Fortunate win over AZ, major step in playoffs-race
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Eredivisie
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Sunday, 09 April, 2006
On the day that PSV officially clinched the Dutch
championship, Ajax secured vital points in the race for the
play-offs by booking a rather fortunate 1-0 home win over AZ.
Meanwhile, both Heerenveen (against Feyenoord) and
Groningen (at PSV) settled for draws, while
Utrecht lost to Vitesse. Nourdin Boukhari scored (33') the lone
goal, after which the visitors had a hatful of chances to
equalize. But Ajax - and man-of-the-match Maarten Stekelenburg
in particular - managed (sometimes miraculously) to keep AZ off
the score sheet.
Nordin Boukhari silenced his
critics - for a while - with an impeccably taken goal. [Photo:
Ajax.nl]
Despite the significance of the game, the mood in the ArenA
was remarkably subdued, both in the stands and on the pitch.
Critics might point to this game as an indictment of the
league's new play-off scheme. Whereas late-season games
previously determined the success of the season, sending a
few clubs to European competition, now you see two
teams merely positioning themselves for the play-offs
while preserving health. Mentally, the players knew that the
points were vital for advancement. But the passion and
commitment to the final degree... it just wasn't there.
Maybe that also explains the result. AZ had a remarkable
number of good scoring chances but could not manage to roll the
ball across the line. The final stretch of a foot, a
headlong dive... the goals you score when your life seems to
depend on it... AZ really weren't that bothered.
The result: three points for Ajax, who took advantage
of the one moment of real confusion in an otherwise extremely
well-organized AZ defense. The goal began in midfield, built
off an excellent transition by Hatem Trabelsi, whose pass into
space was enough to bring AZ goalkeeper Henk Timmer off his
line momentarily, only to realize too late that he'd
over-committed himself. His defenders (Jaliens and
Mathijsen) marked Mauro Rosales, but failed to notice that
another Ajacied was going for the thru-ball. This was
Nourdin Boukhari, who expertly converted the chance: 1-0
(33').
Hedwiges Maduro battles with
former Ajacied Shota Arveladze. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
It would be unfair to Ajax to say that AZ's inability to
score was entirely due to apathy. The Amsterdammers did really
play a solid and resolute defensive game. Young
Robbert Schilder was chosen for his speed (his first
time in the starting line-up!) in favor of Olaf
Lindenbergh to replace a suspended Juanfran
at left back, and did extremely well. And Johnny
Heitinga was rock-solid in his return match, after a
six-week absence due to a bruised kidney
suffered against Internazionale on 22 February. Without even
the usual preparatory Young Ajax match, Heitinga played -
and played well - for a full ninety minutes.
A successful debut as a starter:
Robbert Schilder. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Although they did well in repelling the AZ attacks, the Ajax
defenders were noticeably less successful in builiding from the
back. The difference between the two clubs' defenses in
terms of organization and passing efficiency was painfully
obvious, and goes a long way to explain the number of
points that separate the two teams.
The weakest peg in the Ajax defense was unquestionably Hatem
Trabelsi, whose reckless passing might explain why his
teammates seemed reluctant to give him the ball. Midway through
the first half, you could see the Tunisian throw up his hands
in exasperation, as if to say, "Doesn't anybody want to play
with me?" Given the opportunities he created for AZ with his
recklessness, it's not hard to understand his teammates'
ambivalence.
Meanwhile, the AZ attack seemed to pick up additional steam
as the match went on, and Maarten Stekelenburg was repeatedly
called upon to save Ajax from itself. The most telling moment
came midway through the second half, when a scramble in front
of the Ajax goal ended with a weak Perez effort getting
collected by the Ajax keeper in remarkable fashion.
Stekelenburg was already on his belly, a mere spectator, but
Perez's 'shot' (approximately one yard from the goal) trickled
against the post and could be collected by the Ajax
'keeper, the way a mother might scoop up a wayward toddler.
Perez sits and contemplates what
might have been... [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Late in the second half, when Ajax seemed bereft of ideas,
substitute Ryan Babel brought a much-needed spark to the Ajax
attack. Just moments after entering the game, he created a
chance from nothing, turning aside one defender before smacking
a deftly curled shot off the crossbar. It was a rare moment of
danger created by the hosts, in a half of football
where most of the real chances belonged to the
guests. Substitute Medunjanin, for example, tested the
woodwork of the ArenA goals in similar fashion as
Ryan Babel at the other end.
And for the second week in a row, the referee became
part of the storyline. Mr. Vink seemed to have decided early on
that he would not issue a card on the day, no matter how
provocatively tempted by the players from either side. And
although Ajax coach Danny Blind could not - and now,
thankfully, won't need to - blame the result on the
referee, Ajax were indeed the victim of a spectacularly poor
decision by Vink in the final moments of the first half,
when he blew his whistle to give the home side a free kick
instead of allowing Ajax to play on when they had a two-on-one
break-away chance at the AZ goal. In fact, he probably should
have booked Markus Rosenberg for dissent, so violent were his
protestations. But on this day, everybody was safe from the
referee's notebook.
With a tepid mood on the pitch for much of the game, it was
hard to not cast an eye toward Vak 410's impressive banner
displays and constant singing. At one point, about half of the
section turned their backs, locked arms, and danced from side
to side like celebrants at a Jewish wedding. Fantastic.
Vak 410's tribute to AZ boss
Louis van Gaal was a summary of trophies he won with
Ajax...
... while their statement about
the new playoff scheme was somewhat less
complimentary. [Photos: Ajax Foto Side]
At game's end, Shota Arveladze stood for some moments
applauding the F-Side for their support. The former Ajacied had
reportedly sought a return to Amsterdam prior to
this season, and settled at AZ only after having been
frozen out by Danny Blind and Arie van Eijden. Louis van
Gaal was only too happy to sign the Georgian, who has
subsequently helped his new team to completely out-class the
club that rejected him: AZ are likely to finish the season
as Holland's #2, whereas two more 'must-wins' are
ahead for Ajax, if they want to qualify for the play-offs as
the Dutch #5 or, if Utrecht lose another game, possibly as
#4... (JM)
GOAL
Referee: Vink
Cards: none
Attendance: 50,150
Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Trabelsi,
Heitinga, Vermaelen, Schilder; Galásek, Maduro, Boukhari
(81. Lindenbergh); Rosales, Huntelaar, Rosenberg (70.
Babel).
AZ line-up: Timmer; Jaliens,
Mathijsen, De Zeeuw (85. Steinsson), De Cler; Landzaat,
Van Galen, Schaars; Huysegems (75. Medunjanin), Arveladze,
Perez.
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