Dan's Ajax Football Thread!

[BPBlueSox]

Ajax Schedule (W - D - L) All Times are Local, -6 Hours To Eastern
All Matches are Holland Casino Eredivisie Games unless noted
12 Aug: Grazer AK 1 - 1 Ajax (CL Qualifying)
17 Aug: Vitesse 1 - 2 Ajax (1-0-0)
23 Aug: RBC Roosendaal 0 - 1 Ajax (2-0-0)
27 Aug: Ajax 2 - 1 Grazer AK (ET) (CL Qualifying, Ajax advances)
31 Aug: Ajax 1 - 0 FC Zwolle (3-0-0)
13 Sep: Ajax 4 - 1 RKC Waalwijk (4-0-0)
16 Sep: AC Milan 1 - 0 Ajax (Champs League)
21 Sep: NAC Breda 4 - 2 Ajax (4-0-1)
28 Sep: Ajax 6 - 0 Willem II (5-0-1)
01 Oct: Ajax 2 - 0 Club Brugge (Champions League)
05 Oct: FC Groningen 1 - 3 Ajax (6-0-1)
17 Oct: Ajax 5 - 1 Voldendam (7-0-1)
22 Oct: Ajax 1 - 0 Celta de Vigo(Champions League)
26 Oct: PSV 2 - Ajax 2 (7-1-1)
02 Nov: Ajax 3 - 2 AZ Alkmaar (8-1-1)
04 Nov: Celta de Vigo 3 - 2 Ajax (Champions League)
09 Nov: ADO Den Haag 1 - 4 Ajax (9-1-1)
23 Nov: Ajax 3 -1 SC Heerenveen (10-1-1)
26 Nov: Ajax 0 - 1 AC Milan (Champions League)
30 Nov: Ajax 2 - 0 Feyenoord (11-1-1)
05 Dec: Roda JC v Ajax POSTPONED
09 Dec: Club Brugge 2 - 1 Ajax (Champions League...Eliminated)
14 Dec: Ajax 1 - 0 FC Utrecht (12-1-1)
17 Dec: Ajax 0 - 1 NAC Breda (Amstel Cup...Eliminated)
21 Dec: FC Twente 2 - 0 Ajax (12-1-2)
WINTER BREAK
21 Jan: Roda JC 1 - 2 Ajax (13-1-2)
25 Jan: Ajax 1 - 0 NEC (14-1-2)
28 Jan: SC Heerenveen v Ajax POSTPONED/SNOW
01 Feb: Ajax 4 - 0 ADO Den Haag (15-1-2)
08 Feb: Ajax 2 - 1 PSV (16-1-2)
15 Feb: Volendam 0 - 2 Ajax (17-1-2)
22 Feb: Ajax 1 - 0 FC Twente (18-1-2)
25 Feb: (Make-up)SC Heerenveen 4 - 1 Ajax (18-2-2)
29 Feb: FC Utrecht 1 - 0 Ajax (18-2-3)
06 Mar: RKC Waalwijk 0 - 1 Ajax (19-2-3)
14 Mar: Ajax 4 - 2 Roda JC (20-2-3)
21 Mar: Ajax 5 - 0 Vitesse (21-2-3)
28 Mar: AZ 1 - 1 Ajax (21-3-3)
04 Apr: Ajax 2 - 1 FC Groningen (22-3-3)
11 Apr: Feyenoord v Ajax 12:30
18 Apr: Ajax v RBC Roosendaal 14:30
25 Apr: NEC v Ajax 14:30
02 May: FC Zwolle v Ajax 14:30
09 May: Ajax v NAC Breda 14:30
16 May: Willem II v Ajax 14:30
SEASON ENDS

[BPBlueSox]

2003-04 Ajax Roster

# Name Birthplace Birthdate Position Previous club Joined

1 Bogdan Lobont Hunedoara (Romania) 18 January 1978 Goalkeeper Dinamo Bucharest (Rom) 2001

2 Hatem Trabelsi Ariana (Tunisia) 25 January 1977 Defender Club Sportif Sfaxien (Tun) 2001

3 Petri Pasanen Lahti (Finland) 24 September 1980 Defender FC Lahti (Fin) 2000

4 Julien Escudé Chartres (France) 17 August 1979 Defender Stade Rennes (Fra) 2003

5 John O'Brien Los Angeles (United States) 29 August 1977 Defender FC Utrecht (loan) 1999

6 Tomas Galásek Frydek-MÃ*stek (Czech Republic) 15 January 1973 Midfielder Willem II 2000

7 Tom Soetaers Tienen (Belgium) 21 July 1980 Forward Roda JC 2003

8 Steven Pienaar Johannesburg (South Africa) 17 March 1982 Midfielder Ajax Cape Town (SA) 2002

9 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Malmö (Sweden) 03 October 1981 Forward Malmö FF (Swe) 2001

10 Rafael van der Vaart Beverwijk 11 February 1983 Midfielder/ forward Ajax youth 2000

11 Victor Sikora Deventer 11 April 1978 Left winger Vitesse 2002

12 Johnny Heitinga Alphen a/d Rijn 15 November 1983 Defender Ajax youth 2000

14 Jelle Van Damme Lokeren (Belgium) 10 October 1983 Defender Germinal Beerschot Antwerp (Bel) 2002

15 Maxwell Cachoeiro do Itapemirim (Brazil) 27 August 1981 Defender/ midfielder Cruzeiro (Bra) 2001

16 Nigel de Jong Amsterdam 30 November 1984 Defender Ajax youth 2002

17 Wamberto Cururupu (Brazil) 13 November 1974 Forward Standard Liege (Bel) 1998

18 Wesley Sneijder Utrecht 09 June 1984 Midfielder Ajax youth 2002

19 Wesley Sonck Ninove (Belgium) 09 August 1978 Forward KRC Genk (Bel) 2003

20 Jari Litmanen Lahti (Finland) 20 February 1971 Midfielder/ forward Liverpool FC(Eng) 2002

21 Maarten Stekelenburg Haarlem 22 September 1982 Goalkeeper Ajax youth 2002

22 Abubakari Yakubu Tema (Ghana) 18 December 1981 Defender/ midfielder Ajax youth 1999

23 Zdenek Grygera Prilepy u Holesova (Czech Republic) 14 May 1980 Defender Sparta Prague (Czh) 2003

26 Anthony Obodai Accra (Ghana) 06 August 1982 Midfielder Germinal Beerschot Antwerp (Bel) 2003

27 Cedric van der Gun The Hague 5 May 1979 Forward Ajax youth 2000

28 Nourdin Boukhari Rotterdam 30 June 1980 Forward Sparta Rotterdam 2002

31 Sander Boschker Lichtenvoorde 20 October 1970 Goalkeeper FC Twente 2003

[BPBlueSox]

Ajax saved by Sneijder free-kick at Grazer AK: 1-1


1 (0) - 1 (0)
Champions League Qualifier
Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium, Graz, Austria
Tuesday, 12 August, 2003

"Piece of cake", was Rafaël van der Vaart's answer to a reporter who asked him for a brief comment on Ajax's Champions League qualifier at Grazer AK. He said it with an eye-wink, you'd think, but Ajax played as if they really expected 'GAK' to be a piece of cake. The wayward Amsterdammers escaped from Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium with a very lucky 1-1 draw. The Austrians deserved much more in a game which Ajax would have lost if it wasn't for a brilliant Wesley Sneijder free-kick in the 79th minute.



Zlatan Ibrahimoviç is upended by Grazer AK defender. [Photo: Louis van de Vuurst/Ajax.nl]

"I'm satisfied with the result, but not with our play", said Ronald Koeman after the game with a great sense of understatement. Only three players on his team played a good game: goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, goalscorer Wesley Sneijder and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had an aggressive and determined half-hour as a substitute. Three others (newcomers Grygera, Escudé and Sonck) can not yet be blamed for their inability to take their team by the hand. The rest should feel ashamed of themselves. Key players such as Van der Vaart, Pienaar, Trabelsi and Maxwell in particular had a complete non-performance.

The intentions of the Austrian underdog were crystal clear from the start. Having played five league games already they were fitter and more aggressive than the Ajacieden. They were well organized, determined and they ruled in the air. Ajax played wearily and was totally unable to let the ball circulate at 'Ajax pace'. The first fifteen minutes were a serious warning. Several high crosses dangerously grazed the foreheads of totally unmarked GAK players. A Milinkovic header went inches wide. Young striker Naumoski stole stole the ball of a dreaming Hatem Trabelsi's foot and saw his curving shot hit the post.

It must be said that Ajax - in spite of its poor play - missed two huge chances as well in this phase. On both occasions Wesley Sonck gave the fine, low cross, first providing Wamberto with an 'unmissable' chance (which he missed), then trying to reach Rafaël van der Vaart, who saw a defender clear off the goal-line a split-second before he could slide the ball home.

Good chances, indeed, but the hosts had the game in hand. Given the fact that Ajax lost almost every physical air duel it was a matter of time for GAK to score that way. It happened ten minutes into the second half, as defender Emanuel Pogatetz was totally unmarked on a Dollinger free-kick - and only had to nod to set Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium on fire: 1-0 (56').


Rafael van der Vaart protests to the referee. [Photo: ANP]

What to do? No-one on the Ajax bench really seemed to know. Almost every Ajax player deserved to be replaced. Pienaar and Sonck were the unlucky ones, but only one of their replacements managed to bring something extra: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who made some wrong decisions in his actions, but did bring the aggression Ajax was lacking. The Swede chose the shortest way to goal whenever he received the ball and came close to scoring with a low shot toward the corner and a merciless volley on goalkeeper Schranz's fists. It is typical, however, that Ajax never came as close to scoring as two minutes before Pogatetz's goal: in an attempt to clear he headed an Ajax cross against the post of his own goal.

As the minutes of weak, weary Ajax football ticked away it seemed like Ajax was going to have to accept a 1-0 defeat - and the challenge to score twice in the Amsterdam ArenA on the 27th. But the reality of modern football can be cruel, and in this case it was to Grazer AK. Wesley Sneijder, the only Ajacied to have shown initiative throughout the game, brilliantly curled a free-kick from the corner of the penalty box into the upper ninety. The stunning, 24-carate free-kick came totally out of nowhere and instantly changed everything for GAK: instead of having the opportunity to comfortably lean back, the Austrians will now have to score at least once in the ArenA. What a setback for them, after literally Ajax's only moment of brilliance in 90 minutes' time, quite typically from a free-kick.


Wesley Sneijder was Ajax's savoiur. [Photo: Louis van de Vuurst/Ajax.nl]

Rafaël van der Vaart - man of the pre-game "piece of cake" remark - had changed his tone of voice as he was interviewed on the pitch after the game: "This was not good. Very poor indeed. We just didn't have our day." Football players will never admit it, but the reason why Ajax got in trouble against this hard working, but technically mediocre Austrian team was plain simple: pure underestimation. The team was 'rewarded' for it with a result that wasn't too bad after all. (MP)

GOALS

56' 1-0 Emanuel Pogatetz
79' 1-1 Wesley Sneijder
Referee: De Santis (Italy)
Yellow cards: Maxwell (Ajax), Ramusch (Grazer AK)
Attendance: 15,000

Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Trabelsi, Escudé, Grygera, Maxwell; Yakubu, Van der Vaart, Sneijder (88. Van Damme); Pienaar (70. Sikora), Sonck (64. Ibrahimovic), Wamberto.

Grazer AK line-up: Schranz; Pötscher, Ehmann, Tokic, Pogatetz; Ramusch, Milinkovic (60. Kulovits), Aufhauser, Dollinger (70. Amerhauser); Kollmann, Naumoski (88. Goossens).

[BPBlueSox]

Ajax lucky to grab three points in Eredivisie opener


1 (1) - 2 (1)
Holland Casino Eredivisie
Gelredome, Arnhem
Sunday, 17 August, 2003

Ajax had a succesful start of the 2003-2004 Eredivisie, clinching the full three points in the traditionally tough road game at Vitesse. However, a late whim by Wesley Sneijder was (once again) required: 1-2. The hosts would have deserved the draw in a game that saw a hatful of open scoring chances for both sides.

Several unexpected problems occur in Ajax's first 'real' games of the season, such as injuries for a quartet of prominent players (Galásek, Litmanen, O'Brien and in Arnhem also Trabelsi), as well as the unexpectedly poor form of some of last season's key figures, of which Steven Pienaar and Rafaël van der Vaart are the most obvious cases. Add this to the expected problems (the process of adjustment of all of the newcomers except the already convincing Julien Escudé) and the all but easy start to the new European and domestic campaigns is explained.


Rafael van der Vaart and Vitesse's Michael Dingsdag clash
during the teams' Eredivisie opener. [Photo: ANP]

In Arnhem's Gelredome the Amsterdammers won a few corners in the early minutes and saw Wesley Sonck come close to scoring, but could easily have been two or three goals down after 20 minutes. In reality it was just a single one. Ajax had no answer to Vitesse's simple, but very effective play: almost every ball was kicked toward the bald crown of Belgian giant Bob Peeters, who would flick the ball on to the unstoppable Matthew Amoah, who was constantly faster and more determined than his Ajax marksmen.

No wonder that the best chances in the opening phase were for the hosts. Amoah (on a Claessens thru-pass) lost his face-to-face rendez-vous with Bogdan Lobont, whereas Gert Claessens saw his finishing attempt go millimetres wide. Vitesse's opening goal (a fine Fränkel cross was nodded home by Amoah) was inevitable and came early: in the 13th minute.

When Ajax finally started playing better the lucky equalizer was already on the score-board. Defender Purrel Fränkel was put in such a tight spot by an onstorming Wesley Sonck that he surprised his own goalkeeper with an inaccurate backpass: 1-1 (22').

In the following minutes Amoah hit the post full-on with a furious volley and Steven Pienaar tested the cross-bar in the counter-attack. There was no lack of chances or spectacular moments in Gelredome. What was missing, though, was good football by Ajax. The team's play lacked pace and was mostly too predictable, in spite of the presence of Koeman's striker couple of preference: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wesley Sonck, who started together for the first time.

The Belgian had a considerably better game than the Swede, who drew attention by hitting Bert Konterman with his notorious elbow. TV footage did not at all prove that it was intentional, but Zlatan's reputation was enough to outrage the home crowd. The Swede had the chance to put Ajax in the lead on a perfect Sonck cross in the 55th minute, but he once again showed that he can do anything with a ball except heading: he clumsily nodded wide with the side of his head. "Sonck had his best game so far", said Ronald Koeman after the game. "He felt more comfortable and free."


Tom Soetaers makes his Ajax debut against
Vitesse. [Photo: Louis van de Vuurst/Ajax.nl]

Rafaël van der Vaart, who had yet another dreadful game, should have put Ajax in the lead a minute before the half time break, but failed eye to eye with goalkeeper Van Fessem. Vitesse had its chances as well (Bert Konterman headed wide), but in the second half Ajax finally dictated the game and created the better chances. The very best of them all was for former Vitesse man Victor Sikora, who pushed a perfect Van der Vaart cross inches wide.

The first half was for Vitesse, the second half for Ajax. The number of chances was in almost perfect balance. A 1-1 draw would have been a fair result, but the hosts ended up paying the ultimate price for their inability to escape from Ajax's hold in the final minutes. Typically, the determination of Ajax's most active and hard-working man brought the Amsterdammers the late and not entirely deserved win. Wesley Sneijder picked up the ball amidst total miscommunication in the Vitesse defense and pushed it past goalkeeper Van Fessem: 1-2 (87'). The despairing home side claimed that Sneijder was offside, but the midfielder was launched by no-one else than himself.

Koeman: "This team is not rock-solid yet. Winning a game like this in this phase is a very good thing." Especially, we may add, if champions PSV lose two points at Roda JC (2-2). Feyenoord won its first home fixture against NEC (2-1), but has a tough away game at Heerenveen coming up. For Ajax the next two fixtures may not be a problem: both RBC Roosendaal (away, Saturday) an FC Zwolle (home, August 31) are regarded as relegation candidates. (MP)

GOALS

13' 1-0 Matthew Amoah
22' 1-1 Purrel Fränkel (own goal)
88' 1-2 Wesley Sneijder
Referee: Jol
Yellow cards: Ibrahimovic, Grygera (Ajax), Rankovic, Amoah(Vitesse)
Attendance: 22,000

Ajax line-up: Lobont; Grygera, Escudé, Maxwell; Yakubu, Van der Vaart, Sneijder; Pienaar (76.De Jong), Sonck, Ibrahimovic (62. Sikora), Soetaers (68. Wamberto).

Vitesse line-up: Van Fessem; Cornelisse, Fränkel, Konterman, Rankovic; Claessens (79. Schaars), Dingsdag, Hofs (86. Bochem), Martel; Peeters (58. Mbamba), Amoah.

[Obri]

This is a really cool thread Dan. I tell ya, we should nag James to give us a football/soccer forum!

[BPBlueSox]

2 Football Forums! Woo!

If I were a betting man, though, I'd bet we don't get one...

I'll bring it up in the *shh* secret forum sometime...

As for Ajax...FSW is listing "Dutch Soccer: Teams to be announced" for Saturday at 12 pm Mountain time. The teams that get announced had better be RBC and Ajax!

On another side note...tonight they have added a one hour Dutch Highlights show to FSW programming. So now I'll never miss an Ajax highlight!

[BPBlueSox]

Ajax wins at RBC, but poor form worries Koeman


0 (0) - 1 (1)
Holland Casino Eredivisie
Vast & Goed Stadium, Roosendaal
Saturday, 23 August, 2003

After last week's win in Gelredome several Dutch journalists suggested that the game in Gelredome was Ajax's poorest since the arrival of coach Ronald Koeman. This Saturday, after the Eredivisie match at RBC Roosendaal, Koeman had to correct them: "Not last week's game, but this one was the poorest." Yet, a single, rather lucky goal by Tom Soetaers (his forst for Ajax) was enough for an all but convincing win (0-1) and the pleasant situation that after two Eredivisie matchdays Ajax is the only side of the 'Big Three' with a 100% score. After PSV's draw at Roda JC last week, Feyenoord stumbled in Heerenveen this weekend.

Ajax's poor form was unexpected after a fine pre-season campaign with a highly promising climax at the Amsterdam Tournament. However, evern since it's 'for real' the team has been scraping and struggling, booking fine results in a rather fortunate way.


Tom Soetaers celebrates his first goal for Ajax. [Photo: Louis van de Vuurst/Ajax.nl]

The story continued in Roosendaal, where Galásek, Litmanen, Pienaar and O'Brien were absent as expected, Ibrahimovic was kept on the bench due to a minor injury, but Hatem Trabelsi surprisingly belonged to the starting eleven. Just like Steven Pienaar the Tunisian was granted a week off, but after some treatment by the Tunisia medical staff the right fullback offered his services to Koeman himself.

The game had a lot in common with the recent fixtures in Graz and Arnhem: the Amsterdammers had a weary and slow start, of which the hosts could have taken advatage within three minutes' time, as striker Sammy Youssouf had an open chance but found Lobont on his way. A diagonal shot of Ajax loanee Pius Ikedia was pushed wide Lobont, who saved his team in the opening minutes.

It was, indeed, the same old story: the opposition was simply more determined, more accurate in its passing, more creative - simply better than Ajax, in fact. Once again Julien Escudé was the only exception: the Frenchman built up stylishly, was well concentrated and kept the Ajax defense upright throughout the game. Zdenek Grygera and Wesley Sonck had good games as well, although the latter seemed to let his head hang down in the final half hour, in which the - once again - selfish, slow and arrogant Rafaël van der Vaart ignored him completely, even when he was as free as a bird in front of goal.

Ajax's first moment of danger was in the 16th minute as goalkeeper Aerts couldn't hold on to a Soetaers header and Sonck was half an inch too short to convert the rebound. It took Ajax 35 minutes to show the crows its first fast, accurate attacking combination. It had the maximum effect immediately: only two minutes after RBC's Sidney Lammens almost surprised Lobont with a 'banana shot' into the near post's upper ninety, Tom Soetaers set up a speedy attack, got the ball back from Maxwell and released a hard, low shot from the left flank. The Flemish newcomer saw the ball disappear into the RBC goal deflected by goalkeeper Aerts' leg: 0-1 (35').


One of the very few Ajax players whom Ronald Koeman
thought had a good game: Zdenek Grygera. [Photo: ANP]

Ajax's play seemed to improve in the second half: there was a better spirit and combinations were faster. But good football? Or chances? Not really. The only exciting moments from an Ajax perspective were three moments on which Ajax claimed a penalty. They were right on only one occasion. Victor Sikora fell over too easily, Hatem Trabelsi took a dive so obviously that he was booked for it. However, referee Wegereef should have seen that Nigel de Jong was mown down. He did deserve a penalty, but Ajax had apparently run out of credit.

RBC Roosendaal, generally regarded as a candidate for relegation, did not gave up and came close to equalizing on a Youssouf header and a Lammens free-kick, which grazed Lobont's fingers and the outside of the post. Ajax, quite typically, got its only chances on counter-attacks: Wesley Sonck was unlucky as he resolutely fired past Aerts, but hit the post. The second goal of the night could also have easily fallen on the other end, especially as Brazilian midfielder Tininho's low free-kick grazed the Ajax wall and trickled inches wide in the last minute.

During the post-game press-conference Ronald Koeman shook his head in dissatisfaction: "Tom Soetaers was okay and Julien Escudé and Zdenek Grygera had a good game. The rest remained below their usual level of play (...) We did not live up to our own quality standards in many ways. Grazer AK lost this weekend, so they will be well awake again on Wednesday. In a way it would have been better if we'd lost last week, or this week. Perhaps that would have brought our sharpness back. The players will really have to see the point now, otherwise it's too late. I am extremely dissatisfied about this game, and it worries me."

The Ajax coach will have three days of training to bring this message across. (MP)

GOALS

35' 0-1 Tom Soetaers
Referee: Wegereef
Yellow cards: Trabelsi (Ajax)
Attendance: 5,000

Ajax line-up: Lobont; Trabelsi (59. Pasanen), Grygera, Escudé, Maxwell; De Jong, Van der Vaart, Sneijder (90. Van Damme); Wamberto (46. Sikora), Sonck, Soetaers.

RBC Roosendaal line-up: Aerts; Hellemonds, Molenaar, Hesp, Lammens; De Graaf (90. Razic), Oliseh (72. Daelemans), Tininho; Ikedia, Youssouf, Niño (72. Hertog).

[BPBlueSox]

Results

AZ 3 - FC Twente 0
Den Haag 1 - Utrecht 1
NAC 2 - Vitesse 0
RBC 0 - Ajax 1
Heerenveen 1 - Feyenoord 0
PSV 6 - Willem II 1
Voldenam 3 - Gronigen 0
Zwolle 0 - Wallwijk 3
NEC 1 - Roda JC 3

Table

[Obri]

Okay, so they've maybe not been playing great, but it's results that count, right?

Dan, were you ever lucky enough to see Ronald Koeman play? Let me tell you, that man could play!

[BPBlueSox]

Whew...Ajax advanced after beating Graz AK 2-1 in EXTRA TIME AT HOME.

Yikes.

They advance to the group stage now.

And about Koeman? Yeah, I've seen some video, but I don't remember seeing him live...unless I might have seen him playing for Feijnoord once or twice...

[BPBlueSox]

Ajax advance to group stage on 'silver' Galásek penalty



1 (1) - 1 (1) - 2-1 after extra time
Champions League Qualifier
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Wednesday, 27 August, 2003

Relief in the Amsterdam ArenA: thanks to a Tomás Galásek a penalty in the first half of extra time, Ajax finally managed to brush the Austrians of Grazer AK aside. Just like the away leg a fortnight ago, the game at the ArenA ended in a 1-1 draw, so that UEFA's new 'silver goal' rule came into effect for the first time in an Ajax game: when a goal is scored in extra time, the 15-minute half in which it was scored must be finished. The fortunate moment for the Amsterdammers came in the 104th minute, as Wamberto lifted the ball against the hand of GAK's Ehmann. Tomás Galásek, who returned from an injury and was the great leader of his team, didn't fail, making for a narrow escape to the main stage of the Champions League.


Tomás Galásek converts the game-winning penalty. [Photo: Ajax.nl]

Ajax made best use of the new 'silver goal' rule by scoring in the 13th minute of the first half of extra time, so that the game was practically over and the silver goal almost had the effect of a 'golden' one. It was a 'golden goal' for Ajax' treasurer Jeroen Slop in particular, as Ajax will once again be in the draw for the lucrative Champions League circus on Thursday. Last year, over-all proceedings of the Champions League campaign were approximately 20 million euros for Ajax.

If only for that reason, the result was all that counted in the encounter with Grazer AK. However, those interested in high quality football must have had two dreadful evenings, in Graz as well as in Amsterdam. Although Ajax's play was much better than in Austria, Ajax had yet another poor match and could consider itself lucky that GAK striker Roland Kollmann did not give Ajax the knock-out punch early in the second half.

He could have done so on two occasions in less than three minutes' time, face to face with Lobont. Kollmann produced the equalizer just before half time, as an enormous misjudgment by Julien Escudé gave Kollmann a free passage to Bogdan Lobont. The tall striker, who was deemed not good enough two years ago by FC Twente, deftly fired the ball into the upper corner, leaving Lobont no chance (40').

The equalizer was a bitter disappointment for Ajax. The Amsterdammers had a great start, with a quick 1-0 by Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a result: Maxwell controlled the ball on his chest on the left flank and volleyed an outstanding cross pass to an unmarked Ibrahimovic, who only needed to contribute a simple nod to capitalize: 1-0 (15').

Ajax was certainly the better team in the opening phase, and it didn't look like Grazer AK would be too much of a threat this evening. But their counter attacks got more dangerous as the first half ticked away. Big chances for Ramusch and Ehmann were serious warnings. On both occasions Julien Escudé saved Ajax with good interventions on goal-line. How unfortunate for the Frenchman that he later made the mistake (or did he slip...?) that led to the equalizer.

The equalizer seemed to paralyze the Amsterdammers completely. The last five minutes of the first half and the first ten of the second were dramatic and could easily have brought a second Austrian goal that would probably have been fatal. Due to the away-goals rule, Ajax would then have required two more goals in less than one half of play to advance.

Luckily for the red and white, Ronald Koeman's second half substitutions made the team stronger: Wesley Sneijder replaced the weak Jelle Van Damme, and fifteen minutes later Wamberto took over for the invisible Victor Sikora. The short Brazilian almost had a dream start, as the first attack which involved him brought him face to face with goalkeeper Schranz. Wamberto's hesitated too long and saw his attempt intercepted.

In the last 25 minutes the game got more aggressive -- and sometimes nasty. The Austrians in particular committed one foul after the other, resulting in yellow cards for Milinkovic, Pogatetz, Naumoski and Pötscher. The latter was rather unlucky: his push against Wamberto, just before the end of the regular time, wasn't a clear foul, but the yellow card given set up his later dismissal. His second yellow card was a fact in the opening minutes of extra time. Exit Pötscher.

By then, Grazer AK was no longer as lethally dangerous as in the first part of the match. Their energy seemed to have vanished, and with only ten players left it was clear that if one team would score a goal, it would be Ajax. The questions was: who was going to find the net for Ajax? Real chances were rarely created, and last year's 'Boy Wonder', Rafaël van der Vaart, had another of his mediocre, egocentric days.


Zlatan Ibrahimoviç celebrates his 15th-minute goal. [Photo: ANP]

It was therefore not surprising that the decisive strike came from the penalty spot. In its previous matches against Grazer AK (away), Vitesse and RBC Roosendaal, Ajax was hardly able to produce a 'real' goal. All goals were scored from dead-ball situations or required a decisive touch by an opponent. This time a rather clumsy handball led to the penalty (and a second dismissal for a GAK player, in this case Ehmann), although it has to be said that Wamberto seemed to have deserved a penalty earlier on, as he was brought down inside the penalty box. For a moment it seemed like Ibrahimovic was going to take the penalty, until Tomás Galásek stepped forward -- and made no mistake.

After two poor matches against Grazer AK plus two weak league performances, the good thing might be that expectations are back to realistic levels. Ajax's underdog position made the previous run so succesful. And that's exactly what Ajax is again this year: an underdog, a dark horse in the competition. Wesley Sneijder, after the game: "This was a very important match for us. We made it, so the pressure has more or less disapeared now." Now that the pressure is gone, it is to be hoped that the fans will finally get to see some fluent play in the next matches. (BV)

GOALS

15' 1-0 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
40' 1-1 Roland Kollmann
104' 2-1 Tomás Galásek (penalty)
Referee: Ivanov (Russia)
Yellow cards: Sneijder (Ajax), Aufhauser, Milinkovic, Pogatetz, Naumoski (Grazer AK)
Red cards: Pötscher (double yellow, 95'), Ehmann (double yellow, 103') (Grazer AK)
Attendance: 47,870

Ajax line-up: Lobont; Grygera, Pasanen, Escudé, Van Damme (55. Sneijder); Galásek, Van der Vaart, Maxwell; Pienaar (90. Sonck), Ibrahimovic, Sikora (68. Wamberto).

Grazer AK line-up: Schranz; Pötscher, Tokic, Ehmann, Pogatetz; Ramusch (74. Standfest), Milinkovic, Aufhauser, Dollinger; Naumoski (90. Bazina), Kollmann.

[BPBlueSox]

Pienaar goal enough for bleak win over FC Zwolle



1 (0) - 0 (0)
Holland Casino Eredivisie
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Sunday, 31 August, 2003

Ronald Koeman's orders prior to the Eredivisie home game against FC Zwolle were simple: 'Winning and showing better football'. Ajax succeeded in the first, but - after a fairly good first half hour - once again miserably failed in the latter. In fact, today's second half was probably Ajax's weakest so far. Any opponent with just a tad more belief in its own ability would have notched a point from the ArenA. Against FC Zwolle, however, a Steven Pienaar goal was enough for a gray, utterly uninspired win: 1-0.

"It was substandard again", was Koeman's brief analysis after the game. It was an understatement. In fact, the bleak parody of a football game that was Ajax vs FC Zwolle was the Dutch Eredivisie at its most stultifying: a high quality top side struggling hardly able to keep itself awake, against a relegation candidate (Zwolle didn't claim a single point so far and didn't even produce a goal yet) that could have easily stolen a victory from the ArenA by entering the pitch armed to the teeth, fully aware of its chances.


Tomás Galásek slides in. [Photo: Gerard van Hees/Ajax.nl]

FC Zwolle, however, was so typically Dutch it would drive the average football fan crazy: the side of former Ajax coach-assistant Peter Boeve played pretty well and showed fine combination play throughout, but was utterly harmless upfront and never seemed to seriously believe in an upset. Their determiniation melted away once the team came close to Ajax's penalty area, there was no desperate all-or-nothing offensive in the final minutes and not a single merciless foul in an attempt to set the game on fire. For some reason Boeve was proud of his team's performance after the game. How naive. Any British lower division side would have eaten Ajax alive today, or at least have created major unrest in the Ajax defense. Aggression is an underrated quality in football in general - and Dutch football in particular.

Quite ironically, FC Zwolle never came as close to scoring as in the 15th minute, as Petri Pasanen accidentally slammed the ball against his own cross-bar. Otherwise, there were a few harmless attempts with the head by Bulgarian striker Hristov and one real chance for Jasar Takak in the 79th minute. Well, 'real chance'? Ajax managed to deal with the situation in a 'fair play way': Maxwell came to rescue in the nick of time, just as Takak was going to pull the trigger.

Otherwise the meandering Amsterdammers could afford to sleepwalk for an hour. No pace, no ideas. It says a lot about the true weakness of the opposition that Ajax had its scoring chances in spite of it all.

It must be said, however, that Ajax's start was rather promising. At least the team seemed determined in the opening phase, in which Zdenek Grygera showed his best play for Ajax so far. The energetic first 30 minutes culminated in the gracious opening goal. A long ball from the back was flicked on with the heel by Rafaël van der Vaart and with the head by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, before Steven Pienaar push it past goalkeeper Van der Werff (32').

The crowd's hopes that the Ajax engine was finally starting to run properly, however, turned out to be in vain. Two of Ajax's best in the opening phase were Zdenek Grygera and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the Amsterdammers 'lost' both of those players: Grygera collided head-to-head with Zwolle's Ivan Cvetkov and had to be replaced. Diagnosis in hospital: a concussion of yet unknown seriousness. Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, also 'disappeared' from the game, albeit not physically but mentally. In the second half the Swede looked as slow and clumsy as in his first Ajax year.

It led to a couple of highly remarkable substitutions by Koeman, who took off both Ibrahimovic and - it had to happen one day - Rafaël van der Vaart, who is playing against himself so far this season. The captain's armband around his arm seems to weigh 200 pounds. Van der Vaart passed it on to last Wednesday's Champions League hero, Tomás Galásek. Even he could not make the difference today.

Once again, the only positive exception was Julien Escudé, who once again showed that any suggestion that Ajax misses Cristian Chivu is plain ignorance. Escudé's replacing of the Romanian is the only positive Ajax news so far. Plus, of course, the results. Ajax played five games so far, all against mediocre opposition and without convincing a single time. Nevertheless, Ajax somehow won the jackpot: admission to the Champions League and a 100% score in the Eredivisie. It's flabbergasting when you think about it.

The only other team to have won all of its games (and without conceding a single goal) is RKC Waalwijk. This fact makes Ajax's next Eredivisie match, at home against RKC on 13 September, a top fixture in which the top slot on the table is directly at stake. Three days later AC Milan awaits Ajax in San Siro. If the Ajax players don't pick up some form very soon (in this week's Euro 2004 qualifiers, for example) the first truly traumatic games of the season may well be coming up next. (MP)

"Thank you, Sjakie!"

The highlight of the day followed immediately after the game, as Ajax said goodbye to its equipment manager and jack-of-all-trades: Sjaak Wolfs, who officially worked for Ajax from 1975 to 2003, after years of 'unofficial' service. Ajax greats such as Rinus Michels, Danny Blind, Rob de Wit, Arnold Mühren and Bobby Haarms were there, as Sjakie entered the ArenA pitch holding the hands of two F-Side supporters, Mirjam and Joark.

There were speeches and gifts for the immortal fan mascotte, who made his lap of honour around the pitch on a mini-car, to end up on a wooden bench directly in front of the F-Side. During the F-Side's moving hommage Sjakie was joined by the entire Ajax-1 squad. The man himself took the microphone very briefly, saying with breaking voice: "Fantastic people. Fantastic people. Fantastic people. Be sure to keep it like that."

Sjakie Wolfs was assigned a special 'seat of honour' on the main stand of the ArenA, from which he will watch his Ajax play from now on. (MP)

GOALS

32' 1-0 Steven Pienaar
Referee: Luijten
Yellow cards: Galásek (Ajax), Yobo (FC Zwolle)
Attendance: 37,086

Ajax line-up: Lobont; Grygera (43. De Jong), Pasanen, Escudé, Maxwell; Galásek, Van der Vaart (62. Sonck), Sneijder; Pienaar, Ibrahimovic (71. Sikora), Soetaers.

FC Zwolle line-up: Van der Werff; Ravensbergen, Yobo, Van der Haar, Parnela (80. Snippe); Karlsen, Takak, Van Dinteren (86. Lim-Duan); Hristov, Cvetkov, Bosschaart (64. De Ridder).

[BPBlueSox]

Ajax beats RKC Waalwijk in best performance so far: 4-1


4 (2) - 1 (0)
Holland Casino Eredivisie
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Saturday, 13 September, 2003

We won't know whether Ajax is ready for AC Milan before the actual game on Tuesday, but one thing's for sure: the two week break, during which several Ajacieden went 'on tour' with their national teams, was good for Ajax. The team picked up some form and had its best game by far of the new season against RKC Waalwijk this Saturday. RKC (the only other Eredivisie side to have won its first three games straight) was brushed aside in convincing style: 4-1. As a result, Ajax is now the league leader and the only remaining side with a 100% record.



The spell is broken: Wesley Sonck celebrates
his first goal for Ajax. [Photo: Gerard van Hees/Ajax.nl]

Much to the delight of Ronald Koeman, most of his men enjoyed a self-confidence boost while playing for their countries - and returned to Amsterdam with a smile: Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted two goals for Sweden against San Marino and qualified for Euro 2004, Tomás Galásek and Zdenek Grygera secured their ticket to Portugal with the Czech Republic, Wesley Sonck kept Belgium in the race for qualification by scoring both goals against Croatia (2-1). Rafaël van der Vaart, by contrast, stumbled painfully with Holland in Prague, but was the best man in orange and scored his first two goals for his country.

It was a major push in the right direction, judging by their performance against RKC Waalwijk. Van der Vaart, in particular, seemed re-born. Koeman pulled him back to his 'good old' position in midfield and the young captain immediately returned to his form of last season, showing some stunning individual moves and rushes. Also, the game saw the first goals of the season for both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wesley Sonck, always psychologically important for a central forward. More good news: Hatem Trabelsi is fully recovered and returned to the squad. He started on the bench, while his stand-in, Nigel de Jong, had his best game for Ajax in many months. It could, with AC Milan coming up, not have been better.

Ajax played fine football from the start, and felt that the atmosphere in the almost solidly packed ArenA got better and better along the way. Bogdan Lobont had touched the ball exactly once when Ajax took the lead: Maxwell set up an attack through the middle, picked up his own pass and slipped past goalkeeper Sinouh calmly and gracefully, underscoring that he has become one of Ajax's best: 1-0 (21').

The deal was practically done six minutes later as Rafaël van der Vaart delighted the crowd with some beautiful moves and provided Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a perfect cross. The Swede is not known as a good header, but did everything right this time. His timing, his jump, his body movement and the way he slammed his forehead against the ball - there was nothing Sinouh could do about it: 2-0 (27').

The first half was better than anyone at the ArenA expected based on Ajax's first weeks of Eredivisie play. It was concluded with an absolutely stunning Van der Vaart run across the pitch. It was one of those displays of skill and individual ability that make it tempting to compare football to ballet-dancing. The names of Johan Cruijff and Marco van Basten immediately sprang to mind. The slow, trudging, head-shaking Van der Vaart we saw in recent games was instantly forgotten.

RKC Waalwijk still hadn't created a single chance when Ajax dealt the decisive blow. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was brought down by Teixeira directly from kick off. Inside the penalty box, decided referee Roelof Luinge, but he was mistaken. Tomás Galásek converted. The unlucky RKC defender to commit the foul - Virgilio Teixeira - was booked for the second time only two minutes later, so that ten RKC players had to keep Ajax from turning the game into a goal-scoring festival. "I feared for a disaster", said RKC coach Martin Jol after the game. "For a while I really feared it was going to be six or seven."

This didn't happen. In fact, RKC created its first and only two major chances of the game with ten players. Rick Hoogendorp (free header chance) and Patrick van Diemen (face-to-face with Lobont) did not convert, so that the fourth goal of the evening was - yet again - an Ajax production. Substitute Victor Sikora - who otherwise proved once again that he's not good enough for Ajax - had a fine run on the right flank. He pulled the ball back to the near post and there he was: Wesley Sonck, pushing home with his left for his first official Ajax goal: 4-0 (62')

RKC got its consolation goal immediately from kick off, as Lobont managed to push a Hoogendorp free-kick against the post with his fingertips, but an unmarked Khalid Boulahrouz converted the rebound. It did not bring the yellow and blue back into game. Ajax shifted to a lower gear in the final twenty minutes. No more goals were scored and hardly any chancec created, but there were alternative reasons for applause: Hatem Trabelsi returned to Ajax-1 action after a few weeks of injuries and young Romanian Nicolae Mitea made his official Ajax-1 debut. As referee Roelof Luinge's final whistle resounded, Ajax officially was the league leader in the Eredivisie, for the first time since 14 December 2002.

"It was a pity we didn't really push through", said Ronald Koeman after the game. "I thought we played fairly well in the first half, with good goals and better play than in the previous game. This result give us faith for Tuesday, although I must say we don't really need that. Against Milan we can play freely. Anything we accomplish over there would be a bonus." (MP)


GOALS

21' 1-0 Maxwell
27' 2-0 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
46' 3-0 Tomás Galásek (penalty)
62' 4-0 Wesley Sonck
64' 4-1 Khalid Boulahrouz
Referee: Luinge
Yellow cards: Cornelisse (RKC Waalwijk)
Red card: Teixeira (RKC Waalwijk, double yellow, 48')
Attendance: 48,121

Ajax line-up: Lobont; De Jong (64. Trabelsi), Yakubu, Escudé, Maxwell; Pienaar, Galásek, Van der Vaart, Soetaers (77. Mitea); Ibrahimovic (59. Sikora), Sonck.

RKC Waalwijk line-up: Sinouh; Greene, Olfers, Teixeira, Boulahrouz; Petrovic, Van Diemen, Boutahar (57. Fuchs); Redan (78. Peppinck), Hoogendorp, Cornelisse (84. Oost).

[BPBlueSox]

AC Milan make lone Inzaghi goal count: 1-0



1 (0) - 0 (0)
Champions League, Group Stage
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan, Italy
Tuesday, 16 September, 2003

The most urgent question on the mind of every Ajax supporter was finally answered in Milan on Tuesday: is this season's Ajax team as good as last season's team that made it to the quarter finals of the Champions League? Everyone who saw Ajax play AC Milan in San Siro stadium will agree that the answer to this question is 'yes'. Ajax was as good as last year - and in several ways even better. The result, however, was frustrating once again: Inzaghi 1, Ajax 0. Thanks to the undisputed Man of the Match: Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper, Dida.


A disconsolate Hatem Trabelsi covers his head in San Siro. [Photo: ANP]

It seems to be an unwritten football law: you play bravely, you create chances, you miss a few of them, but then Inzaghi scores and you lose. Ajax was Milan's equal during its third Champions League visit to San Siro in less than one years' time, but football itself is an irrelevant factor in beating AC Milan. Whoever wants to lay claim to the three points against the 2003 Champions League winners will have to eliminate strikers 'Sheva' (Andriy Shevchenko) and 'Pippo' (Filippo Inzaghi) for 90 minutes - plus stoppage time. The quality of the duo makes this almost impossible. This time the fatal moment for the visitors came in the 67th minute: counter attack, low shot Shevchenko to which Lobont can't hold on, rebound Inzaghi, 1-0.

In the preceding 66 minutes Ajax did everything right, even more so than in last season's dramatic quarter final. The team was calm and self-assured, made fewer defensive mistakes, created more chances itself and - despite two phases in which Milan enjoyed more possession - never seemed to lose control. Wesley Sonck was about the only Ajacied who had a disappointing performance. Otherwise the formation seemed to 'work': Hatem Trabelsi's rushes, Petri Pasanen's stalwart performance, the diligence in midfield of Galásek and Yakubu. Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic worked hard upfront and somehow played much better than it seemed: he was constantly ready to receive the ball, protected it well amidst a multitude of defenders and usually did something intelligent with it.

On more occasions than in April the Amsterdammers came close to scoring. But Dida, AC Milan's Brazilian goalkeeper, had the game of his life: he tipped a Rafaël van der Vaart free-kick over his goal via the cross-bar, punched two Zlatan Ibrahimovic headers out of his goal and chose the right position as Hatem Trabelsi rushed all the way through the Milan defence from the right flank, but tried to score from a very tight angle instead of pulling back to the totally unmarked Ibrahimovic and Sonck.

AC Milan vs Ajax was, once again, a remarkably 'open' game. The guests had their moments as well. Gattuso had a free shotting chance from some 20 metres and referee Michel could have easily given a penalty as Inzaghi was pulled down by Julien Escudé in the Ajax penalty box. The best field players for the Italians, however, were their central man in midfield, Kaka, and Andriy Shevchenko, who constantly proved to be of absolute world-class. On several occasions a quick turn, with an Ajax defender in his back, allowed him to release low shots. They were never too dangerous, until one of them turned out to be fatal.


Rafael van der Vaart battles Gatusso. [Photo: Ajax.nl]

Milan's goal came less than one minute after Ajax had created its best chance so far. Trabelsi delivered the ball to Ibrahimovic, who held on to it well and passed to Pienaar at exactly the right moment. The South-African attempted to score with an artistic backward flick, but saw Dida save.

However, the very best chance of the evening for Ajax was yet to come. Four minutes into stoppage time, to be precise, the minute in which Inzaghi and Jon-Dahl Tomasson destroyed Ajax's semi-final hopes in April. After AC Milan had had chances to double the score in regulation (including a Kaká attempt from a tight angle that surprised Lobont and hit the post), not the Italians but Ajax could have dealt the devastating blow this time: Trabelsi concluded yet another of his runs with a fine cross, which was totally missed by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and suddenly ended right in front of Rafaël van der Vaart, totally unmarked, two yards away from Dida's goal. The Ajax captain's hard, well-controlled shot would have gone in against every other goalkeeper than Dida, who miraculously managed to punch the ball wide in a desperate dive.

Second later the triumphant fists of ten AC Milan players (Gennaro Gattuso was sent off in the last minute for hitting Ibrahimovic in the face) were in the air, while Van der Vaart sank to his knees, shaking his head, covering his face with his hands. "I don't think I've ever missed such a chance before", he said after the game. Coach Ronald Koeman did not have something memorable to say either, although his brief analysis did sum it all up: "They scored. We didn't."

Ajax will once again have to make do with the praise from the press - and, after the disappointment has vanished, with the knowledge that they are easily good enough to make it to the next round if they continue to play like this. (MP)

GOALS

67' 1-0 Filippo Inzaghi
Referee: Michel (Slovakia)
Yellow cards: Van der Vaart, Escudé, Ibrahimovic (Ajax),
Red card: Gattuso (AC Milan, 90')
Attendance: 55,000

Ajax line-up: Lobont; Trabelsi, Pasanen, Escudé (70. Soetaers), Maxwell; Pienaar (80. Pienaar), Galásek, Yakubu, Van der Vaart; Sonck (54. Sneijder), Ibrahimovic.

AC Milan line-up: Dida; Cafu, Nesta, Maldini, Costacurta (33. Laursen); Gattuso, Seedorf (64. Serginho), Kaká, Pirlo; Shevchenko, Inzaghi (76. Ambrosini).

[BPBlueSox]

Nooooooooooooooooo!

First defeat in the league this season...

4-2 loss at NAC.