RKC fail to punish Ajax for weak second half: 1-2

It was a special evening for the Koeman family: brothers Erwin and Ronald played together for Groningen and Holland, and against each other as players of Ajax or PSV (Ronald) and Groningen or KV Mechelen (Erwin), respectively. RKC Waalwijk vs Ajax was the first time for the brothers to face each other as head-coaches of an Eredivisie side. The youngest, Ronald, left Mandemakers Stadium with the three points, but had to admit that a point for Erwin's RKC Waalwijk would have been deserved, based on the second half in which Ajax were asking for trouble - and were lucky on several occasions.

The evening started with a minute of silence in commemoration of Prince Bernhard, widower of Queen Juliana of The Netherlands. He passed away this week, aged 93. Once the ball was rolling the Amsterdammers were 1-0 down before they knew it: Robert Fuchs' 7th minute long range shot took a decisive deflection off an RKC team-mate. An unfortunate moment - and a highly undesired start.

Six goals in the last five Eredivisie games: Mauro Rosales. [Photo: Ajax.nl]

However, Ajax seemed unimpressed and struck back immediately: Hatem Trabelsi started one of his famous rushes over the right flank and deftly pulled the ball back to the edge of the penalty box, where Wesley Sneijder (left unmarked by Jasar Takak) calmly slotted home for the equalizer, 1-1 (11'). Ajax were dominant for the remainder of the first half. The next chance to score was for Wesley Sneijder, who had another unmarked shooting opportunity from 15 yards or so. This time he miss-hit the ball and saw it roll diagonally wide.

Two minutes later Ajax were in the lead, as Tomás Galásek picked up the ball in midfield and released a cracking (left-footed!) shot from outside of the penalty area. Goalkeeper Khalid Sinouh failed to hang on to it, leaving the ball for Mauro Rosales to tap home: 1-2 (36'). It makes you wonder: why doesn't Galásek shoot on goal more frequently? It seems like the Czech's attempts are always succesful. Rosales, by the way, is now Ajax's domestic topscorer with five goals.

Rosales' strike marked the start of a 12-minute stretch (until the half-time whistle) of surprisingly excellent Ajax play. The best chance was once again for the Argentinian, who had an open shooting chance after fabulous work by Rafaël van der Vaart. Sinouh was out of position, but Rosales fired too hastily - and over the cross-bar. The Amsterdammers played with determination and pace in this phase and should have dealt the hosts the knock-out blow.

And then came the second half - and suddenly everything was different. 

Much to the frustration of the travelling supporters Ajax's forward drive, pace and hunger for more goals seemed to have evaporated completely during the 15-minute break. One may wonder how this is possible. Was it Ronald Koeman's direct order to lean back, or was it unconscious fear of the players to squander the lead? One thing is for sure: Ajax's dramatic change for the worse was as flabbergasting as it was mysterious. The team simply stopped playing forward, whereas their first half form was not too bad at all.

All of a sudden the Ajax defense seemed insecure: both Zdenek Grygera and Julien Escudé had to clear with wild slidings on several occasions. Michael Krohn-Dehli's 47th minute screamer (good save by Hans Vonk) was the hosts' first warning shot. RKC actually had several chances to equalize in the second half, especially in the latter fifteen minutes of the game. Alfred Schreuder's 79th minute shot, for example, only went inches wide. The Ajax coaches must have held their breath as Hans Vonk stormed out of his goal in the 82nd minute (something he did remarkably frequently in the second half), but arrived too late, so that substitute Jochen Janssen could lift the ball over the onstorming Ajax goalie. It trickled just wide of the empty goal.

Ajax's second half tactics (if their caution was deliberate in the first place) were rather cowardly. The most annoying thing about it was the fact that it only made RKC stronger. Ajax's forward drive in the first half was not only braver, it also made for more safety in the back. The Amsterdammers seemed to pay the price for their stiffness in the 87th minute, but Michael Krohn-Dehli (one of the better RKC players on the pitch) saw his diagonal strike bounce back from the post. Almost immediately thereafter Ajax also tested the woodwork: Wesley Sneijder got to take a free kick after what was arguably Ajax's only good attack of the second half. It hit the cross-bar, after which substitute Ryan Babel (this time playing with #49 instead of #39) tapped the rebouncing ball against the far post.

"It was a very lively game," said Ronald Koeman after the game, "but in the second half we simply stopped playing." His older brother, who was sat next to him at the press conference desk, agreed: "Yes, this was a fun game. But we have nothing."

"RKC would have deserved more," continued Ronald Koeman, "I will admit that, and not just because we played against my little brother. Oops, I mean my big brother." The journalists in the press room chuckled. And then it was time for some family nostalgia. "Life goes so fast," said Ronald. "I remember us playing against each other. Now we sit here as coaches. What will be the next step?"

Erwin knew the answer to his brother's philosophical question: "A game of pool at the rest home." (MP)

GOALS

• 07'  1-0  Robert Fuchs
• 11'  1-1  Wesley Sneijder
• 36'  1-2  Mauro Rosales

Referee: Temmink
Cards: none
Attendance: 7,200

Ajax line-up: Vonk; Trabelsi, Grygera, Escudé, Maxwell; Galásek, Van der Vaart (80. De Jong), Sneijder; Rosales, Anastasiou (62. Babel), Boukhari (74. Mitea).

RKC Waalwijk line-up: Sinouh; Van Diemen, Teixeira, Greene, Van Hintum (79. Putter); Schreuder, Fuchs, Takak; Oost (72. Martens), Hoogendorp (79. Janssen), Krohn-Dehli. 

Related Links:

• Discussion: Eredivisie Games
• Ajax.nl: Match report in English and  Dutch
• Sky Sports: Ajax win on their travels