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Ajax salvage three points in crazy game at ArenA: 4-3

There's a lot you can say about Ajax and this year's Eredivisie, but not that it's boring. While the league is reaching its nerve-wracking climax, Ajax' games slowly begin to look like thrillers as well. Ajax fans wanted a goal or four against FC Groningen, because Ajax' goal-differential could stand some some improvement. They did get their four goals, but had probably never expected that the fourth one was badly needed to win the three points on the night, only four minutes before the end.

Coach Ronald Koeman was relieved, but also very angry with his team after the game. "This was a disgrace! They don't have the absolute will-power to win every game. Every day, I have to tell them that this is about the championship. The childlike mistakes that are made! The absolute will to keep the opponent from creating chances was not there. The second goal was unbelievable. They just watch, watch and do nothing! The third goal... was a joke."

Indeed: the second and third goals the northern side scored, were flabbergasting and seemed the knock-out punch for Ajax. FC Groningen had taken an early lead, in a first half in which the full Ajax team seemed paralyzed and probably played its weakest half of the season. Arjen Robben got a major scoring chance by simply running through the entire Ajax defense with the ball at his foot. Then, Boussaboun came face-to-face with Grim, but his the cross-bar. Seconds later, one more long kick was enough to give Sander van Gessel a completely free passage. He scored Groningen's first (13). It could have been their second, or third.

No Ajacied was playing well, at that point. Van Halst was busy fouling, Bergd¢lmo (the captain, in default of Cristian Chivu) only kicked long balls forward, John O'Brien completely miss-hit the ball several times, seeing it trickle over the sideline. The only truly hard worker was Mido, playing in an equally surprising as ineffective forward line, with Zlatan in the unilkely role of a left winger. The Swede played reasonably well and almost never lost the ball, but was not dangerous at all. The Egyptian got a few minor chances.

After 40 minutes of complete dislocation, Ajax' equalizer came out of nowhere. A long kick was flicked on against the post by Mido. In the following scrimmage, the Egyptian himself fired home from close range (41). At half-time, nevertheless, eleven Ajax players walked off under merciless whistling, staring at their feet. "We want Young Ajax!" the F-Side yelled. The attitude and passion of the youngsters was exactly what was missing now.

Whatever Ronald Koeman told his men in the dressing-room, his words were probably not very nice. They seemed to work though, as Ajax displayed significantly more fighting spirit in the second half, but still not a minute of fluent play. As Mido slammed his second goal of the night underneath the Groningen cross-bar (56), the first half seemed forgotten. The crowd was ready for two, three or four more goals - but had to watch with enviious eyes that not Ajax, but FC Groningen scored them.

Within ten minutes' time the two goals Ronald Koeman would be so mad about were conceded. First, Van Halst, Bergdolmo and the painfully weak Yakubu were standing around as Arjen Robben twisted and turned, and diagonally shot past Fred Grim (60). Nine minutes later, the Groningen youngster - who's already signed his contract at PSV for next season - managed to pull the ball back in front of Grim's goal. No Ajax defender was even close to keep former Ajacied Ignacio Tuhuteru from heading home (69): 2-3. Koemans's cynical comment: "I told Trabelsi that Tuhuteru was his man. Maybe I should have told him that Tuhuteru was his man for the full 90 minutes."

Was this the night on which the entire season was going to collapse? It seemed so. All there was left for Ronald Koeman, was using his remaining strikers. Nikos Machlas was already in the team, replacing Zlatan. Pius Ikedia came for Steven Pienaar. Even the on-form South-African had hardly kicked a decent ball anymore in the second half.

The Ajax coach's substitutions have been very fortunate thoughout the season. Ikedia brought the speed and aggression Ajax needed so badly. The first thing the small Nigerian did, was winning the ball in midfield, rushing to the penalty box and delivering a fine little pass to Machlas, who didn't hesitate, turned around and fired into to low corner, like a true striker should (71).

Mido, the obvious 'Man Of The Match' for Ajax, failed to score his third a few minutes later, right in front of goalkeeper Beukenkamp. Finally, Ajax took FC Groningen in a grasp - and didn't let go. The night came to a spectacular conclusion as Maxwell - weak in the first half - showed why he once compared himself to Roberto Carlos. The Brazilian's magnificent run over the left flank, was followed with a low cross, which was tipped against the post by defender Boekweg and then converted by Nikos Machlas, who fired the rebound into the net as hard as he could (85). Two for Mido, two for Machlas. It's obvious who's lost the 'battle of the centre forwards', for now.

All's well that ends well, but on this night, it was no surprise that Ajax was close to total panic in the remaining minutes. Groningen pressed the Amsterdammers with their backs against the wall. Amidst the chaos of the final minutes al Abubakari Yakubu got into a scuffle and was sent off with his second yellow card of the night. After the two minutes that were yet to follow, referee Sterk's final whistle sounded like beautiful music.

Ajax seemed dead and buried tonight. You'd say that a team winning crucial games in this fashion, during the apotheosis of the season, simply has to win the championship. (MP)

GOALS

• 13' 0-1 Sander van Gessel
• 41' 1-1 Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam
• 56' 2-1 Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam
• 60' 2-2 Arjen Robben
• 69' 2-3 Ignacio Tuhuteru
• 71' 3-3 Nikos Machlas
• 85' 4-3 Nikos Machlas

Referee: Sterk
Yellow cards: Allach, Johansson (FC Groningen), Van Halst (Ajax)
Red card: Yakubu (Ajax, double yellow, 89')
Attendance: 30,142

Ajax line-up: Grim; Trabelsi, Yakubu, Bergdølmo, O'Brien; Van Halst (72. Galásek), Pienaar (70. Ikedia), Maxwell; Van der Meyde, Mido, Zlatan (46. Machlas).

FC Groningen line-up: Beukenkamp; Allach, Schoenmakers, Boekweg, Johansson; Matthijs, Broerse (87. Drent), Van Gessel (90. Hugo); Boussaboun, Robben, Tuhuteru.

Related Links

• Ajax.nl: Match Report (in Dutch, with pictures)