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Match Report: Third 1-1 draw in a row between Ajax and Roda JC

It was 1-1 in Kerkrade last season, it was 1-1 in the ArenA earlier this year and it was 1-1 once again on Saturday. For the 13th time in total, Roda JC vs Ajax (the most distant away game of the season) ended in a draw. Many of those games were exciting from beginning to end; this one unfortunately wasn't. For 70 minutes it was a poor display, with no scoring chances. Neither of the teams could lay claim to the victory. Actually, for the large part of the game the level of play was so poor that none of the teams even deserved one point. In the end it was fair that they both got one - and no more than that.

A bad game deserves a bad referee - and that's exactly what Roda JC vs Ajax had. René Temmink was hot news last week: for rewarding PSV a penalty where the player wasn't even touched by his defender. Temmink admitted his mistake on TV when confronted with the footage, for which he deserves respect, but in Kerkrade he struck again. His guidance was as erratic as the passing of both teams. Out of the five yellow cards the Temmink gave, only two seemed correct: Vandenbroeck for tackling Andy van der Meyde from behind and Van der Vaart for yelling at the referee. The remaining three bookings were a bit 'too much', to say the least.

On the night, Ajax had more reason to complain about the referee than Roda JC, although a team hardly able to create any danger can never blame the referee for the loss of three, or even two points. That, obviously, was Ajax' own fault. Nevertheless: the 23rd minute penalty Temmink gave Roda seemed an early Christmas gift. Two Swedish strikers tried to win a penalty by happily diving to the grass, after only the least little touch by their defenders. Two almost identical cases, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic got a yellow card for it, whereas Fredrik Berglund got what he wanted. Greek striker Yannis Anastasiou converted irreproachably: 1-0.

Roda played too poorly to really deserve the lead, but on the other hand: Ajax played so poorly that they did deserve to get into trouble. The Amsterdammers seemed unable to give more than two good passes in a row and Fred Grim often chose for long kicks forward, which is a chanceless way build up attacks against a tall and physically strong defence like Roda's. The early replacement of Roda's strongest giant, Regilio Vrede, didn't really change that.

What more can you say about what were probably the 45 poorest minutes of football from both sides in an Ajax game this season? Zero chances, and one goal, thanks to the part-time Santa Claus named Temmink.

There were some interesting changes in the Ajax line-up compared to RBC Amstel Cup game. Coach Ronald Koeman is sticking to a 4-3-3 formation, but seems to be testing his options at right back and right and central midfield. Hatem Trabelsi, Tomás Galásek and Richard Knopper were offered a chance last week. This time, Koeman gave Johnny Heitinga, Abubakari Yakubu and John O'Brien a shot. It was the American's 50th Eredivisie game. His play was neither good nor bad, but there seems to be more 'chemistry' between Yakubu and O'Brien than between Galásek and Knopper.

Coaches Koeman and Leekens had a lot of basic things to explain to their players during the break, but they were apparently preaching to deaf ears. Ajax managed to create one chance before notching a scruffy equalizer: a corner kick was missed by the Roda defence, but Cris Chivu didn't seem to realize what a major chance was suddenly presented to him. His tip-in was too soft, which allowed goalkeeper Kalac to save.

The equalizer itself - only deserved because Roda did not deserve three points - was scored from an equally disorganized situation and came pretty much out of nowhere. A Van der Vaart free-kick was pushed against Kalac's hands by John O'Brien, after which Knopper and Zlatan both went for the rebound and were almost in each other's way. A sliding Zlatan fumbled the ball a few inches over the line: 1-1 (68).

His goal, scruffy as it was, was a reward for the Swede's fine play in the second half. So far, Zlatan has been a man of great, but isolated moments at Ajax. This time he really played a good game-as-a-whole: always moving for the ball, strong in covering it and already looking for a thru-pass possibility when turning away from his defender in one fluent movement.

Ajax finally started showing some decent football after the equalizer. Twenty minutes of determination should have been enough to force Roda (who did not create a single chance themselves) to its knees. Ajax attacked more frequently and more dangerously than Roda in the remainder of the game, but it was the Limburg side that came closest to the victory with their first open scoring chance, in the very last minute of the game. Fred Grim failed to grasp a high ball, colliding violently with Roda midfielder Videlich. The ball would have trickled into the net, if it wasn't for Cristian Chivu, who cleared on the line and then sank to the grass, injured, immediately thereafter.

Physiotherapist Pim van Dordt patched up Chivu, but Fred Grim had to be replaced by Joey Didulica for the remaining minute. It was the Eredivisie debut for the amicable Australian, who is now officially the 'First And Only Ajax-1 Goalkeeper To Have Bought Beers For A Group Of Ajax USA Members' (in April of 2001, at De Toekomst bar - cheers, Joey!). It was also the first ever minute of Eredivisie football with Australian goalkeepers in both goals.

Yes, you have to dwell on silly facts like these after such a poor game. (MP)

GOALS

• 22' 1-0 Yannis Anastasiou (penalty)
• 68' 1-1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Referee: Temmink
Yellow cards: Lachambre, Vandenbroeck (Roda JC), Yakubu, Zlatan, Van der Vaart (Ajax)
Attendance: 16,500

Ajax line-up: Grim (90. Didulica); Heitinga (60. Knopper), Bergd¢lmo, Chivu, Maxwell; Yakubu, Van der Vaart, O'Brien; Van der Meyde (76. Trabelsi), Zlatan, Wamberto.

Roda JC line-up: Kalac; Senden, Vrede (17. Vandenbroeck), Luypers, Lachambre; Rudge, Videlich, Van Dessel, Lawal (67. Soetaers); Anastasiou, Berglund (82. Zafarin).

Related Links:

• Discussion: Ajax current form