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Ajax 'hit for six' against weary AZ

Some nights of football simply couldn't be better: a spectacular game, a hatful of goals, both Eredivisie rivals (PSV and Feyenoord) losing two points at the same time, a jump to the top of the table and - most importantly - a squad of players looking fitter and more on-form after than before their Euro 2004 qualifying trips with their national teams. After having 'hit for six' against AZ from Alkmaar (6-2), the conclusion that Ajax is ready for the second half of its first Champions League round seems a fair one.

On Tuesday, against Rosenborg BK, Ajax captain Cristian Chivu will surely be playing. He was deemed fit to play against AZ, but was kept out of the team at his own request. Left back Jelle Van Damme was still injured. Therefore, 17 year-old Young Ajax left back Nigel de Jong received the phonecall every Ajax rookie is dreaming of: he was due at the ArenA for his official Ajax-1 debut. Much to the delight of the crowd of 47,000+. If there's one thing Ajax fans love, it's youth players making their first team debut in sassy, self-assured style.

That's exactly what the youngster did. In fact, he was easily the best defender in Ajax' otherwise worryingly leaky back-line. He faultlessly did his defensive duties, and had several good rushes forward as well, during which he brought former Ajax right back Ole Tobiasen in trouble as if he were a left winger. André Bergdølmo and weak Abubakari Yakubu, however, demonstrated that Ajax simply needs Cris Chivu in order to survive in 'Europe'. AZ made this crystal clear after only three minutes, as a completely unmarked Kenneth Perez could nod a high ball past Maarten Stekelenburg: 0-1 (3).

Was it going to be 'one of those games', like recently against NAC (2-2)? Was Ajax going to be fighting against its own defensive errors? The answer was 'no', as the Amsterdammers were taken by the hand by Mido, who played instead of Zlatan, who was rested for Tuesday's Rosenborg tie. Ajax recovered so quickly that many spectators first entered the ground at a score of 2-1. The Egyptian had already hit the cross-bar with a header in the very first minute, but was succesful nine minutes later, as he superbly headed home on an equally excellent Van der Meyde cross. The co-operation between the two was succesfully repeated two minutes later. This time Mido only had to push Van der Meyde's pass into the nets: 2-1 (12). The false start was wiped out.

It must be a reassuring thought for Koeman that both Mido and Zlatan are willing to work hard, and moreover, that they both play well and score their chances. However, the 'good news story' of the first half was the spectacular return of Andy van der Meyde. The right winger turned down Dick Advocaat's Oranje invitation last week, due to his recent form-crisis. His return to action was a humiliating experience for his marksman, former Ajacied Tim de Cler. Van der Meyde provided the assists for no less than four Ajax goals. De Cler's return to the ArenA was so frustrating that he picked up two clumsy yellow cards: one for 'talking' and, some fifteen minutes before game's end, for kicking a ball back into play, after the play had already been resumed with a new ball. Exit De Cler.

The guests were definitely not chanceless in the first half. After Jari Litmanen had converted another Van der Meyde cross to make it 3-1, the Alkmaar side had two good chances to pull a goal back, one of which bounced back from the cross-bar. Litmanen also hit the bar, deep into the second half, after he had lifted the score to 4-1 in superb style, by surprising goalkeeper Moens with a technically perfect lob.

Two goals for Mido, two for Litmanen; Ajax vs AZ was a game in which all goalscorers added a second. Kenneth Perez took advantage of Abubakari Yakubu's nonchalance (he tried to artistically clear using his heel), making it 4-2. However, Ajax had the final word, as substitute Nourdin Boukhari made the most out of his thirteen minutes on the pitch, by scoring his first official goals for Ajax: a shot and a header, on both occasions after the AZ defense was outplayed with some beautiful football.

There was a lot to see in this enjoyable game at the ArenA. There was only one worry for Ronald Koeman: Maarten Stekelenburg's injury, sustained as he had to stretch to grab a Barry van Galen lob, which forced Koeman to replace the goalkeeper by Henk Timmer, on loan from... AZ. Ajax' goalkeepers seem cursed, this season. There are four of them in the squad, but it's hardly been enough, so far. "This drives me crazy", said Koeman.

The Ajax coach was, quite logically, critical of his defenders, but - more surprisingly - also of Andy van der Meyde, whom Koeman has repeatedly criticized publicly: "Those assists were good, of course. But on several occasions, I saw him racing across the pitch again, with the ball, and I thought: 'What on earth are you doing? Do you ever listen?'"

Other than Van der Meyde's tactical discipline, there was not too much to complain about. Ajax' play was not as faultless as two weeks ago, at Feyenoord, but this wasn't necessary against this weary opponent. Meanwhile, it's good to see that many players, especially in midfield (Litmanen, Galásek, Witschge) are slowly getting into excellent form. At this moment, Ajax is playing significantly better than its domestic rivals, Feyenoord and PSV. Next up, however, is the 'must win' Champions League tie with Rosenborg BK. (MP)

GOALS

• 03'  0-1  Kenneth Perez
• 10'  1-1  Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam
• 12'  2-1  Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam
• 22'  3-1  Jari Litmanen
• 48'  4-1  Jari Litmanen
• 61'  4-2  Kenneth Perez
• 79'  5-2  Nourdin Boukhari
• 84'  6-2  Nourdin Boukhari

Referee: Van Egmond
Yellow cards: Van Galen, Wijker (AZ)
Red card: De Cler (AZ, 'double yellow')
Attendance: 47,481

Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg (46. Timmer); Trabelsi, Bergdølmo, Yakubu (69. Pasanen), De Jong; Galásek, Litmanen, Witschge; Van der Meyde, Mido, Sikora (77. Boukhari).

AZ line-up: Moens; Tobiasen, Wijker, Opdam, De Cler; Meerdink (82. Buskermolen), Lindenbergh, Van Galen, Robbemond (69. Kromkamp); Perez, Nelisse (72. Elkhattabi).

Related Links

• Ajax.nl: Match Report (in Dutch)