Ajax stumble into CL qualifyiers on late away goal: 2-1
0 (0) - 0 (0)
Eredivisie Play-Offs
Euroborg, Groningen
Wednesday, 03 May, 2006
"We're relieved, but we're not going to celebrate," said
Ajax coach Danny Blind after FC Groningen vs Ajax, a game in
which the passionate hosts wiped out Ajax's 2-0 advantage in
convincing style and came tremendously close to a
historic upset, but eventually succumbed to a single Ajax
goal, fired into the net by substitute Wesley Sneijder, two
minutes before the end. Ajax, Holland's number
4, have won the Eredivisie play-offs and qualified for the
third preliminary round of next season's Champions
League... but don't ask how. Ajax's feeling after the game
was a peculiar cocktail of relief, happiness and - perhaps
more than anything else - embarrassment.
There was more than just one reason for Blind to have
mixed feelings after the game. For starters, the encounter
at Groningen's roaring Euroborg was almost certainly his
last-but-one match as head-coach of Ajax-1. Even Blind
himself says that he is "now sure" that he will be
replaced after Sunday's Gatorade Cup final against
PSV. More importantly, though: Blind must have felt let
down (again) by his players, who - after a string of fine wins
- reminded their coach and fans of the fact
that this season was, at the end of the day, a journey
through hell for the Amsterdam club.
Heitinga and Sneijder celebrate
the latter's 88th minute goal. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Ajax seemed to have found new inspiration and team
spirit in their spectacular two-legged triumph over
arch-rivals Feyenoord (7-2 on aggregate), but the two
Groningen games showed exactly why Ajax's board
of directors have decided that something must change this
summer: Ajax were anything but impressive at the Amsterdam
ArenA - and downright terrible in the return leg, a
game that summed up the whole season: their lack of
creativity and fighting spirit, their utter inability to create
a proper scoring chance, their refusal to get stuck in against
a pugnacious opponent, their leakiness in
defense and - that, too - their unlikely, last-gasp
escape. It was typical, really. From beginning to
end.
To Ajax's (and Blind's) defense: you'd almost forget
that Ajax had to do without players such as Trabelsi,
Grygera, Manucharyan, Rosales, Pienaar and
Maduro. But even the absence of half the starting
line-up can't explain why Ajax started so
apathetically at the Green Hell of the
North. Groningen's half-time lead should most
definitely have been bigger than 'just' 1-0. The hosts
were clearly going for an early opening goal
and there were only two reasons why they
didn't succeed: bad luck and Maarten Stekelenburg.
8th minute: Stekelenburg saves on Erik Nevland's
volley, on a cross from the right. The Ajax goalie can
only block the ball with his fists,
but recovers quickly enough to tip Nevland's
rebound attempt (a smart little header) over the
cross-bar. 21st minute: Van der Linden's shot hits the
cross-bar. 32nd minute: perfect low shot from the edge of
the box, from a completely unmarked Mark-Jan Fledderus.
Stekelenburg seems beaten, but somehow manages to turn the
ball around the post...
A Groningen goal was a matter of time. In the 42nd
minute Stekelenburg's risky throw was poorly controlled by
Nourdin Boukhari, which allowed Erik Nevland to hammer
home from the edge of the box. Good shot and, quite obviously,
a well deserved goal. Even in the remaining three minutes of
the first half Groningen had two major chances to double the
score before the break, but Fledderus hit the side netting and
Nevland (face-to-face with Stekelenburg) aimed inches too
high. Ajax were craving for a 15 minute break and could be
grateful that they were only one goal down when the half-time
whistle sounded. 60% possession for Groningen and almost twice
as many shots on target... Need we say more?
Did Ajax improve in the second half? Did they at least pull
their socks up and get stuck in? Answer: no. Not at
all. Groningen's second goal was always closer than Ajax's
equalizer and (four minutes after Nevland had fired inches over
the bar) the Green Cathedral exploded with joy in the
61st minute, as defender Bruno Silva placed his right boot
against the ball and saw his stunning shot slam into the upper
ninety from more some 18 yards out: 2-0. Ajax still hadn't
created a real chance. There were two or three
dangerous breaks, but that was it.
It was as if Ajax needed Groningen's second goal.
After that the visitors finally started to play
football (and created their first major scoring chance, for
Angelos Charisteas). Ajax hardly deserved the credit
for their late dominance. The fact that Ajax finally
took control of the game around the 65th minute mark
(with Sneijder and Babel as 'fresh' subs) was almost
exclusively down to the fact that Groningen were running
out of fuel. Some of their players were visibly tired
and the spaces between the lines slowly became
larger. Yet, the home side kept battling, knowing that 30
minutes of extra time were probably more than they could
take. Groningen wanted to score a third in regulation and -
even though there were no major chances for them
after the 70th minute - an Ajax goal was only 'in the air'
in the latter ten minutes of the match.
Ajax's attack in the 88th minute wasn't even one with a
plan. Wesley Sneijder more or less accidentally received the
ball on the edge of the area, right in front of Bas Roorda's
goal. The midfielder's performance as a substitute was
everything but impressive, but it must be said:
he took advantage of the space in superb fashion,
controlling the ball, turning to his right and resolutely
pulling the trigger: 2-1 (88'). No chance for Roorda.
Boukhari and Buijs battle for the
ball. Later, they battled
with fists and were both red-carded. [Photo:
Ajax.nl]
Groningen's dream was over and, even though UEFA
Cup qualification was a tremendous success for the
club already, Sneijder's goal hit them tremendously hard. The
game almost immediately got out of hand, after
a frustrated Groningen defender brutally kicked
Angelos Charisteas from behind. After a brief punch-up
between several players of both sides, Danny Buijs and Nourdin
Boukhari were shown the red card. Unlike yellow cards, directly
given red cards count for all KNVB
competitions, which means that Boukhari will miss the
Gatorade Cup final unless he can somehow appeal against
the upcoming suspension.
Ron Jans, Groningen's sympathetic and ever gentleman-like
head-coach, was realistic after the game: "I think we failed to
score more goals in the first half. It's a pity we couldn't get
a third one. At the ArenA we were lucky not to concede three or
four goals, but today the difference between these two teams
was bigger than one goal."
A very fair analysis indeed: over two games the
only difference between Ajax and Groningen was Wesley
Sneijder's rather fortunate last-gasp strike. Danny Blind:
"We've made the next step and that's it. We're not in
the Champions League yet. It's time for champagne when
we actually qualify for the group phase. Now I'll just
have a beer."
All's well that ends well...? It would be an embarrassing
thing to say. Fact is, nonetheless, that Ajax can still finish
the season with a Champions League qualifying
berth and a piece of silverware: the Gatorade
Cup. The opposition: champions PSV. One more game to go.
For Ajax and, in a slightly different way, for Danny
Blind... (MP)
GOALS
- 43' 1-0 Erik Nevland
- 61' 2-0 Bruno Silva
- 88' 2-1 Wesley Sneijder
Referee: Haverkort
Yellow cards: Vermaelen (Ajax), Luirink,
Van de Laak (FC Groningen)
Red cards: Boukhari (Ajax, 90'), Buijs (FC
Groningen, 90')
Attendance: 19,610
Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Boakye,
Heitinga, Vermaelen, Emanuelson; Galásek, Lindenbergh
(64. Sneijder), Boukhari; Charisteas, Huntelaar, Rosenberg (64.
Babel).
FC Groningen line-up: Roorda;
Silva, Luirink, Sankoh, Van der Linden; Buijs, Lindgren,
Fledderus (90+2. Cornelisse), Levchenko (62. Van de Laak);
Salmon, Nevland.
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