Ajax win at typically hostile Galgenwaard Stadium: 0-1
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Eredivisie
Galgenwaard Stadium, Utrecht
Sunday, 28 Oct 2007
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Dennis Gentenaar tends the Ajax goal in place of injured Stekelenburg. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
After last week’s disappointing result at home against NEC (0-0), Ajax travelled to Utrecht knowing that three points were vital to stay within the pack at the top of the Eredivisie. An added incentive for the Amsterdammers came the previous evening when Feyenoord lost 2-0 at FC Twente. A victory at Galgenwaard Stadium would put Ajax top of the league… at least until after PSV’s match in Rotterdam against Sparta later that afternoon.
Ajax’s cause was not helped by the injury picked up by goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg the previous week: a broken finger which is expected to keep him out for two weeks.
Ajax lined up at the hostile Stadion Galgenwaard with a far from first choice line up: Dennis Gentenaar played in goal with Gregory van Der Wiel starting in the centre of defence, alongside John Heitinga. 18 year-old Young Ajax rookie Siem de Jong started in midfield, alongside Maduro and Gabri. No Stam, no Delorge and (still) no Davids, but the good was that both Albert Luque and Kennedy Bakirçioglü returned from injuries and started on the bench.
In spite of sending out a relatively inexperienced team it was the visitors from Amsterdam who started the more positively, creating no less than three great chances in the first six minutes to put the game beyond the reach of the hosts. The first chance fell to Dennis Rommedahl after only 90 seconds, when his deft shot was spectacularly tipped onto the bar by goalkeeper Franck Grandel. Three minutes later Hedwiges Maduro was to see a goal-bound header cleared off the line by the Utrecht defence. Another three minutes later Luis Suárez wasted an opportunity after great play by Huntelaar.
The scoreline, however, remained blank and this was nearly to cost Ajax dearly when Utrecht were gifted their first chance in the 13th minute. In a moment of madness, Dennis Gentenaar in the Ajax goal needlessly gave the ball away in front of his goal but fortunately for him and Ajax, Utrecht’s top goalscorer Robin Nelisse was not able to capitalize.
In the ten minutes that followed the game turned grim and violent as usual. This phase was dominated by three yellow cards: two for Ajax (Gabri and Heitinga) and three for the home side, including one for Pieters for a challenge on Urby Emanuelson, who had already picked up a knock a few minutes earlier. Five minutes later the left fullback had to be taken off. Jan Vertonghen took over. The Ajax medical staff must be working overtime at the moment.
Ajax were to remain the dominant side in the remainder of the first half with several chances falling to Huntelaar and Suarez. The first attempted a spectacular acrobatic kick, which he didn’t connected with properly.
With three minutes of the half remaining Ajax nearly took the lead from the most unlikely of sources. George Ogararu, in one of his many forays forward, struck a low shot from the right hand side of the pitch which looked like a relatively easy save for Grandel. However, as the ball hit Grandel’s body it squirmed into the air and onto the cross-bar. This would have been a first Ajax goal for the Romanian who in a TV interview before the recent Romania v Netherlands match said he would dearly love to score for the Amsterdammers. He was closer than ever in Utrecht.
Good first half, in which Ajax didn’t impress with beautiful football, but the Amsterdammers did look unexpectedly solid and mature.
Ajax started the second half with an unusual formation upfront: Rommedahl played in the middle with Suárez at his side and skipper for the day Huntelaar falling back into a more attacking midfield role. In the opening 15 minutes of the half Suárez wasted no less than two great chances: a header from a Rommedahl missed target and Franck Grandel parried Suárez’s weak shot, after the Uruguayan had wiggled his way through the Utrecht defence. In the latter instance a simple pass to Huntelaar would have surely have been a better option than the shot. This is one failing in the talented Uruguayan’s game: too often he will go for personal glory instead of passing to an unmarked team-mate.
In the 62nd minute Ajax were to make a change which was to have a big impact on the outcome of this game: Albert Luque was brought on for Rommedahl. It was not long before Luque was involved in the action. Beating the defensive offside trap after a great pass from Jan Vertonghen, Luque intelligently played the ball into the path of the advancing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. Huntelaar’s first touch was not perfect but somehow he managed to chip the ball over the advancing keeper with his trailing foot to finally give Ajax a fully deserved lead: 0-1 (69’).
Youtube Video
The game then was to descend into farce. Utrecht ‘keeper Grandel was injured by fireworks thrown onto the pitch by his own supporters. While the Utrecht keeper was receiving treatment, about 100 Utrecht supporters charged down to the corner of the stand nearest the Ajax support in an attempt to goad them into trouble. Unfortunately, it is an almost annual spectacle during Utrecht vs Ajax.
The remainder of the game saw both sides create a few chances. The best one in the dying minutes fell to FC Utrecht, who attacked desperately, but didn’t create much. Dennis Gentenaar’s save on a Vandenbergh volley was, in fact, the only real save he had to make on the day.
As the final whistle and Ajax celebrated one final piece of daftness from the Utrecht support was to descend. As the Ajax players took their bow in front of the visiting support more fireworks were thrown onto the pitch. One seemed to land very close to Albert Luque who lifted his shirt pointing to his side as if struck by it. Unperturbed Luque then gave the Utrecht support the ‘thumbs down’ gesture before indicating a one-nil score line with his fingers.
This was not a particularly attractive Ajax performance in terms of attacking football, but you have to take your hats off to the players on the pitch. With a growing injury list and a very turbulent time both on and off the pitch in the last few weeks, this quite inexperienced side fought for every ball and thoroughly deserved the three points gathered. It was also Adrie Koster’s first win as head-coach of Ajax. Club, coach, players and players needed this one badly. (Gordon Paterson)
Goals:
68’ 0-1 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Referee: Haverkort
Yellow Cards: Gabri, Heitinga, Maduro (Ajax), Pieters, Van Dijk (FC Utrecht)
Attendance: 23,300
Lineups:
- Ajax line-up: Gentenaar; Ogararu, Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Emanuelson (27. Vertonghen); Gabri, Maduro, De Jong; Rommedahl (63. Luque), Huntelaar, Suárez (86. Kennedy).
- FC Utrecht line-up: Grandel; Cornelisse, Keller, Dickoh, Pieters; Caluwé (76. Broerse), Van Dijk, Somers (77. Rossini); George, Nelisse, Sânmartean (29. Vandenbergh).
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