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Match Report: Lausanne Sports 1, Ajax 0
UEFA Cup: Weak Ajax allows insignificant Swiss to win
26 October: Was it the form of the day? Had Ajax
under-estimated its opponent? Was it laziness? Co Adriaanse and
his men will have to think that over themselves. Fact is that
an aloof and completely apathetic Amsterdam team allowed a far
from impressive opponent to win the first UEFA Cup third round
leg. Argentinian Lausanne Sports captain Javier Mazzoni beat
Fred Grim with an left footed shot, which hit the net via the
post: 1-0.
Aron Winter called the victory 'undeserved' after the game,
which was factually true: Ajax dominated the first fifteen
minutes of the game and the entire second half, creating four
major scoring chances. Pius Ikedia, who was faster and better
skilled than his opponent Christ, provided too many poor
crosses, but the two times he hit the ball right, he offered
Tomás Galásek (right foot shot) and Nikos Machlas
(header) two 100% chances.
A third huge opportunity was missed by substitute Shota
Arveladze, who suddenly stood right in front of goalkeeper
Rapo, after a Wamberto cross got flicked on with head by
Machlas. It all went so fast, Arveladze couldn't hit it
right.
Ajax could - and should - have scored at least one or two
times. But still, Aron Winter's remarks were completely out of
place: Ajax' preponderance just underscores the abominable
quality of the mediocre Swiss Lausanne Sports.
The only danger they created came from a handful of long
range shots (Kuzba, Lombardo, Hellebuyck), the best of which
were brilliantly saved by Fred Grim. But losing against this
team is a nothing less than disgraceful.
The lack of determination of the entire team was an insult
for supporters who had travelled along to Switzerland for this
scrappy performance, in which the last few minutes were the
only really exciting ones: Winter and Machlas could have
equalized for Ajax, whereas Polish striker Kuzba could have
brought Ajax in real trouble for the second leg.
The good news is that Ajax will have to have another
complete off day like this to really get eliminated by this
opponent.
The bad news is that Ajax will have to play the second leg
without Brazilian striker Wamberto, who got sent off ten
minutes before the final whistle. He was brought down by Thiaw
and reacted by kicking the Lausanne sub against the leg, while
lying on the grass. Refree Siric was watching it from close
range and was completely right in showing the red card. It
fitted nicely into the picture of this embarrassing night in
Lausanne. (MP)
GOAL
Referee: Siric (Croatia)
Yellow cards: Baudry (Lausanne Sports), Winter, Ikedia,
Chivu (Ajax)
Red card: 80' Wamberto (Ajax)
Attendance: 11,150
Line-up Ajax: Grim; Vierklau (65. Yakubu), Chivu,
Pasanen, Bergdølmo; Winter, Galásek, Vander Vaart
(65. Arveladze); Ikedia, Machlas, Wamberto.
Line-up Lausanne Sports: Rapo; Meyer, Puce, Karlen (74.
Zambaz), Christ; Lombardo, Santini, Hellebuyck (86. Lutsenko),
Baudry; Kuzba, Mazzoni (70. Thiaw).
