CL Qualifier: KJH brace gives Ajax vital win in Copenhagen: 1-2
1 (0) - 2 (1)
UEFA Champions League, 3rd Preliminary Round
Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark
Wednesday, 09 August, 2006
The waiting was finally over for Henk ten Cate, as Ajax played their first competitive match under his control, a match with huge implications for Ajax's season: a good result tonight meant a great chance of Champions League football. FC Copenhagen have been generally regarded as tougher opponents than fellow Danish club Brøndby, whom Ajax played at the same stage last season. Tonight's starting line-up included three new signings (Jaap Stam, Kenneth Perez and Gabri), with Ten Cate opting for a 4-3-3 formation in his first competitive game.
FC Copenhagen kicked off in a very noisy Parken national stadium. From the start, FC Copenhagen took the initiative with Berglund and Allbäck causing problems in what seemed to be a very shaky Ajax defense, with both Heitinga and Vermaelen being caught out on more than one occasion by the pace of the two Danish forwards. Indeed in the first 20 minutes or so Ajax showed nothing on attack, apart from a 14th minute Sneijder corner, the result of a Rosales shot deflected past the post.
Copenhagen, on the other hand, created a few reasonable scoring chances, exposing Ajax's defensive weaknesses with telling crosses. As the half progressed, Ajax came more into the game with Sneijder, Perez and Gabri linking more passes together. But in terms of creating goal scoring opportunities, still nothing. On the half-hour mark, Copenhagen forced another corner from a Jacobsen free kick deflected past the post by Perez.
Huntelaar had an initially quiet opening half, but he would make his mark on the game. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Six minutes before half-time and without having created a single clear cut scoring opportunity, Ajax took the lead, very much against the run of play. A Sneijder free kick from the left hand side was floated into the box and a Vermaelen head-flick pushed the ball into the six yard box where Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, showing his usual predatory instincts, reached the ball before the Copenhagen defense and headed decisively home: 0-1. Huntelaar, to that point, had been having a very quiet game as a result of poor service from his forwards and midfield. But he again proved what a great goalscorer he is.
Just one minute later Copenhagen played a ball into the area, splitting the Ajax defense and resulting in a superb diving stop by Stekelenburg at the feet of the lunging Allbäck. Allbäck appeared to follow through and catch Stekelenburg on the side of the face with his boot, resulting in a yellow card for the remonstrating Swede. Huntelaar followed Allbäck's name into the referee's book shortly afterwards for a foul on Gravgaard.
At this stage FC Copenhagen were creating most of their chances from dead ball situations, and it was no surprise when, two minutes into injury time, they scored the equalizing goal from a free kick. With the referee adding a very long four minutes of injury time, Heitinga gave away an unnecessary free kick at the right hand corner flag. The ball was sent into the six yard box, where defender Hangeland rose above the Ajax defence to power a header past the helpless Stekelenburg. Not an undeserved equalizer, but a very bad goal for Ajax to surrender at this stage.
Ajax could be content with the overall result at half-time, considering the amount of possession that Copenhagen had enjoyed, but will feel aggrieved at giving up such a late equalizer. The Amsterdammers would certainly need to improve in the second half to ensure that they wouldn't return to the ArenA in a fortnight's time in a losing position.
Straight from the kick off, Stekelenburg was forced to concede a corner from a dreadfully short Heitinga pass back. Was this a sign of things to come in the second half? Not at all, as slowly Ajax began to take control of the game with the midfield finally beginning to stamp their authority on the match. Indeed, in the 50th minute, the guests were unlucky not to take the lead when a great run into the box by Sneijder forced a corner. Sneijder was unlucky that his first touch had let him down before he could get his shot away.
One minute later, it was Copenhagen who nearly took the lead. A corner from Linderoth was missed by everyone before bouncing in front of a startled Stekelenburg and onto the far post before bouncing away to safety.
This was to be Copenhagen's last real chance until very late in the game, as Ajax began to take control. The tackling in midfield and defense began to get harder and it was noticeable that Copenhagen players, perhaps realizing that dead ball situations provided their best scoring opportunities, seemed to fall over at every opportunity. It came as no surprise that Perez soon followed Huntelaar into the referee's book for a foul in the 54th minute.
Heitinga battles former Ajax favorite Jesper Gronkjaer. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Five minutes later, a Sneijder free kick was pushed to safety by a nervous Christensen in the Copenhagen goal. Shortly afterwards, in the 66th minute, Ajax made the substitution that changed the game. The increasingly ineffective Perez was replaced by Ryan Babel. Right from his first touch, Babel looked in the mood. Indeed during his 25 minutes on the pitch, he looked a more determined player than was seen throughout the last season. A greater willingness to take on opponents and pass to team-mates and a more composed first touch seemed to suggest that Babel has used his summer break wisely. Among the new boys, Jaap Stam was definitely the stand out: a colossus in defense. In his first competitive game for Ajax he showed all the qualities required of him and could well prove to be the best piece of business conducted by Ajax in the close season.
Getting back to the game... Two Ajax bookings followed in the next 15 minutes, including Heitinga for persistent fouling, which eventually made him a target of boos for the frustrated Copenhagen crowd. Emanuelson was also booked in the 77th minute. A minute later, Rosales was replaced by Rosenberg, who would factor into the decisive goal just seven minutes later.
A Heitinga pass from the right side into the box was touched back by Rosenberg. Intentional or a total miss? Fact is that the ball fell slightly behind the lurking Huntelaar who swivelled at the top of the box and hit a beautiful low shot into the bottom corner, giving the Copenhagen keeper no chance. What an important goal for Ajax.
KJH celebrates his decisive second goal. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Huntelaar virtually repaid his transfer fee with just these two goals, considering the financial benefits for Ajax of playing in the Champions League proper. Indeed, Huntelaar had the ball in the Copenhagen net again two minutes later, knocking the ball home from a Babel lay off, but Babel had already (and correctly) been ruled off-side. Copenhagen had one final chance in injury time, which Stekelenburg tipped over. In the 93rd minute, the referee blew for full time.
With the victory, Ajax have taken a great step forward in qualifying for the next phase of the Champions League. A composed performance in two weeks time at the ArenA will see them through to the draw in Monaco on 24th of August. In the meantime, Ten Cate can do some more tinkering before a final settled line-up can be chosen. It wasn't the greatest ever Ajax performance, but a great result for the club. And one thing's apparent, judging by the result and the number of bookings, is that this Ajax team looks more willing to dig hard and scrap it out when required. (Gordon Paterson)
GOALS
- 39' 0-1 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
- 45' 1-1 Brede Hangeland
- 84' 1-2 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Referee: Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)
Yellow cards: Heitinga, Emanuelson, Huntelaar, Perez (Ajax), Jacobsen, Hutchinson, Allbäck (FC København).
Attendance: 40,014
Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Heitinga, Stam, Vermaelen, Emanuelson; Gabri, Maduro, Sneijder; Rosales (78. Rosenberg), Huntelaar, Perez (68. Babel).
FC København line-up: Christiansen; Jacobsen, Gravgaard, Hangeland, Bergdølmo; Linderoth, Silberbauer (79. Kvist), Hutchinson, Grønkjaer; Allbäck, Berglund (70. Pimpong).
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