Ajax takes it easy in first friendly: 1-5 at Omniworld

As the Dutch say: "the ball is rolling again!" Ajax played their first competitive match this afternoon, in warm and sunny Almere, where the ambitious FC Omniworld were the first sparring partner for the Amsterdammers, who played without the 'Portugal six' (Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Heitinga, Ibrahimovic, Grygera and Galásek). The seventeen Ajacieden who did see action took it fairly easy in the first competitive kickabout of 2004-2005. After a 1-4 half-time score they took it even easier in the second half, putting only one more goal on the score-board: 1-5.

Nigel de Jong evades FC Omniworld defender. [Photo: Ajax.nl]

In recent season Ajax restored the old tradition of playing an amateur outfit from Amsterdam in the first pre-season friendly. This year they didn't, although FC Omniworld can be regarded as a club from the 'Greater Amsterdam'. Their home town of Almere is a young town, a stone's throw east of Amsterdam, designed and built for commuters from the city. The ambitious local pride, FC Omniworld, play in the Hoofdklasse ('Top Class') of Dutch amateur football and have plans to 'go professional'.

The absence of the Euro 2004 participants, who will miss the 'Dutch leg' of the pre-season campaign, allowed Ajax boss Ronald Koeman to test some youngsters: defender Hedwiges Maduro and midfielder Rasmus Lindgren have joined the first team on a pre-season try-out. Maduro was brought on in the second half; Lindgren played the full ninety minutes. It was their (unofficial) Ajax-1 début. They will join the first team for the traditional training camp in the eastern village of De Lutte and will see more action against Dutch amateur sides next week.

The fixture at Fanny Blankers-Koen Sportpark marked the comeback of defender Petri Pasanen in the Ajax jersey. The Finn was loaned out to Portsmouth last season, but is still on an Ajax contract. Pasanen is back, but was told that there is no future for him in the first team and that he can look out for a new club. The same goes for Victor Sikora, who has no more credit after two disappointing seasons. The duo played in Almere, but may well have left Ajax by the time the Eredivisie starts.

Two players who were expected to see action, meanwhile, were missing. Koeman wanted to use only two goalkeepers and chose for the duo that will have to battle for the #1 slot: Bogdan Lobont (first half) and Maarten Stekelenburg (second half). Ajax's only new signing so far, third goalie Hans Vonk, warched from the stands. Next to him was John O'Brien. The American had a dreadful 2003-2004 season due to a persistent Achilles injury. He was fit on 1 July and so determined that he started training at the ArenA two days before the rest of the squad. This weekend he felt some pain again and decided not to take any risks.

Maxwell. [Photo: Ajax.nl]

The most outstanding Ajacied in the first half was Tom De Mul, who had several fine runs and moves and scored a beautiful goal in the 35th minute. It was Ajax's fourth, as Nigel de Jong, Tom Soetaers and Petri Pasanen had already netted in the first half hour. Ergun Cakir notched a goal for the hosts.

As usual in pre-season fixtures Ajax brought on many substitutes for the second half, so that several players moved to positions they're not used to. Rasmus Lindgren, for example, played the second half of his first team début game as a left fullback, something he'd never done before. The heat and the fact that the team had only three training sessions so far, were other factors that explain why the second half was such a lame affair. Both teams hit the woodwork a couple of times. The only man on the pitch to score was Anthony Obodai, Ajax's surprising 'target man' of last season's final weeks.

1-5. The figures don't mean much at this point. "I don't really have an opinion about this game," Koeman admitted. "The most important thing is that we're playing again. The people must have had a good time in the first half and not such a good time in the second. With this game we have concluded the first week of training. On Monday we go to De Lutte, where we will seriously start working on the shape and fitness of the team. This time next week we must have made the next step." (MP)

Source: Ajax.nl 

GOALS

• 10'  0-1  Nigel de Jong
• 17'  0-2  Tom Soetaers
• 23'  0-3  Petri Pasanen
• 27'  1-3  Ergun Cakir
• 35'  1-4  Tom De Mul
• 67'  1-5  Anthony Obodai

Referee: unknown
Cards: none
Attendance: 1,500

Ajax line-up: Lobont (46. Stekelenburg); De Jong, Pasanen, Escudé (46. Maduro), Maxwell (46. De Ridder); Obodai, Pienaar, Lindgren; De Mul (46. Sikora), Anastasiou (46. Sonck), Soetaers (46. Mitea).

FC Omniworld line-up: De Beer (46. Van Vuuren); Hollart (66. Eind), Cakir, Roelofsen (46. Ruymgaard), Gouttebarge, Hessing, Van Gulik (66. Badjhoe), Hoefijzer (66. Danso), Donleben (60. Oijers), Neslo (46. Bone), Karabulut (66. Schleiffert).

Related Links:

• Discussion: Pre-Season and Friendly Games
• Ajax.nl: Match report in  Dutch (with pictures)