0126.html

Match Report: Vitesse 'golden goal' knocks Ajax out of Amstel Cup

	Nikos Machlas shoots past Vitesse defenders Dejan Stefanovic and Michel Kreek. [source: ANP]

26 January: Just like last year, one and out. Ajax has been eliminated in the third round of the Amstel Cup, the very first round in which Eredivisie clubs participate. Last year it was a last minute Roda JC goal, this year a 'golden goal' in the 8th minute of 'sudden death' extra time. Claessens scored it, after regulation had ended 1-1.

It was the second time this season that Ajax got beaten by Vitesse. On the 15th of October they lost a league game in Arnhem. And just like that game in Arnhem, Ajax easily could have won the game this time if they maintained their strong opening form during the entire match.

Ajax had a good start and, with nice combination play, they made things difficult for the Vitesse defense. Especially in the first 20 minutes, Ajax dominated, and you easily forgot that Ajax was facing the number three team of the KPN Eredivisie. Van der Vaart could have given Ajax a flashing start, as he had a great scoring chance after only three minutes. But his shot - after a nice combination with Arveladze - just hit the post. In the same quarter of an hour Ajax created other good chances, but first Machlas and later Arveladze were unsuccessful.

A few minutes later the strong play got its reward, as Galásek scored a beautiful goal. From about 25 meters the Czech fired a great shot in the top right corner of the goal, leaving Vitesse goalie Zoetebier pinned to the ground. The 1-0 was a fully deserved lead at that time. But instead of pushing on to force another goal, Ajax let Vitesse become stronger.

Vitesse got good chances for the equalizer but first Zongo and later on Sikora and Amoah failed to score. Ajax held out and might have used the break to reinvigorate themselves. But in the second half it was once again Vitesse who were the more attacking team. Ajax seemed to trust on their 1-0 lead. That wasn't a smart move, and counter to the tradition of Ajax. The club who, regardless the scoreboard, always wants to play attacking soccer, now was holding back.

Therefore Vitesse could watch for their opportunity. Although their chances weren't impressive, everyone in the stadium felt that the equalizer was in the air. Vitesse had to wait for the 84th minute and needed a personal fault by Grim. A simple back pass was badly mis-kicked by the Ajax goalie, sending the ball right to Vitesse player Claessens. He crossed the ball to an unmarked Amoah who easily headed in to make it 1-1.

With a little luck Ajax could have avoided the extra time. In the last minute Van der Vaart fired from a difficult position, striking the post. In the extra time it was Vitesse again who showed more efficiency. In the 8th minute Claessens scored with a superb shot to win the game on a golden goal.

After the match the subject of conversation was again the extremely bad soccer pitch. De 24th grass cover seemed again worse than the previous one. This really is becoming a serious problem. The pieces of grass flew about and it was really dangerous for the players to play. Tim de Cler almost injured himself when he slipped on a bad patch. De Cler: "In a normal sprint you had to watch out not to hurt your ankle by stepping into a hole of about 20 centimeters."

Grim also said that his mistake that lead to the equalizer was a result of the field: "No ball comes at you on a straight line. Normally a pass has a straight line, but on this pitch the direction changes every time."

Adriaanse stated that everyone is doing their best to solve the problem, but that it is a difficult task under these circumstances. He meant the low temperature by which grass can't grow. He probably forgot that the ArenA hasn't had a good pitch for years, not even in the summer, with nice temperatures, and that the problem has got everything to do with the roof on the stadium, which blocks out sunlight and air.

The grass is always greener on the other side, and the Vitesse board must have heard this discussion with some malicious delight or perhaps even compassion. They have in Arnhem also a stadium with a roof, but their grass grows perfectly due to a smart construction that can roll the entire pitch out of the stadium to get enough sunlight and air; a design that the ArenA also wanted, but which was rejected finally, because of the high costs.

So not only the Ajax players, but maybe also the Ajax board can take lessons from Vitesse in efficiency. (BV)

GOALS

• 20' 1-0 Thomás Galásek
• 84' 1-1 Amoah
• 98' 1-2 Claessens

Referee: Braamhaar
Yellow cards: Wamberto (Ajax), Kreek, Stefanovic (Vitesse)
Attendance: 25,000
Ajax line-up: Grim; Bergdølmo, De Cler, Pasanen en Sier; Galásek, Arveladze en Van der Vaart; Van der Meyde (77. Ikedia), Machlas (82. Winter) en Wamberto.
Vitesse line-up: Zoetebier; Cornelisse, Kreek, Stefanovic en Van Hintum; Diarra, Amoah en Janssen; Zongo (72. Fortes), Peeters en Sikora (75. Claessens).

(BV)