Determined Ajax kill Vitesse's UEFA Cup hopes: 0-2
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Holland Casino Eredivisie
Gelredome, Arnhem
Sunday, 15 May, 2005
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Ajax's last away game of the 2004-2005 season was a
meaningless fixture for the Amsterdammers, but a very important
one for hosts Vitesse. The Arnhem club only just
avoided relegation in the past two seasons, but
could still qualify for next season's UEFA Cup today.
They had to win. Ajax, however, did not co-operate.
The determined Amsterdammers battled hard in the first and
played rather well in the second half, in which goals
by Grygera and Van der Vaart destroyed Vitesse's
'European' dreams: 0-2.
As usual Ajax presented next season's away
kit in the last road match of the season. Will
Maxwell and Hatem Trabelsi (both injured) ever wear the
marine blue jersey...? Perhaps not. Was it the only time
for Rafaël van der Vaart to wear it? It seems likely:
the midfielder, who played from the start due to
Wesley Sneijder's ankle injury, is talking to
Bundesliga outfit Hamburger SV and is generally expected to
leave Ajax this summer.
Was this the only
time for Rafaël van der Vaart to
wear Ajax's new away uniform...? [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Van der Vaart's last time to play from the start was on
20 March of this year. His return was not the only change
to the Ajax line-up. Tomás Galásek also returned,
after having experienced a minor backlash of his back
injury last week. The biggest surprise, however, was the
return of Maarten Stekelenburg in the Ajax goal (his first
appearance since 13 March). Hans Vonk was on the
bench. Stekelenburg will almost certainly be Danny Blind's
#1 goalie next season.
Vitesse vs Ajax was an unfriendly, rather violent game
in the first half, especially from the side of the home team.
Steven Pienaar and Rafaël van der Vaart were brutally
mowed down in the opening minutes. The first serious
injury, however, was for Vitesse left fullback Michael Jansen,
who picked up a knock in an aerial duel (no foul, by the way)
and briefly lost consciousness. Vitesse did
not kick the ball across the sideline while their
team-mate was lying on the grass, but did expect Ajax
to do so once they'd lost possession. The
Amsterdammers decided to play on, much to the outrage of
Vitesse and their supporters. A brief row on the pitch
followed when the ball finally went out of play. Of
course, former Utrecht pitbull Stijn Vreven played a key part
in it. The tone was set. Michael Jansen (who had almost been an
Ajacied) was replaced by Youssouf Hersi (who once
was an Ajacied).
"It was exactly how we expected it to be," said Danny Blind
after the game. "Vitesse have a number of players with a
certain... temperament, if you'll allow me to put it
that way. Very determined and playing on the edge. I am quite
proud of my team for the fact that they also battled, and
remained upright."
Referee Eric Braamhaar somehow managed to book only one
Vitesse player (Hersi) and three Ajacieden,
including Steven Pienaar for leaving the wall too early
when Vitesse took a free-kick. The South-African, who still
didn't sign a new deal at Ajax, will be suspended for the last
game of the season against Groningen. Braamhaar's bookings
did not exactly reflect the number of
violent assaults on the pitch.
As for the football... there hardly was time and space for
quality play in the first half. Ajax did not create a
single scoring chance, whereas Vitesse were only dangerous
from a Stijn Schaars free-kick (14'). His shot landed
on the cross-bar.
A minor relapse last weekend,
but the full 90
minutes in Arnhem: Tomás Galásek. [Photo:
Ajax.nl]
There were more moments of beauty and excitement in the
second half. Purrel Fränkel, for example, caused
unrest in the Ajax defense when he dribbled into the
penalty area and fired wide. Five minutes later Ajax took the
lead thanks to, arguably, their two best players on the day:
Rafaël van der Vaart's perfect free-kick was
superbly headed into the far low corner by
Zdenek Grygera (56').
Ajax's goal hit Vitesse like a hammer. Heerenveen were
winning at Groningen and a UEFA Cup slot seemed far away
for the yellow and black. Six minutes after Grygera's
goal, however, they got the ultimate chance to
level the score. Referee Braamhaar saw Julien
Escudé's hand ball in a duel with substitute Igor
Gluscevic and resolutely pointed to the spot.
Matthew Amoah's low attempt wasn't even bad. Maarten
Stekelenburg's reflex on the goal-line, however, was
formidable.
The second half of the confrontation at Gelredome
was far more exciting than the first. In a 67th
minute scrimmage Stekelenburg punched the ball against the back
of an opponent's head, who almost scored without knowing
it: his 'header' went inches wide. Six minutes later
Rafaël van der Vaart's fine shot was turned around
the post by Harold Wapenaar.
The knock-out blow came in the 80th
minute and what a goal it was: Rafaël van der
Vaart graciously slipped past Vreven and released a
diagonal screamer from the edge of the penalty box that
slammed home behind Wapenaar: 0-2 (80'). The past two seasons
have been hard for Ajax's former 'boy wonder', but this was a
strike to remember him by. "My last goal was on October 31st,"
said Van der Vaart after the game, "so this felt really
good."
Vitesse were K.O. - and Ajax could actually have doubled the
score in the dying minutes of the game. Ryan Babel came
face-to-face with Wapenaar twice in two minutes' time (the
first time after he had stylishly turned away from
his defender), but the young striker failed on both
occasions. It did not matter. This was a very good win for
a team has nothing left to play for except their own pride
and the applause of the
travelling fans. They received plenty of that
when Braamhaar blew his whistle for the last time and Ajax's
third straight win in Arnhem was official.
One more game to go (at home against FC Groningen) and the
2004-2005 season will be over. Officially there will be only
one player to say goodbye to next Sunday (Yannis
Anastasiou, who did not get a contract renewal), but everybody
knows that he's not the only one who will leave. Will
it be Rafaël van der Vaart's last game for Ajax...? Danny
Blind: "I never told him to go and find a new club. Having him
on the team for another season wouldn't be that terrible,
actually." (MP)
GOALS
- 56' 0-1 Zdenek Grygera
- 80' 0-2 Rafaël van der Vaart
Referee: Braamhaar
Yellow cards: Hersi (Vitesse), Heitinga,
Escudé, Pienaar (Ajax)
Attendance: 22,631
Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Heitinga,
Maduro, Grygera, Escudé; De Jong, Galásek, Van
der Vaart; Pienaar, Charisteas (64. Boukhari), Babel.
Vitesse line-up: Wapenaar; Vreven, Van den
Berg, Dingsdag, Jansen (32. Hersi); Rankovic, Yakubu, Schaars
(61. Gluscevic); Fränkel, Amoah, Rojer.
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