Ajax storm back to beat PSV and grab J.C. Shield
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Johan Cruyff Shield
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Friday, 05 August, 2005
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PSV were so superior in Dutch football last
season that they won both the Eredivisie championship
and the Amstel Cup. As the winners of the
'double' they faced the Eredivisie runners-up in the annual
game for the Johan Cruyff Shield. Those runners-up were Ajax
and - how ironic - PSV lost to the side that only got
to play this fixture because of PSV's superiority... The
Amsterdammers booked a well-deserved victory at the Amsterdam
ArenA, clinched the Cruyff Shield and - much more
importantly - gave themselves an enormous self-confidence boost
for Wednesday's Champions League qualifier in
Denmark.
The Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup) is not regarded as
a very important prize in The Netherlands. For that reason,
Ajax boss Danny Blind decided to rest several players from a
squad that is already battered by injury trouble before
the season has even started: Hatem Trabelsi, Maarten
Stekelenburg and Nicolae Mitea were unavailable due to
injuries, whereas Wesley Sneijder, Olaf Lindenbergh and
Markus Rosenberg were rested out of precaution.
Blind's message was simple: Wednesday is much more
important than the Johan Cruyff Shield.
Babel and Boukhari, Ajax' two goal-scorers, enjoy the moment.
[Photo: Ajax.nl]
Nevertheless, the J.C. Shield is an official KNVB prize
and Ajax vs PSV is always Ajax vs PSV: a
confrontation of rivals, a game both sides want to win.
Moreover: the fixture was Ajax's chance to make up for a poor
Amsterdam Tournament, to take revenge for the historic
0-4 hammering by PSV earlier this year and to win
some self-confidence for the vital Brøndby games.
There was no reason to be happy for the Ajax
crowd in the opening phase: PSV (who lost midfielders
Van Bommel and Vogel this summer and are trying to find a
new balance) were the clearly dominant side in the first twenty
minutes. The Dutch champions seemed more solid, more of a
team and physically stronger than their Amsterdam opponents and
created two enormous scoring chances (for Vennegoor of
Hesselink and Farfán) against an Ajax defense that
looked insecure and leaky. Was it going to be a disaster once
again...?
The answer was no. Ajax, who were officially the 'away side'
at the ArenA and wore their away kits, took control over the
game after some 25 minutes, started playing better and
created two equally perfect chances: Hedwiges Maduro came face
to face with goalkeeper Gomes and deftly chipped the ball over
the goalkeeper, but saw Timmy Simons rescue his team on
the goal-line (27'). A few minutes later a fine Ajax attack
culminated in a well-taken screamer by Nourdin Boukhari (who
had a superb game as a left midfielder). Gomes punched it over
the cross-bar (37').
Ajax looked quite good in the latter minutes of an
otherwise rather dull first half, but the Amsterdammers
conceded a goal in rather unfortunate fashion shortly after the
break. Hedwiges Maduro completely missed a Farfán
corner-kick that he should have cleared easily. The miss
allowed defender Wilfred Bouma to hammer home from close range:
0-1 (51') and Ajax seemed on their way to another
defeat to PSV at their home ground...
The latter 40 minutes, however, were a very
pleasant surprise to the Ajax supporters. Ajax didn't bow
their heads, but straightened their backs, increased the
pressure and started a quest for the equalizer that became
more and more convincing as the minutes ticked
away. Captain Julien Escudé and his companion
Zdenek Grygera were now in complete control of
PSV's forwards, young Urby Emanuelson
played increasingly well against Farfán, and
Nourdin Boukhari was slowly becoming Ajax's unlikely 'Man
of the Match'.
The Moroccan from Rotterdam was recently told by Danny
Blind that he is too slow for a left winger and should
focus on the position of left midfielder instead. Which is
exactly what Boukhari did against PSV, sometimes in
great fashion. After a splendid one-two with Nigel de Jong,
Boukhari had a 24-carat chance to equalize in the 57th
minute: his attempt went inches wide of the far post. Hedwiges
Maduro had a similar chance two minutes later.
Roughly fifteen minutes later two Boukhari free-kicks would
mark the start of Ajax's resurrection: in the 70th minute
he curled the ball perfectly onto Nigel de Jong's
forehead, but De Jong was off-side when he headed home. Two
minutes later goalkeeper Gomes was counting on a similar
cross when Boukhari took another free-kick from almost
exactly the same spot. This time, however, the left-footer
fired it straight into the far corner: 1-1 (72').
Ajax smelled blood and showed some really good football
in the last fifteen minutes of the game, in which PSV were
mostly chasing shadows. Zdenek Grygera almost headed home
for Ajax's second, which was eventually scored after a pristine
one-two of Ryan Babel and Nourdin Boukhari, who gave Babel a
free passage from the left flank. The young striker resolutely
fired home diagonally, giving Ajax a well-deserved lead (78').
The Amsterdammers easily remained upright in the dying minutes,
so that captain Julien Escudé could lift his first piece
of silverware as the captain of Ajax-1.
"This was a very important win for the team," Escudé
said. "It gives us confidence for Wednesday and it is also
important that we showed our home supporters what we're capable
of. We didn't panic after PSV scored and our passing was
fast but never hasty. If you can create four, five scoring
chances against a high-quality defense like PSV's, you really
are doing well."
Added Danny Blind: "It could have ended differently, but we
surely deserved this one. I am happy with the win, but I am
particularly pleased with the way we did it. Especially in the
second half we really imposed our will on PSV, we had a
real forward drive and we created chances."
The Johan Cruyff Shield? Nice piece of silverware, but in
this case the trophy itself is not the most important thing.
The fact that this was the perfect dress-rehearsal for
'Brøndby away' was what really counted.
(MP)
GOALS
- 51' 1-0 Wilfred Bouma
- 72' 1-1 Nourdin Boukhari
- 78' 1-2 Ryan Babel
Referee: Wegereef
Yellow cards: Pienaar, Boukhari, Babel
(Ajax), Simons, Afellay (PSV)
Attendance: 32,000
Ajax line-up: Vonk; Heitinga, Grygera,
Escudé, Emanuelson; De Jong (82. Rosales), Maduro,
Boukhari; Pienaar (89. Galásek), Charisteas, Babel.
PSV line-up: Gomes; Ooijer, Alex,
Bouma, Lee; Lucius, Cocu, Simons, Afellay; Vennegoor of
Hesselink (46. Robert), Farfán.
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