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Ajax effective and attractive in Groningen

	Joy for Rafael van der Vaart (M) after scoring again for Ajax. Andy van der Meyde, Andre Bergdolmo and Tim de Cler join in the celebration. [source: ANP]

Ajax' new system is effective and succesful, was the common opinion in Holland over the past weeks, but it is also defensive and (for Ajax standards) not very attractive. No matter whether Co Adriaanse's squad deserved that criticism, Ajax seems to slowly find the balance between 'effective' and 'attractive'. This Sunday, FC Groningen was beaten in great style: 1-4.

The Dutch sports press has been so busy babbling about Ajax' defensive play, that the team's return to the 'good old' 4-3-3 or even 4-2-4 system has apparently gone unnoticed. The much discussed 'Berlin Wall' is still there when it comes to the Ajax defense being solid, but it now consists of three or four defenders - and not five. For the sports press' information: the great teams of Cruyff, Van Basten and Jari Litmanen had four defenders as well. Also, Ajax scored 12 goals in its last four games.

You start wondering what's the case: do Holland's football journalists simply refuse to see that Ajax' play is not so defensive at all, or are they misled by the fact that the new Ajax slowly starts becoming really good at both attacking and defending?

The plain facts of this Sunday's game against FC Groningen is that Ajax spent the entire first half playing on Groningen's half of the pitch, showed a handful of formidable combinations, created half a dozen of 100% scoring chances and would have deserved more goals at half time than the two they'd scored. A good achievement, considering the fact that this was Ajax' third game in eight days and that FC Groningen was still unbeaten at home.

A remarkable name in the starting line-up was that of Tim de Cler, who surprisignly replaced Maxwell. Even more surprising were the full 90 minutes played by John O'Brien, who in fact replaced Mido. Of course, he was not playing as a striker, but as a right midfielder. The entire Ajax midfield deserved praise for their excellent performance: Abubakari Yakubu and John O'Brien eliminated FC Groningen's creative forces on midfield (Joost Broerse and Brazilian Hugo). In doing so, the duo provided the artist on midfield, Rafaël van der Vaart, with the perfect support.

Zlatan should have given Ajax an early lead, but he headed a Wamberto cross straight into goalkeeper Beukenkamp's arms. A Wamberto goal was disallowed, Andy van der Meyde failed to tip in a low Wamberto cross and Rafaël van der Vaart should have scored a second only 60 seconds after he had opened the score for Ajax (again!), by finishing after some more Zlatan magic inside the penalty box (36). FC Groningen seemed ready for an early knock-out and was lucky to concede only one more goal: a superb, curling and intelligently placed Wamberto shot from outside the penalty box (45).

The first ten minutes after the break were in fact the only phase of the game during in which FC Groningen put Ajax under pressure. A Broerse free kick hit the post and substitute Boussaboun forced Grim to push a furious shot wide with his fingertips. The green and white offensive only lasted a few minutes, but it was enough to bring Groningen back into the game: a corner kick was headed by Broerse, saved by Grim and then finished by Broerse himself (52).

Surprisingly, FC Groningen did not continue playing aggressively, but returned to their weary and somewhat apathetic play of the first half. Ajax' back-line was not brought in danger anymore, whereas on the other end of the pitch, the Ajax strikers returned to their first half routine of creating one chance after the other. The highlight came from Zlatan, who put himself in front of Beukenkamp by lifting the ball over his defender and turning away from him with a gracious pirouette. He was unable to give the finishing touch.

Unfortunately, not only the most beautiful moments came from Zlatan. He was responsible for the ugliest scene of the day as well, disgracefully hitting Melchior Schoenmakers in the neck with his elbow - an attack for which he had deserved the red card, as early as in the 4th minute. The young Swede did something similar to his Apollon opponent on Thursday and should immediately be cured of these nasty habits.

Andy van der Meyde missed another open chance, before he gave himself the nicest thinkable birthday present (he turned 22), the decisive goal for Ajax. The right winger flicked on a long ball with his head. Goalkeeper Beukenkamp had made the mistake to run away from his goal and saw the ball trickle into the net (71).

Substitute Richard Knopper should have been given a penalty in the remainder of the game and the second substitute, Nikos Machlas, even added a fourth goal in stoppage time, pushing a low Knopper assist from the right flank across the goal line (90).

The criticism about Ajax' play doesn't come from nowhere, of course. The games against Roda JC, FC Twente and AZ were indeed completely 'un-Ajax'. However, the first half against Sparta and this game at FC Groningen proved that something beautiful is germinating in Amsterdam, where the crowd starts to understand Co Adriaanse's plan.

In the mean time, PSV lost again (0-2 to Vitesse) and are now 14th, whereas Feyenoord could not do better than a 0-0 draw at FC Den Bosch. Ajax is still unbeaten, won eight games in a row and are three points ahead of Feyenoord. The Groningen game brought no bookings or injuries. There's ten days of rest coming up before the next game, on 10 October, against NEC Nijmegen. (MP)

GOALS

• 36' 0-1 Rafaël van der Vaart
• 45' 0-2 Wamberto
• 52' 1-2 Joost Broerse
• 76' 1-3 Andy van der Meyde
• 90' 1-4 Nikos Machlas

Referee: Jol
Cards: none
Attendance: 13,000

Ajax line-up: Grim; Trabelsi, Bergdølmo, Chivu, De Cler; O'Brien, Yakubu, Van der Vaart; Van der Meyde (82. Knopper), Zlatan (82. Machlas), Wamberto.

FC Groningen line-up: Beukenkamp; Elshot, Schoenmakers (53. Curovic), Allach, Johansson; Hugo (40. Boussaboun), Hoogstrate (72. Bisseling) Broerse; Tuhuteru, Drent, Robben.