0401.html
Match Report:
 |
 |
 |
| 1 (0) |
|
0 (0) |
Nijmegen
Sunday 01 April |
|
We sure wish this was an April Fools Day joke. Just one week
after their stunning 9-0 victory over Sparta, Ajax lost 1-0 in
disgraceful fashion at NEC. The worst performance of the year,
right after the best one. Such a dramatic lack of consistency
seems almost impossible, but Ajax fans know it's not. In fact,
non-performances at unexpected moments are not even surprising
anymore.
The story of NEC vs Ajax is short and simple: Ajax did not
create one single scoring chance, conceded one goal because of
indecisive defending and, after that, completely lacked the
ingenuity, determination and physical power to fight back.
Ajax did not only lose three points in Nijmegen. The team
also lost its key defender when Cristian Chivu pulled up lame
from an apparent re-aggrivation of his hamstring injury. And it
lost its self-esteem, which would have been a precious thing in
the upcoming clash with soon-to-be Dutch champions PSV. And
perhaps most annoying, the Amsterdammers sqandered a second
opportunity in two weeks to close in on Feyenoord, who lost
again, this time to RKC.
NEC was physically superior, in a game which made clear that
Ajax depends too heavily on the performances of youngsters such
as Rafaël van der Vaart, Cedric van der Gun and Petri
Pasanen. They have been revelations at times, but seemed
listless and worn-out at De Goffert Stadium.
Typically, Kwame Quansah, in his Ajax-1 debut, came closest
to scoring with a volley that went a couple of yards wide.
NEC's goalkeeper, Gentenaar, was not forced to make any real
saves throughout the game. A late Andy van der Meyde shot - or
was it a cross? - was easy prey for him as well.
NEC did not create many chances either, making for a
horribly boring spectacle, but they were always the more
dangerous team. De Gier and Hristov missed clear header
chances. The latter seemed to take full of advantage of Chivu's
substitution. His new opponent, Abubakari Yakubu, was too late
in his very first duel with Hristov and was lucky that the
Macedonian's shot went over the cross-bar.
Hristov sustained an injury after some ten minutes in the
second half, but before he left the pitch, he did what he was
hired for: scoring. No Ajax midfielder was there to stop his
rather slow run, and defenders De Cler and Vierklau seemed
content to watch as Hristov pushed the ball under Fred Grim
(58).
There was no such thing as an Ajax offensive in the
remainder of the game. NEC's midfielder Schulz came closest to
scoring again, and it's significant that young débutant
Kiran Bechan (replacing the injured Wamberto) was the only Ajax
striker to at least try something. Andy van der Meyde miserably
failed at the right wing, producing not one useful cross. And
last week's man of four goals, Shota Arveladze, was invisible
throughout.
After the game, coach Co Adriaanse pointed out that many of
his players returned injured from their duties with their
national teams, and that almost all of them saw their country
lose. It could be a factor, but it's definitely not sufficient
to explain Ajax' painful black-out in Nijmegen.
Ajax grabbed one, but lost five points in its two games
against NEC, in which they did not score a goal. The apathy,
the listlessness and the lack of detemination and creativity is
worrying, one week before PSV comes to Amsterdam ArenA. Ajax
are unbeaten at home this season. In fact, they have not lost a
league game in the Arena since 18 March, 2000. PSV threaten to
break that streak, unless the "other" Ajax turns up. (MP)
GOAL
Referee: Bossen
Yellow cards: De Gier (NEC), Yakubu (Ajax)
Attendance: 12,500
Line-up Ajax: Grim; Vierklau, Chivu (41. Yakubu),
Pasanen, De Cler; Galásek, Van der Vaart; Van der Meyde,
Arveladze, Bechan (73. Quansah).
Line-up NEC: Gentenaar; Collen, Hesp, Wisgerhof,
Leiwakabessy; Van Rijswijk, Latuheru, Schulz, Zonneveld;
Hristov (66. Schulp), De Gier (84. Ax).
Links:
