SEOUL, July 22: Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven overcame atrocious monsoon conditions and the stiff challenge of French champions Lyon to win the final of the eight-nation Peace Cup football tournament on Tuesday.

The Dutch scored the decider in the 23rd minute from the penalty spot after striker Arjen Robben was upended by Lyon defender Eric Deflandre while on a breathtaking run towards goal.

Midfielder Mark van Bommel blasted the spot kick into the top of the net beyond the reach of goalkeeper Gregory Coupet.

The Dutch, coached by former South Korean World Cup head coach Guus Hiddink and with two Korean World Cup stars in their team, were the crowd favourites. But their task was not easy as Lyon’s determined.

Midfielder Sidney Govou was a constant torment and staged the first serious attack of the match which ended with his header skidding just wide of the goal.

Michael Essien gave PSV goalkeeper Ronal Waterreus an even stiffer test with a 32nd minute blast from his right foot from 30 metres that the goalkeeper managed to parry away.

With one minute of the first half remaining, the ever-dangerous Robben almost gave PSV a second goal when he unleashed a stunning shot from his left foot that was tipped over for a corner by Coupet.

Both sides struggled to stay on their feet as ground

Julien Viale did better than most when he nipped through a gap in the 60th minute and fired a shot that looked unstoppable but was a shade too high.

Robben was the Dutch dangerman and broke down the French defense in the 62nd minute, finishing off another brilliant run with a shot that skimmed the bar.

By the 70th minute, monsoon rains had turned the pitch into a sodden quagmire and players who managed to stay on their feet were hard pressed to control or pass the ball with any accuracy.

The PSV victory earned the team a US$2m first prize while Lyon picked up half a million.

In the pool stage of the tournament that began a week ago, PSV beat LA Galaxy 4-1, lost 1-3 to the Uruguayans of Club Nacional and beat 1860 Munich 4-2.

Lyon beat Kaiser Chiefs of South Africa 2-0 and South Korean side Seongnam Ilhwa 1-0 after losing 2-1 to Turkey’s Besiktas JK.—AFP