Ajax sometimes convincing in defeating Vitesse
| 4 (3) |
1 (1) |
Eredivisie
Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam
Sunday, 25 Nov 2007
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Jan Vertonghen [Photo: Ajax.nl]
A quick summary of two weeks without Eredivisie football...
Unrest in Eindhoven! Reigning champions PSV will have to wait for their new boss (Huub Stevens) until the summer and for the temporary boss (Sef Vergoossen) until the new year. Meanwhile, their temporary temporary boss (Jan Wouters) failed to win his first three games. It's an ultra-rare situation, but the artillery of the Dutch football press is aimed at Eindhoven these days, and at the responsible director (Jan Reker) in particular.
In Amsterdam, meanwhile, things are unusually peaceful, for a change. Henk ten Cate is gone, the dust has settled, the temporary man (Adrie Koster) is doing a remarkably good job, some of the this summer's 'bad buys' (Rommedahl, Luque) are starting to flourish and the football is improving, while the team continues to win. It's almost December and Ajax still didn't lose a league game. Also, they're scoring more than three goals per game on average. Today's home game against Vitesse was no exception: 4-1.
Mind you: we're not saying that everything's brilliant at the ArenA. Ajax are definitely growing and appear to be a better football side than many supporters were fearing a couple of months ago, but they're still shaky, especially at the back. Jaap Stam retired (the fans saluted him one last time before the game), Thomas Vermaelen is injured and (unlike Luque and Rommedahl) Jurgen Colin is a bad buy. Ajax concede more than one goal per game. Today, they had to consider themselves lucky that Sébastien Sansoni's screamer hit the cross-bar (11'), that Gill Swerts missed an absolute sitter from the edge of the penalty box (33') and that Santi Kolk failed face-to-face with Maarten Stekelenburg, after a massive defensive error from Gabri (37').
Ajax were 3-1 up at half-time, but it could easily have been 3-3. On a European level, or in a domestic top fixture, today's Ajax team would probably have conceded three goals in 45 minutes' time in a home game.
Having said that: there is a lot to be delighted with. Ajax's forward line is stunningly productive and making spectacular progress. It consists of three players who are intelligent, creative and capable of converting a chance: Luis Suárez, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Albert Luque. They all scored against Vitesse.
After 44 minutes Ajax were 3-0 up. Luis Suárez nodded home after a scrimmage in the visitors' goal-mouth and a deft little nod from Luque (16'). Gabri calmly fired home after fantastic work from Hedwiges Maduro: the midfielder underscored his current form by winning the ball in midfield, rushing down the right flank and providing Gabri with a very intelligent assist (27'). Shortly before the half-time whistle Luque made it three from the penalty spot, after Van der Schaaf had pulled John Heitinga's shirt inside the area (44').
Gabri [Photo: Ajax.nl]
3-0. What a fantastic half-time score, but like we said before: Ajax still have a major problem in defense and the most painful example at the moment is probably Urby Emanuelson, who's having a form crisis of gigantic proportions. Almost all of Vitesse's danger came from their right flank (Emanuelson's zone), including their only goal of the game. The fact that it was scored straight from kick-off, immediately after Luque's penalty, sums it all up. You thought that football players return to their own half of the pitch and take their positions after a goal? So did we, but Vitesse forward Mads Junker had a free passage through 'Urby land' straight from kick-off and diagonally fired past Stekelenburg: 3-1 (45'). Still a fine half-time score and Ajax created plenty of opportunities, but that doesn't make moments like these less worrying.
The second half was nowhere near as entertaining as the first. Ajax didn't have to, whereas Vitesse had already bowed their heads. Ajax lost two on-form midfielders due to injuries (Gabri during the break, Maduro in the 58th minute), so that Vitesse could take control in midfield, but they didn't really seem to believe in a result anymore and never came as close to scoring as in the first half.
Ajax didn't convince, either. Two struggling fullbacks, a midfielder in defense (Vertonghen) and two teenagers (Siem de Jong and Mitchell Donald)... it was all too lightweight for a good second half. Not for the first time, the arrival of Dennis Rommedahl brought the match back to life. Denmark's Player of the Year always seems to add some extra energy to the team. Against Roda, earlier this month, he scored himself. This time his perfect little thru-pass allowed Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to notch his goal: 4-1.
Extended highlights on YouTube.
It was the final score, but the loudest roar of the day was yet to follow. Referee Wegereef's final whistle had already sounded when the news arrived that FC Groningen had made it 3-2 against Feyenoord, three minutes into stoppage time. Which means that Ajax are tops, one point ahead of PSV and three points clear of Feyenoord. It's weird. After all that has happened, it doesn't feel like Ajax are the unbeaten league leaders in the Eredivisie, but they really are. Check page 819 of Teletekst and see for yourself. (Menno Pot)
Goals:
- 16’ 1-0 Luis Suárez
- 27’ 2-0 ‘Gabri’ García de la Torre
- 44’ 3-0 Albert Luque Martos (penalty)
- 45’ 3-1 Mads Junker
- 82’ 4-1 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Referee: Wegereef
Yellow Cards: Maduro (Ajax); Van der Schaaf, Yakubu (Vitesse)
Attendance: 49,566
Lineups:
- Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Ogararu, Heitinga, Vertonghen, Emanuelson; Gabri (46. Schilder), Maduro (58. Donald), De Jong; Suárez (76. Rommedahl), Huntelaar, Luque.
- vitesse.html line-up: Velthuizen; Verhaegh, Sprockel, Espinoza (80. Gommans), Megrelishvili; Swerts, Yakubu (46. Takak), Sansoni, Van der Schaaf; Junker, Kolk (65. Kaya).
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