Ajax rediscover goal-scoring form against RKC: 4-1
4 (1) - 1
(1)
Eredivisie
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Sunday, 04 December, 2005
Are Ajax back now, asked a journalist after the Eredivisie
home game against RKC Waalwijk (4-1). Wesley Sneijder,
once again one of Ajax's best, answered: "It's too early to say
that we're back, but this definitely was our first step
towards recovery."
Ajax's convincing win over RKC, after an
entertaining match of football, felt like a new start
indeed. On could say that it was symbolized by
the fact that there is a new captain on the ship named AFC
Ajax: general director Arie van Eijden officially said
goodbye last Thursday, making way for his successor,
Maarten Fontein. The new general director visited the
F-Side stand in the first half of the game, and talked to some
of his club's most devoted supporters.
On the pitch there were some changes as well. Coach Danny
Blind rested Urby Emanuelson, so that Juanfran played from
the start for the very first time. More remarkably, Hatem
Trabelsi started on the bench. Blind's explanation was a
tactical one. The Ajax boss wanted to experiment with an
offensive 'number 4' in central defense, making for a
3-4-3 formation when in possession. In that system Blind
wants to play with two defensive fullbacks. An offensive
fullback, like Trabelsi, would make a three-man
defense unstable. For the record: Blind's decision had
nothing to do with the stories that popped up in the
Dutch media this week. NOS Studio Sport reported
that Ajax were going to ban the players with expiring
contracts from the first team (Trabelsi, Maxwell, Pienaar and
De Jong). Untrue, was Ajax's reaction, and the
reports seemed false indeed: Pienaar and De Jong
started against RKC, as you'd expect.
Ajax' Spaniard Juanfran got his
first start. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
The game at a half-empty ArenA was preceded with a moving
minute of silence for Utrecht defender David di Tommaso, who
died in his sleep earlier this week. After that Ajax started
with energy and determination, creating a few little
chances in the opening phase, plus a big one for Steven
Pienaar, who slipped past goalkeeper Rob van Dijk but found
himself in a tight angle, so that his low cross could be
intercepted by Van Dijk, who was quickly back on his
feet.
Ajax were definitely not great in the
first half, but - unlike in some of their
recent games - the Amsterdammers continued to work hard
and search for openings. They dominated throughout the
first half and hardly allowed RKC to cross the middle line. But
Ajax are one of those teams that are having a hard time of it
at the moment. In the 42nd minute the visitors' very frist
threatening attack immediately gave them the lead. Zdenek
Grygera suddenly had two RKC players in front of him, the
thru-pass was lethal, Juanfran (who had a very good first
half) arrived a split second late and Rick
Hoogendorp's finish for his 10th goal was
absolutely impeccable: 0-1 (43'). Ajax most definitely
didn't deserve to be a goal down at that point. Were they -
once again - going to pay the penalty for their lack of
thrust...?
The answer was 'no'. The hosts finally had Lady Luck on
their side. In stoppage time of the first half Wesley
Sneijder's free kick from midfield was powerfully headed home
by Hedwiges Maduro, indeed the offensive central defender Blind
had in mind: 1-1 (45').
It visibly gave Ajax the self-confidence boost they needed
so badly: the second half against RKC Waalwijk, who had come to
Amsterdam as one of the eight teams with more points than Ajax,
was the by far best, most determined and most entertaining half
of football the Ajax faithful had seen in a long, long time.
After only 150 seconds Ajax were 2-1 up, after a splendid, fast
attack across field. Markus Rosenberg received the ball with
his back towards defender Virgilio Teixeira, who pulled
Rosenberg down. The Swede, in spite of lying on the grass,
managed to set up Wesley Sneijder with a smart little touch.
Sneijder converted calmly (48').
What followed were 40 minutes of thoroughly
entertaining and surprisingly high-quality football: Ajax
looked like a 'liberated' team, but the visitors from Waalwijk
also played considerably better than in the first
half. Several of their counter-attacks were well-executed and
extremely dangerous. On one of them, in
the 61st minute, Rick Hoogendorp should have levelled the score
with his 11th goal of the season. Right winger Benjamin De
Ceulaer lifted the ball into the box, where Hoogendorp was free
as a bird, right in front of Maarten Stekelenburg's goal. The
Ajax 'keeper managed an amazing save on the striker's header
from close range. A few minutes earlier Markus Rosenberg (60')
and De Jong (59') could have made it 3-1 when they had unmarked
shooting opportunities. Their attempts went inches
wide.
The
game waved back and forth, much to the enthusiasm of the fans,
who had almost forgotten how much fun it can be to watch a game
of football. Today was Ajax's day after many weeks of poor
football, fear of losing, apathy and - sometimes - bad luck.
The ArenA crowd was craving for a few good goals -- and that's
exactly what Ajax gave them in the dying minutes of the game.
Ryan Babel, who performed spectacularly well as a substitute,
concluded a long solo run across field with a cross that was
slightly too hard, but - via Nigel de Jong - ended in front of
Markus Rosenberg, just outside of the penalty
area. The Swede controlled the ball, fired and saw his
absolutely stunning screamer slam into the top corner of Rob
van Dijk's goal: 3-1 (84'). Babel himself made it 4-1 two
minutes later, once again after fine individual work: the
inpredictable forward was in an extremely tight angle, but
managed to fire under Van Dijk and into the far side netting
(86'). It felt like a new start for Babel, too: he scored his
last Eredivisie goal on 07 May of this year... in last season's
home game against RKC Waalwijk.
Rosenberg celebrates his late goal. [Photo:
Ajax.nl]
You
could almost hear the Amsterdam ArenA think: that's
more like it, Ajax. This one was well, well overdue.
Danny
Blind, after the game: "Last week in Utrecht we were apathetic.
The players have not always given everything in recent
weeks. Today we took the initiative and showed guts. We
had the courage to make mistakes - and that's why we didn't
make as many."
Added
Juanfran, who finally made his début in the starting
line-up and played the full 90: "We are very happy to have
shown the fans that we can actually play football quite well.
We are happy with the three points and we're happy we scored
four goals. This is very good for our confidence."
Wesley
Sneijder: "And now we must keep it up. This game must be the
start of a good series. Not just one or two wins, but a whole
string, so that we can start climbing towards the top of
the table."
After
Tuesday's Champions League game at Arsenal, a game of no
importance as both teams have already qualified, Ajax travel to
Arnhem for the tough road game against a side they can leapfrog
on the table by beating them: Vitesse. (MP)
GOALS
- 43' 0-1 Rick Hoogendorp
- 45' 1-1 Hedwiges Maduro
- 48' 2-1 Wesley Sneijder
- 84' 3-1 Markus Rosenberg
- 86' 4-1 Ryan Babel
Referee: Bossen
Yellow card: Zuiverloon (RKC
Waalwijk)
Attendance: 47,500
Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Heitinga,
Grygera, Maduro, Juanfran; De Jong, Galásek, De Jong,
Sneijder (81. Vermaelen); Pienaar, Rosenberg, Boukhari (75.
Babel).
RKC Waalwijk line-up: R. van
Dijk; Van Diemen, Teixeira, Van Haaren, Keller (67. Fuchs);
Martens, Zuiverloon, Molhoek (73. Barto); De Ceulaer,
Hoogendorp, D. van Dijk.
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