Didulica on top of the world

From the desk of Guest Columnist
Roy Hay
December 30, 2001

Geelong-born goalkeeper Joey Didulica is on top of the world at the moment. The twenty-four year old made his first team debut for Ajax Amsterdam on 18 December, coming on as substitute for Fred Grim when the veteran keeper was injured very late in the game. Since then Didulica has had two matches in goals. A stunning full debut at home to Vitesse Arnhem as Ajax won five-one, then a real baptism of fire away to Utrecht where he was injured after only three minutes, but recovered to play a full game in what turned out to be a three-one loss. All the Utrecht goals came from deflected shots which gave the young keeper little chance of preventing them.

Didulica is currently home in Geelong for Christmas during the Dutch winter break, though he will be off on 5 January for training in Amsterdam followed by two matches in Portugal against teams from the German Bundesliga. Then the Dutch season resumes and with it Didulica's campaign to become the Number One at Ajax. The new Ajax coach is former Dutch international skipper and star with Ajax and Barcelona, Ronald Koeman. He took over from Co Adriaanse mid way through the season and is obviously taking his time observing the resources at his disposal. Ajax is a very young side in 2001 with Didulica one of the older players at 24. Striker Rafael van der Vaart is the top scorer in Holland this season and he is only 18. Skipper Chivu was the baby of the Romanian team which knocked out England in the European Championships in 2000.

Didulica made his debut for Ajax 1 on 15 December, 2001. (ANP)

Didulica had a spell on loan to Germinal Beerschot in the Belgian first division, but found that an enormous contrast to Ajax. The training, the facilities, the professionalism all fell short of what he had become accustomed to in Amsterdam, plus he was promised the goalkeeping spot, but then found himself on the bench and had to fight his way into the first team. Hence on his return to Ajax he is even hungrier for success and determined to hold on to the place he has gained. "The atmosphere in the Amsterdam Arena is unbelievable", he said of his home debut against Vitesse, "The crowd were chanting my name and my team-mates were great, saying they had confidence in me and encouraging me throughout the game".

Success has not changed the young keeper. He has not adopted the Ajax swagger and confidence bordering on arrogance which was the trade mark of the side in the days of the de Boer twins, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert. "I could not behave like that in Australia. My friends would soon cut me down to size, as would my sister Patricia and brother John", he said. But he is equally committed to holding down his place in the side and showing that he will be challenging for a place with the Australian Socceroos before long. His hopes of playing in the Sydney Olympics were cut short by stress fractures in his shin in the days before the tournament. While in Australia he is planning to go shark fishing with his brother, and assuming he survives that, we can expect to hear much more of the latest in a line of Australian goalkeepers playing at the highest level overseas.

- Roy Hay

About the author: Roy Hay teaches sports history at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia and writes the soccer column for the Geelong Advertiser. He has been involved in soccer in Australia since arriving from Scotland in 1977. Roy has known Joey Didulica and his family since the future Ajacied was an Under-9 player.