Ducks : Vandenbroucke; Van Oost, Willems, Charlet, Van Marcke; Sidler, Wilbers, Curty; Dykmans, Rogeau, Depelsenaire then Langendries, Petit, Fauchey, Hertschap, van den Kerckhof
Dragons: Van Doren; Lootens, Della Torre, Geers, Harte; Rubens, Denayer, Foubert; Raes, Crols, Martinez then L. Putters, R. Putters, Vanderkeilen, T. Luyten, De Sousa Ventosa
Referees : MM. L. Dooms and D. Van Den Eede
Green cards : 4th M. Van Oost, 34th E. Curtis
Yellow cards : 53rd Crols, 70th Charlet
The goals : 4th Crols (0-1), 16th Luytens (0-2), 23rd Della Torre on PC (0-3), 30th Curty (1-3), 48th Dykmans on PC (2-3)
Penalty corner : Waterloo Ducks (1/8) and Dragons (1/3)
Terribly important match this afternoon at Waterloo (but what match is not at the end of the season?), where the two teams in good form at the moment faced each other with the objective of getting closer to a ticket for the play- off. Were the Brabançons going to deprive Antwerp of a seventh victory in a row? Two notable absentees for this duel: William Ghislain is missing, injured with the national team and is probably unavailable until the end of the season, as is Max Luyten on the Antwerp side.
The match started with Waterloo possession and Antwerp counterattacks. In the third minute, on a free kick near the 23, Denayer sent a ball into the circle. What followed was a big mess, several Antwerp attempts, an apparently dangerous ball and finally a deflection from Thomas Crols in the goal (0-1). Van Oost took a green card for complaining, the Watducks strongly contesting this first goal.
In the 7th minute, a long Antwerp flick towards the baseline brought the first pc of the match, but Della Torre slipped as he sent it.
The pattern of the match was quite clear, with Watducks trying to play their game, but without absolutely being dangerous against a disciplined block, while the Dragons concocted counterattacks which pierced the local defensive lines. It was not for lack of trying for the Brabançons, nor of having almost absolute control of the ball, but it lacked speed, movement and genius to worry Van Doren, technically unemployed until the 12th minute and an easy first stop. Each little action of the Dragons ended in frank and dangerous action, like the 0-2, in the 16th minute. A harmless pass from midfield caught the entire defense and arrived at Martinez, surprisingly isolated in the circle, who served Luyten, whose sending first caused a corner. The ball came to him again far too easily and he backhanded Vandenbroecke.
Charlet went for his two points at the end of the first quarter, but Van Doren proved at that moment that he was indeed a high-class goalkeeper. The Watducks had to get back on the field by tightening up their defenses and being much more creative in attack to put the Dragons in difficulty, who were mastering their subject without any problem.
Yet nothing really changed. Worse, the nervousness was felt and the second Antwerp pc already killed all the suspense (0-3, Della Torre). Nothing was going well on the Brabant side, the balls were imprecise and the intentions were not particularly clear, and when they were, it was the ball controls that were lacking. Without appearing to overplay, the Dragons were untouchable and imperturbable, as they have been since January. Instead of a feeling of revolt, it was an apathetic Waterloo Ducks who were now suffering against the offensive waves of the Dragons. In the 27th minute, another sharp pass pierced the entire green and white axis, and the local goalkeeper had to intervene timely. However, it was in the 30th minute that the Waterloo Ducks reduced the gap, thanks to an action from the left baseline. Van Doren saved his team twice, but had to admit defeat on the second rebound, after an unstoppable delivery from Curty (1-3). The public woke up but the Dragons then decided to put the stick on the ball. And to obtain his 3rd pc, provoked with the help of a dangerous ball from Charlet. This time Della Torre found Vandenbroucke on his way.
The Waterloo Ducks returned to the field with (finally) more offensive intentions, a higher press and full backs participating in the actions. This resulted in a first pc from Charlet, magnificently saved on the ground, from the stick, by Van Doren. Van Doren again on a Langedries shoot. The revolt was there. The duels were won (like a high recovery from Van Marcke which was close to causing great danger), and the reduction of the score was in the air. However, beware of the spaces inevitably left and into which, as we know, the Dragons could infiltrate with ease. The locals continued to increase their pressure, and continued to increase their physical impact on the match, winning many duels, preventing the Dragons from developing their game. The circle penetrations were countless. Dykmans shot at the goalkeeper, and Hertschap got a pc. Charlet on the bench, it was Dykmans who flattered on the ground towards the stick of an Antwerp defender who deflected into the ceiling. The match had completely changed its appearance, as did the score (2-3). New pc obtained thanks to Dykmans, but Van Doren saved easily. The Waterloo Ducks were busy crushing a previously imperturbable Dragons. The last quarter was going to be decisive and exciting. The locals wanted to keep their momentum and returned to the field after barely a minute's break, when Denayer took his time to galvanize his team.
And nothing really worked out for the Dragons, because after less than a minute, Crols unnecessarily tackled Charlet. The visitors were going to have to play ten minutes at ten! They decided to retreat to their camp, or even to their circle. Charlet and Depelsenaire created dangerous opportunities directly. It was a real trench fight that the Dragons offered us, whose objective was only to protect their advantage and their series of victories. Wilbers found Van Doren conceding a new pc, much to his dismay. Charlet was on the field, but the locals decided to try the Dykmans flat again, without success. There were 11 minutes left to play, the audience was making themselves heard. Willems and Van Oost were very dynamic during construction. The Dragons no longer had any control of the ball and the locals built up their chances quite patiently, crisscrossing the field and waiting for the break, either through deflections or through ball infiltration with the stick. But time was passing. Only 7 minutes left. New contested PC for the Waterloo Ducks. Charlet on one foot. Then Charlet right next to it but an optical illusion for the public, who got excited believing in the equalizer. 5 more minutes. The Dragons are at 11. Depelsenaire completely alone at the stroke point missed his control and a five-star opportunity to equalize. Charlet returned to the edge of the circle and shot wide. The Watducks were wasting. There were 3 minutes left. The locals kept their guard and continued to lay siege to Antwerp. At the last minute, Willems initiated a counter attack which yielded nothing, except a counter-attack from the Dragons on which Charlet took yellow and put an end to the last hopes of the locals.
The reaction of the Watducks was beautiful, intense, but too late to bring back three goals to this Dragons. The absence of William Ghislain will certainly have weighed on this result, which allows the Dragons to achieve a 7 out of 7 since January and to undeniably hold on to the play-offs.
Racing will not play in the play-off this year
Braxgata 2-1 Racing
Braxgata :Walter; Loots, O. Biekens, Luypaert, Van Steerteghem; Van Biesen, Walsh, T. Biekens; Walker, Briels, Onana; then Van Straaten, Harris, Van Bavel, De Winter, Van Cleynenbreugel
Racing : Gucassoff ; Delavignette, Lambeau, Cornez-Massant, Beckers; Truyens, Meurmans, Wegnez; Cayphas, Charlier, Cosyns; then Lucaccioni, De Chaffoy, François, Malherbe, Jochmans
Referees : MM. Mr Pontus and Mr Dutrieux
Green card : 23rd Meurmans
The goals : 9thWalker on PC suite (1-0), 56th Delavignette (1-1), 68th Onana (2-1)
Penalty corner : Braxgata (1/2) and Racing (1/6)
Braxgata and Racing had only one goal: three points. Both cores knew that the 70 minutes would be tense and that one point would not be enough. During the first half, Tobias Walter didn't have to work hard. On the only Racing pc, Tanguy Cosyns launched his sleep without the ball. Racing forced one or two chances, but the Brax defense was impeccable. In the other circle, Jérémy Gucassoff had more work. In the 9th minute, on the first point of the match, Walker was on the rebound following a good save from Mimi. Walker was shaking the nets. Biekens, too, took advantage of his opportunity. And the rest ? During the first 35 minutes, we didn't see much movement. The match resembled trench warfare.
The Brax inherited a second pc in the 38th minute. Gucassoff saved the furniture because Luypaert's sleep was perfect. The match was closing. On a magnificent deep pass, Walker set off for a duel against Gucassoff. Lucaccioni put the stick on and stole the ball. The action was super risky. Certainly the defensive gesture of the match. Walter in turn had to fold in the 48th minute on a breakthrough on the stick side baseline. Brax responded with solid action from the Luypaert-Briels duo. Racing immediately forced its second victory in the 49th minute. Racing attempted a phase that Walter blocked. The goalkeeper got up for PC's rebound. Lucaccioni thought he had equalized, but Walter saved the ball on the line. The end of the 3rd quarter was hot. The referee awarded a 3rd pc for Racing, much to the fury of Philippe Goldberg. Walter pulled out all the stops again on a delivery from Cosyns.
Racing lit up the start of the third quarter. Truyens found a foot in the circle in the 55th minute. The Ucclois got back together via a rebound (1-1). Delavignette was right in his placement. Racing continued to push against a strong Brax. Charlier was deprived of a shot at the last minute. Charlier forced a fourth pc. Cosyns was not on the ground. Racing scored on the rebound but Mr. Pontus saw a foul. On a long pass on the baseline, Onana brushed against the frame of Gucassoff who was beaten. On a counter, De Chaffoy went for the sixth pc in the 67th minute. The ball rolled gently past. On the counter, Onana made it 2-1 by deflecting it to the far post (2-1). The tension was enormous, but Racing no longer obtained anything.
Racing can say goodbye to the Top 4. Brax has its fate in its hands.
The other matches
Victory – Gantoise 2-7
16th Van Minde (1-0), 18th Goyet (1-1), 21st Duvekot (1-2), 32nd Masson (1-3), 48th Groels (2-3), 58th Kina (2-4), 61st Kina (2-5), 69th Tynevez (2-6), 70th Kina (2-7)
Uccle Sport – Léopold 3-3
15th Plennevaux (1-0), 18th Boon (1-1), 33rd Boon (1-2), 46th Amoroso (2-2), 62nd Boon (2-3), 64th Amoroso (3-3)
Orée – White Star 2-2
20th Domene (1-0), 23rd Domene (2-0), 52nd Saint Martin (2-1), 68th Schoevaerdts (2-2)
Herakles – Daring 3-4
16th De Kerpel (1-0), 20th Bell (1-1), 40th Thomas (2-1), 41st De Kerpel (3-1), 66th Cosyns (3-2), 68th Van Linthoudt (3-3), 70th Van Linthoudt (3-4)
