March 1991
Ajax… Fifteen Years Ago
03 March 1991 is the day of PSV vs Feyenoord in Eindhoven,
but the table tells us that the weekend's real top
fixture is actually played at De Meer, where Ajax (25 out of 16
and #3) face FC Groningen (26 out of 18 and #2). Both sides
have lost only once so far. If Ajax win the two games they
still have in hand, they will have the exact same number of
points as leaders PSV.
But that's easier said than done. Groningen are having a
fantastic season and have arguably the best forward line in
Holland, with strikers Hennie Meijer and Milko Djurovski, with
local hero and human battering-ram Harris Huizingh directly
behind them. Ajax have a wonderful start against the 'Pride of
the North' (Dennis Bergkamp fires the opening goal past
goalkeeper Patrick Lodewijks after only four minutes), but -
while PSV are mercilessly tearing Feyenoord apart - Hennie
Meijer levels the score after 31 minutes.
What follows is a fascinating, truly wonderful game of
football between two excellent sides, with scoring chances at
both ends, but the final score is 1-1. Ajax drop a point, while
PSV destroy Feyenoord (6-0). They are now five points ahead of
Ajax, who still have two games in hand.
Top fixture at De Meer:
Groningen's Milko Djurovski causes
unrest in the Ajax penalty box. [Photo: Voetbal
International]
One week later there is no Eredivisie football. No less than
eight Ajacieden (Blind, Vink, Frank de Boer, Van 't
Schip, Wouters, Witschge, Bergkamp and Roy) have been called up
by Rinus Michels for Holland's fourth qualifier on their way to
Euro 1992 in Sweden. In December Holland scored 8 times in
Malta. The return leg against the small-timers, on Wednesday 13
March in Rotterdam, should be an easy one. The Dutch fans
expect a goal-fest.
Did we say 'easy'? Holland are absolutely terrible at De
Kuip. They could actually have dropped a point if it wasn't for
Marco van Basten, who scores after 32 minutes. It is the only
goal of the evening and also the only noteworthy moment.
Holland win (and have 6 points out of 4 games), but this wasn't
exactly a performance to be proud of.
Back in Amsterdam another tough opponent awaits Ajax. FC
Utrecht are having their first great season in many years and
are 4th on the table. De Meer is nearly sold-out (17,700
spectators) for the grudge game on Sunday 17 March. Aron Winter
returns to the starting eleven after a few weeks of injury,
whereas (quite surprisingly) Stefan Pettersson starts on the
bench. The Swede has lost his spot to Ronald de Boer, due to
his poor form of late.
The travelling Utrecht fans are still queueing outside of
the visitors section when their Polish striker, Wlody Smolarek,
gives Utrecht the lead, straight from kick-off. Ajax don't seem
worried, but this slowly changes when they start running out of
time. Dennis Bergkamp finally levels the score in the 71st
minute, after which Ajax desperately try to force Utrecht to
their knees with Ron Willems and Stefan Pettersson as extra
strikers. In vain. Utrecht grab a point at De Meer, just like
Groningen two weeks earlier. PSV are on form and book another
easy win: 0-3 at RKC. Ajax still have two games in hand, but
the gap is now six points…
Ajax can close in only two days after the Utrecht game. The
away match at Roda JC (which was called off in November) is
played on Tuesday 19 March. Yet another tough one: Roda are 5th
on the table and hard to beat, especially at their own
Kaalheide Stadium. Leo Beenhakker keeps Stefan Pettersson on
the bench again, but Ronald de Boer doesn't make too much of an
impression, either. There is no denial now: for the first time
this season Ajax's form is poor. They're struggling. And they
fail to score: 0-0. Three games without a win and, as a result,
a five point gap with PSV, who have 33 points out of 20 games.
Ajax have 28 out of 19.
Roda can't keep another clean sheet when they visit
Eindhoven on Saturday 23 March: 3-0 to hosts PSV, who seem to
be freewheeling at the moment. Ajax must win at lowly
NEC, who are 16th and have won only twice so far. For an hour
it doesn't look like Ajax will win, though. The problem lies
upfront, where Ronald de Boer plays just as poorly as
Pettersson. After 55 minutes Beenhakker replaces him with Ron
Willems, Ajax's tallest and most physical forward.
Not Willems but Marciano Vink is the man to finally break
the spell at Nijmegen's Goffert Stadium, precisely on the hour.
What a relief. In the final ten minutes of the game,
NEC are K.O.'d in painful fashion: in nine minutes' time Dennis
Bergkamp scores twice, whereas Bryan Roy and Frank de Boer add
one each. The final score is 0-5 to Ajax. Admittedly, NEC
weren't that bad, and Ajax sure as hell weren't
that good…
PSV easily beat Heerenveen on the 27th (2-0), which means
that at the end of March the Eindhoven side have 37 points out
of 22 games, whereas Ajax have 30 out of 20. Groningen (still
2nd!) sit sassily in between the two traditional competitors
for the Dutch title. Eindhoven and Amsterdam count the days
until Sunday 07 April, the day of PSV vs Ajax at Philips
Stadium… (MP)
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