On 13 November, it was announced that Ajax-1 and Young Ajax,
who both have reached the fourth round of the Amstel Cup and
play home games, will participate in a unique double-bill
at the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday, 12 December. But a
unique situation like this also raises questions: did it ever
happen before? Which players are allowed to play for which
team? Can both coaches bring on players from one big, shared
substitution bench? Ajax USA is at your service to
answer...
Q: Wow, so Young Ajax has reached the fourth round
of the 'big', professional Amstel Cup. Did that ever happen
before?
Yes, it did. The Ajax-2 team of 1987-1988 made it to the
quarter finals, whereas the current Young Ajax team is now
with the last sixteen. The '1/8' finals, so to speak. But in
a way, they've already equalled the achievement of the
1987-1988 Ajax-2 crop, which consisted of 17 to 19 year-old
players such as Ronald and Frank de Boer, Richard Witschge,
Bryan Roy, Marciano Vink and Frank Verlaat. They, too,
survived three rounds. But back then, the fourth round was
the quarter final, because what is now called the 'first
round', was then called a 'preliminary round'. That's
all.
Q: I see. So Young Ajax is already doing equally
well as the 1987-1988 Ajax-2 team?
Well, not just yet, I'd say. Even though they've passed
the same number of rounds, Young Ajax has to win one more
time to be one of the last eight, like the 1987-1988 team
was. Also, that Ajax-2 team faced heavier competition. They
eliminated no less than three Eredivisie teams in a row:
Sparta in the first round (2-1), FC Groningen in the second
(4-1) and FC Volendam in the third (2-3), thereby qualifying
for the quarter finals.
If Young Ajax eliminates FC Twente on 12 December, they
reach the quarter finals, having won six Amstel Cup games in
a row. That would be the best achievement of a second team in
the 'big' Amstel Cup ever.
Q: That was an impressive streak by the 1987-1988
crop. By which team were they eliminated in the quarter
finals of 1988? Feyenoord? PSV?
No. They were not eliminated at all.
Q: Excuse me?
No kidding. They didn't get to play the quarter final.
After having eliminated FC Volendam in the third round, the
Ajax board took a decision which was deemed scandalous by
both Ajax-2 and the Ajax supporters. Ajax-1 was already
eliminated (by FC Den Bosch in the second round), so the
board decided that Ajax-1 was taking over Ajax-2's quarter
final slot. Ajax-2 was politely thanked for their good work,
but they were not allowed to finish the job themselves. The
team was outraged, especially because the quarter final draw
had brought them what appeared to be the easiest opponent so
far: after three Eredivisie teams, the next opponent was
First Division side RKC. They could have done that
themselves! But no: Ajax-1 played under the name of
Ajax-2… and screwed up: a 2-1 defeat, thank you very
much.
Q: Jeeezzz man, did the club look silly
there…
Yup.
Q: And Ajax-1, particularly!
Uh-huh. Nice flop, indeed.
Q: By the way, you keep talking about "Ajax-2" and
about "Young Ajax". What's the difference?
Ajax-2 used to be a reserves team, playing in the Reserves
Eredivisie. Ajax-2 was a next step for youth players getting
too old for the 'A' youth categories (16 and 17 year-olds),
but also for first teamers who did not get to play in the
first team. Second teams, therefore, used to be somewhat
strange mixtures of ambitious youngsters and bored and
aggrieved first team players. Also, clubs felt that the step
from the A1 youth teams to first teams was too large for many
players to take at once.
Therefore, the clubs and the KNVB decided to change the
system of reserves teams: the Reserves Eredivisie became the
Talents Competition at the beginning of this season. Second
teams should no longer be regarded as 'reserves teams', but
as the highest youth teams of their clubs. The Talents
Competition has an age limit of 19-20. A set number of older
players may be used, so second teams can still be used as a
place for injured first teamers to return to action. The name
change, from Ajax-2 to Young Ajax, should underscore the new
role of the second team, and its new position in the club's
structure.
Q: That's good. This way, the board can not spoof
Young Ajax again, by replacing them by Ajax-1 for the FC
Twente game. Right?
Um, no. The board could replace Young Ajax by Ajax-1 on 12
December. In theory. The age limit rules for second teams
apply to the Talents Competition and the national cup for
second teams (the Amstel Malt Cup) only. They don't apply to
the 'big' Amstel Cup. In the Amstel Cup, Young Ajax is still
Ajax-2, so to speak. Still get it?
Q: So the board will probably do the same thing
again…
Probably not, no. Ajax-1 is playing its Amstel Cup game
against RBC Roosendaal the same night, so it seems highly
unlikely that such a thing will happen. In theory, Ajax-1 and
Young Ajax could swap games, because FC Twente is a stronger
opponent than RBC Roosendaal. Or they could put two equally
strong teams together from the Ajax-1 and Young Ajax squads.
Or transfer a few players from Ajax-1 to Young Ajax.
The latter thing seems to be the only realistic option.
The really drastic options seem unlikely to happen. With
Ajax-1 still running for the Cup, Young Ajax' achievements
are just luxury for the club, a nice little 'extra'. The club
will probably let them finish their own job. They seem to
have learned from the 1988 mistake and seem to appreciate and
respect Young Ajax' achievements this time around.
Q: Before we take a look at the actual games of 12
December: how did Ajax-1 and Young Ajax get as far as the
fourth round?
Ajax-1 reached the fourth round by simply finishing with
the top five of last year's Eredivisie. Ridiculous system, I
know. That's a Dutch thing. The aim of the KNVB is not to
make the Amstel Cup competition as exciting and surprising as
possible, by creating the chance for amateur and First
Division sides to be lucky in the draw and perhaps Ajax,
Feyenoord or PSV getting elimated early. Are you kidding? The
Amstel Cup would then run the risk of becoming as exciting as
the F.A. Cup in England. We wouldn't want that to happen in
Holland, would we?
Therefore, the KNVB has invented a brilliant system to
make things as easy as possible for the big ones. The amateur
and First Division are supposed to kill each other in the
early rounds before the top teams join in in the fourth. But
making Ajax win the Amstel Cup is not as easy as the KNVB
thinks it is. Despite automatically qualifying for the fourth
round in the past seasons, Ajax still succeeded in getting
eliminated early! The fourth round, their first one, was also
the last one in the past two seasons. Yeah, we've had a few
truly great seasons. If you feel like re-living last year's
"sudden death" against Vitesse, read our match
report.
Young Ajax is not the 'big Ajax' and therefore had to play
five games to get to the fourth round. The first round is
actually a group stage, in which amateur sides Huizen and ADO
'20 were beaten, as well as the first professional opponent,
First Division club FC Volendam.
The real fun started in the second round, in which Ajax'
First Division satellite club HFC Haarlem was beaten in great
style. Things really got spectacular as Eredivisie side De
Graafschap was brushed aside in the third round, at De
Toekomst.
And now we're here, in the fourth.
Q: Guys such as John O'Brien, Andy van der Meyde
and Johnny Heitinga already played for Young Ajax in previous
rounds. Are they still allowed to play for Ajax-1 in the same
tournament?
Yes, why not? You probably have the European rules in
mind: Shota Arveladze, for example, is not allowed to play
UEFA games for Glasgow Rangers this year, because he already
played UEFA games for Ajax. For domestic games, there are no
such rules. Even if Ajax would buy, say, a SC Heerenveen
player right now, he would be allowed to play Amstel Cup
games for Ajax, despite the fact that he's already played a
few with SC Heerenveen. The Ajax-1 and Young Ajax players are
all Ajax contract players, working for the same boss. An
occasional game in Young Ajax doesn't have any implications
for future games in Ajax-1.
Q: Good! So, on 12 December, Co Adriaanse and Jan
Olde Riekerink can use any Ajax player they
want!
Yes!
Q: And they'll have a big, shared Ajax bench of
substitute players to their availability, from which they can
choose any player they want!
No!
Both Co and Jan have to officially put their squad
together, consisting of a starting line-up and a number of
substitutes. They can't just see what happens and use every
Ajacied walking around in the ArenA on the night. However,
they can - theoretically - write one player on the 'team
forms' of both Young Ajax and Ajax-1. A player can be on the
Young Ajax bench and also on the Ajax-1 bench, or even in the
starting line-up for both teams. It's not forbidden for a
player to play two official games on one day. Just like
you're allowed to work you ass off and work 20 hours a
day.
But seriously: that won't happen. Ajax-1 and Young Ajax
might use the same second goalkeeper or whatever, since
Ajax-1 and Young Ajax have only three goalkeepers, now Serge
van de Ban plays in Haarlem and Bogdan Lobont in Bucharest.
But even then, they will probably prefer to call on Ajax A1
goalkeeper Bram Verbist, rather than using the same player
twice.
Q: Right. So there's gonna be two separate squads
of, say, sixteen players. Do we even have that many
players?
Oh yeah. No problem. Check this out - it's just an
impression…
Young Ajax starting line-up: Maarten Stekelenburg; Gabriel
Mofokeng, Ruud Kras, José Valencia, Walker; Anthony
Obodai, Stefano Seedorf, Mitchell Piqué; Kiran Bechan,
Kwame Quansah, Steven Pienaar.
Subs: Bram Verbist (goalkeeper); Brutil Hosé, Jason
Culina, Maxwell, Johnny Heitinga.
Ajax-1 starting line-up: Fred Grim; Hatem Trabelsi,
André Bergd¢lmo, Cristian Chivu, Tim de Cler;
Tomás Galásek, John O'Brien, Rafaël van
der Vaart; Andy van der Meyde, Mido, Wamberto.
Subs: Joey Didulica (goalkeeper), Pius Ikedia, Abubakari
Yakubu, Nikos Machlas, Zlatan.
Maybe Ferdi Vierklau and Cedric van der Gun will return
from their injuries before 12 December.
Q: Okay, so we have two squads of 16 players. But
what do we do in case of unexpected injuries and/or
suspensions… Use players from Ajax-3?
There is no Ajax-3. There used to be, until the late
1980s. But then Ajax decided to give up the concept of a
'third team'. The reason: if a player has made it through the
entire youth system, but turns out not be good enough for the
Ajax-2 bench, you might as well let him go straight away.
Makes sense.
If we need a few more boys to fill in some empty spaces in
any of the squads, it's gonna be kids from Ajax A1.
Q: What!?? There's no other team of grown-up
people?? We have to use the 16 and 17 year-old
kids??
Yes, Sirree! That's right. Isn't that fantastic?
Q: Well… You think so?
Of course! We're Ajax, aren't we? There's no way we would
prefer to see a Not-So-Young Ajax team playing this one,
stuffed with bored folks such as Winter, Witschge and Van
Halst. Some of the A1 boys are apparently ready for it. A1
striker Nando Rafaël even scored the 2-0 for Young Ajax
in their third round game against Eredivisie side De
Graafschap. Another A1 striker, Michael Krohn-Dehli, scores
one goal after the other. Defender Nigel de Jong and right
winger Wesley Sneijder are said to be really good. They
already played for Young Ajax against the FC Volendam
professionals. So, why not, man? Let's give those kids a
shot.
Q: Just a little worried. They may get
slaughtered, you know…
Come on… Are you an Ajacied or what? May I remind
of how old Van der Vaart, Heitinga and Mido actually are?
Many of the Young Ajax team will have the Ajax-1 ArenA crowd
supporting them for the first time in their lives. They'll be
flying. We want to see youngsters - and on 12 December,
that's exactly what we're gonna get! It's gonna be an Ajax
marathon, a true feast of Ajax club culture and one hell of a
lot of fun.
Q: Okay. So, at what time does the marathon
start?
Here's the program:
Amsterdam ArenA
Wednesday, 12 December, 2001
Amstel Cup, fourth round
6:00 PM: Young Ajax vs FC Twente
9:00 PM: Ajax vs RBC Roosendaal
Q: Neat! That's gonna be a hot night!
I wouldn't bet on it, dude. Actually, it's probably gonna
be really friggin' cold. December in Holland, remember? So
drop by the Ajax Fanshop to buy your Ajax scarf and wool hat.
And don't forget to smuggle a little pocket flask into the
ArenA. They don't have those at the Ajax Fanshop, by the
way.
Q: I will be prepared, thanks. Then again: some 35
players, most of them under 20, playing in the fourth round
of the Amstel Cup… Aren't we a special
club!
Don't get me started… AFC AJAX AMSTERDAM - SINCE
1900! That's right. Nights like this one are the real thing,
man. Never forget. (MP)
