Jochem Kamphuis does not regret approving PSV opening goal


Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 5:58 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 18:10

Jochem Kamphuis does not regret approving the opening goal in the match between PSV and Willem II (4-2). Ritsu Doan gave PSV the lead in the second minute, but Carlos Vinícius was clearly offside in the run-up to the goal. Kamphuis looked at the images and concluded that the offside situation ‘had no influence on the goal’.

Joey Veerman sent a low pass to Vinícius on the right side of his own half, who tapped the ball back towards Ibrahim Sangaré, who was standing around the center circle. Sangaré decided to change the attack and served Cody Gakpo on the left flank with a cross pass. Gakpo found Philipp Max, who enabled Doan to open the score just before goal. After the game, Kamphuis admits that Vinícius was offside. “I see offside there, but I see that the ball is immediately played back over the halfway line. Then a new pass goes to the other side of the field and then a goal is scored.”

“It is immediately clear to me that it is not in the attack phase and that it is not a reason to reject the goal,” explains the referee. Kamphuis would have judged the situation differently if Vinícius had made a different choice. “If he doesn’t play it back, turn around and continue the forward movement of the attack, it is definitely something for VAR to disapprove. Again, because the ball is clearly played back over the halfway line, a new attack phase starts. The offside “So it has no influence on the goal. That is very important to mention. The VAR goes back to moments that influence a goal. This offside moment has no influence on the goal at all.”

Willem II reacted with disappointment to Kamphuis’s performance. Captain Pol Llonch found it frustrating to have to wait ‘five minutes’ for the verdict, which he called ‘very strange’. “I have the feeling that referees are always in favor of the big clubs when they have to make decisions like this. I don’t understand, everyone saw it, it was obvious. Anyway… They make three more in the end And we’re left empty-handed, that’s the main thing.”

Kevin Hofland, Willem II’s trainer, asked the arbitration for a statement during the break. “Then there was a story that a new attack had been made, but Vinicius simply received the ball from an offside position, played the ball back and then switched sides. If you receive it, it is just offside,” says Hofland, who ‘doesn’t understand’ rules anymore. “Maybe I should do some additional training. Maybe they should also intervene in the arbitration, just a weekend away. If my son makes a mistake at school, he will be told that too.”