0408.html

Match Report: Powerless Ajax not ready for PSV

	PSV's Ruud van Nistelrooy shoots past Ajax defender Abubakari Yakubu. [source: ANP]

A higher percentage of ball possession and a few great chances in the last ten minutes of the game were not enough to mask the reality this Sunday at the ArenA. Co Adriaanse's young Ajax squad lacks the physical power and offensive determination to bring PSV into trouble. The Eindhoven team played patiently and self-assured. One goal was enough for a logical victory.

Visually, what Ajax had to offer was not that bad. The Ajacieden are at least as skilled as their Eindhoven opponents, and the defense (with a superb Yakubu Abubakari eliminating Ruud van Nistelrooij) was solid. The problem, despite Ajax' status as Holland's most scoring team, were the strikers.

Shota Arveladze and Cedric van der Gun were completely invisible, and while Wamberto got himself into shooting position a few times, his attempts were miserable. But the weakest man on the pitch was - without a doubt - Andy van der Meyde, who did not manage to slip past his 38 year-old opponent, Jan Heintze, one single time.

On the other end of the pitch, Ruud van Nistelrooy had a few dangerous moments, but Ajax got the best chance of the first 45 minutes, as Wamberto tried to outwit goalkeeper Waterreus with a lob from the left side. His attempt was too low, so that Waterreus could catch. The entire story of the boring first half was told by the half-time score: 0-0.

Despite the fact that Ajax did not look like the weaker team, Adil Ramzi's excellent header goal (53) did not come as a real surprise. You could feel it coming, so to speak, just because of PSV's surplus of patience and personality. PSV's team is obviously a few years older on average, and a few years more experienced.

During the remainder of the game, the Eindhoven squad was stoic, even though Ajax created some of the best chances of the game in the last ten minutes: Richard Witschge, in the team because Co Adriaanse wanted to give exhausted Rafaël van der Vaart some rest, did not have a lucky day, but provided Wamberto a brilliant pass which the Brazilian should have converted into a goal. He failed.

Rafaël van der Vaart, subbed in for Van der Gun for the last fifteen minutes, could have scored with an almost perfect volley attempt, but Ronald Waterreus' save was equally outstanding. Ajax dominated the latter stages of play, but that could not erase the feeling that this defeat was inevitable.

PSV coach Eric Gerets praised Ajax after the game: "This game was won by the luckiest team; not by the best team. We were forced back, and it was not our strategy. Ajax deserves the credit for that." Gentleman-like remarks, but the truth is harder than that, for Ajax. PSV is a better team. Ajax desperately needs a bigger, more powerful striker than the ones available now, and lacks that crucial thing referred to by the Yiddish word gogme: cleverness, or slyness.

No-one is going to keep PSV from winning the national title, especially since a floundering Feyenoord suffered its third defeat in a row (1-0 against ten NAC players). Ajax was lucky that two of its pursuers, Vitesse and RKC, failed as well (a 1-2 defeat against Willem II and a 1-1 draw at FC Twente, respectively).

Pursuer number three, Roda JC, won at FC Groningen (1-3), turning Easter Monday's confrontation in Kerkrade into - probably - the most important game of the season for Ajax. It will be a direct battle for the third position. If Ajax loses, they may well drop to fifth, the position at which the team finished last season. Everyone in Amsterdam seems convinced that Ajax has made progress since last year. If they want to prove it, they have to prove it now. (MP)

GOAL

• 53' 0-1 Adil Ramzi

Referee: Luinge
Yellow cards: Vierklau (Ajax), Waterreus, Vogel (PSV)
Attendance: 44,954
Line-up Ajax: Grim; Vierklau, Pasanen, Yakubu (85. Cruz), De Cler; Galásek, Van der Gun (75. Van der Vaart), Witschge; Van der Meyde, Arveladze, Wamberto.
Line-up PSV: Waterreus; Faber, Nikiforov (65. Van der Weerden), Hofland, Heintze; Rommedahl, Van Bommel, Vogel, Ramzi; De Jong (89. Addo), Van Nistelrooij (77. Kezman).

Links:

• PSV profile on Ajax USA