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Match Report: Ajax keeps giving away expensive presents

In an extremely poor and boring match, neither 'top teams' Ajax or PSV appeared to have recovered from their recent bad form. This didn't cause any problems for PSV since Ajax was even worse, playing a powerless first half in which they gave the three points away after just thirteen minutes.

The defeat was reminiscent of last week's match when NAC also enjoyed a victory without playing a great game themselves. In the weeks before Sinterklaas and Christmas, it looks as if Ajax has already started giving away expensive presents to their opponents. Both NAC and PSV didn't really have to create any good chance to score.

The similarity was remarkable. Again, the first goal was scored out of a dead ball situation in which the Ajax defenders didn't respond adequately. This time it was a corner which wasn't initially dangerous, but in the scrimmage it was no Ajax player but two PSV players who could put their foot against the ball. Kezman easily profited from the lack of concentration and left Grim helpless. (0-1)

Also PSV's second goal looked quite the same as Stewart's shot a week ago. This time it was Lucius who was left all alone from a distance of some 20 meters. The PSV'er was given several seconds to think where to place the ball and finally fired it nicely into the upper ninety (0-2).

This all took place in the first thirteen minutes of the game, and by that time the game was actually decided. Although there was still plenty of time left, the players of Ajax didn't give any hope to the crowd that they could or would do something about it. Their play was apathetic, and thanks to that the great atmosphere in the stadium at the beginning of the match was gone within fifteen minutes.

Ajax had started the match with their defensive system of five defenders. Yakubu and Trabelsi had returned to the squad after their injuries and, together with Bergdølmo, Chivu and Maxwell (replacing De Cler), it was their job - as Co stated afterwards - "not to get an early goal against." Although this tactical mission already had failed in the first quarter of an hour, coach Adriaanse hadn't seen any reason to change this defensive system for a more attacking one. He had found it too early in the match to replace two players. Of course this would be an unusual step, but an unusually early 0-2 deficit sometimes requires unusual decisions.

Adriaanse waited until half time, when he brought in Mido and Van der Meyde for O'Brien and Yakubu, resulting in a 4-2-4 system. With this attacking style, Ajax all of sudden showed much more danger, and this immediately made clear that Adriaanse's late substitution had cost the team some 30 minutes of effective playing time. Mido in particular showed that he can be a real top class player. His fighting spirit and technical skills were the bright spots on this dark day. It was the young Egyptian who all on his own changed the spirit in the team and on the stands. With his vibrant playing style and his evocative gestures towards the stands, he cheered the crowd up who all of sudden started to believe in the possibility of victory once again.

For the first time in the match Ajax created some good chances, but attempts of Zlatan (two shots on goal) and Wamberto (solo run to the goal) weren't successful and missed the luck Ajax needed. Later on it was Mido who did put the ball behind PSV goalie Waterreus but his goal got cancelled, because referee Jol had seen Mido pushing while he headed the ball into the goal after a brilliant pass from Van der Meyde.

Van der Meyde played another good match at right wing, underscoring his good form by making things more difficult for left back Heintze than Galásek had in the first half. It's a wonder that he didn't play right from the start against the old and not so fast Heintze. The return of Galásek in the squad can't be called successful so far. Since the Czeck returned from his injury, Ajax has only won the home match against Willem II. It is certainly too simple to blame him alone for the little crisis in which Ajax now finds itself, but it is also very true that the right sided Galásek couldn't create any danger in the first half. Galásek himself doesn't want to make any correlation between his return and the bad results: "If I start thinking that this is all because of me, I will never play alright anymore."

Despite the good chances Ajax created in the first part of the second half, they failed to score. Instead of that, PSV added to their lead. Rommedahl, who was brought on for Bøgelund, easily fired past Grim from a 20 meters distance (80'). After this knock-out, all remaining spirit was definitely gone on the pitch as well as in the stands. Supporters were leaving and the Ajax players didn't even cheer when Bergdølmo scored in the 85th minute from the penalty spot. Unbelievably, the silly disk jockey in the stadium dared to play loud music singing "Ajax is okay!" How ignorant can a person be?

And what about that other person in the stadium, coach Co Adriaanse? Will he survive this bad series? With just one victory out of the last seven matches, three home defeats in a row (including Kopenhagen) and, moreover, another failure in an important match, Adriaanse finds himself in a rather awkward situation right now. It is a poorly-kept secret that Ajax manager Van Eijden and the Ajax coach are not good friends, and that Van Eijden would like to see Frank Rijkaard coming back to Amsterdam.

Two years ago Jan Wouters got sacked after losing the centennial match against FC Twente. On Wednesday, Ajax plays FC Twente again [televised in U.S.]. Will this be Adriaanse's last one too? A defeat will almost certainly means his discharge, but Adriaanse has survived other bad weather this season. (BV)

Goals:

• 07' 0-1 Mateja Kezman
• 13' 0-2 Theo Lucius
• 80' 0-3 Dennis Rommedahl
• 85' 1-3 André Bergdølmo (pen)

Referee: Jol
Yellow Cards: O'Brien, Trabelsi, Mido (Ajax), Ramzi (PSV)
Red Cards: none
Attendance: 43,830

Ajax line-up: Grim, Trabelsi (78' Heitinga), Bergdølmo, Chivu, Maxwell, Yakubu (46' Van der Meyde), Galásek, O'Brien (46' Mido), Van der Vaart, Wamberto, Zlatan

PSV line-up: Waterreus, Ooijer, Faber (57' Addo), Heintze, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Kezman, Vogel, Lucius, Nikiforov, Bouma (26' Ramzi), Bøgelund (77' Rommedahl)

Related Links:

• Discussion: Ajax current form
• Ajax.nl: match report and photos