Kennedy nets twice in first friendly at VVSB: 0-4
0 (0) - 4
(3)
Pre-Season Friendly
Sportpark De Boekhorst, Noordwijkerhout
Saturday, 11 July, 2007
Ajax's pre-season campaign will look slightly different this
year than in previous years. Firstly, there are fewer fixtures
against amateur outfits (only three before the first
professional opponent) and secondly, there is not as much as a
build-up in quality level. In previous seasons Ajax would
normally play a few Second, Third or even Fourth Class amateur
teams, before moving on to opposition of Hoofdklasse
('Top Class') or First Division caliber. This year they opened
the campaign against VVSB, a Hoofdklasse side from the
town of Noordwijkerhout. The hosts lost by the score of 0-4,
but had plenty of reasons to be proud of themselves.
"It is unusual for a football coach to be happy with a
defeat," said VVSB coach Rob de Lange. "But today I am a
happy man. This 0-4 defeat to Ajax is something VVSB can very
well live with."
Laurent Delorge played in the
second half for his new club. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
Indeed: the home side, wearing purple and yellow
as their unusual home colours, performed well, especially
the 'second half line-up', mainly consisting of reserve
players. Unlike the starters in the first 45 minutes, they
would have kept a clean sheet against the Amsterdam giants if
it wasn't for Nicolae Mitea, who netted Ajax's first of
the second half (but their fourth of the day) in the 89th
minute.
Mitea was just one of the Ajacieden who totally failed to
make an impression. The right fullback of the
Voetbalvereniging Sint Bavo (VVSB), Kevin
Keij, had the speedy Romanian in his pocket. Edgar Davids
had a rough one against Bart Duindam in
midfield, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar couldn't crack it
against Bob Hoogkamer and Wesley Sneijder (how many more
games will he play in the Ajax jersey...?) remained invisible
against Tim van der Weiden. VVSB could, in fact, have scored a
goal in the second half, but John Heitinga brought Bart Duindam
down from behind, without being punished for it by referee
Pieter Vink.
It was, in other words, not a match for Ajax to be proud of,
but hey: that's not exactly the most important thing in
the very first 90-minute kickabout of the season, which marked
the unofficial Ajax débuts of midfielder Laurent
Delorge, Norwich City fullback Jürgen Colin (on a
try-out and likely to be offered a contract), Ajax Cape
Town forwards Thembinkosi 'Terror' Fanteni and
Sameegh Doutie (also on try-outs) and , last but not least, the
'Man of the Match' at De Boekhorst sports park: Kennedy
Bakirçioglü. The former Twente man, who played at
the 'number 10' position in the first half, converted his first
two clear-cut chances as an Ajacied and was also involved
in the most fluent attack of the day, which ended with a
shot from Gabri - and a fine save from goalkeeper
IJzendoorn.
Ajax Cape Town's
loanee Thembinkosi 'Terror' Fanteni scored Ajax'
third goal of the day. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
'Terror' Fanteni graced his unofficial début for Ajax
with a goal (a low shot in the 42nd minute). Two days
earlier, all three of the players
currently trying to win a contract (Colin, Fanteni
and Doutie) were informed that their try-outs will be extended:
they will join Ajax to De Lutte, for their traditional
pre-season training camp, and also to Scotland, for the
friendlies against Rangers and Falkirk.
The only bad news of the day was the injury sustained by Jan
Vertonghen. For a moment he seemed to have broken his ankle,
but it turned out that it was 'just' a knock that will keep him
sidelined for one to four weeks.
"The framework of the team is there," coach Henk ten Cate
said after the game. "I didn't even give my players special
instructions. This game was only to get the rhythm back." The
Ajax boss lost Tom De Mul, Kenneth Perez and Ryan Babel in a
few days' time, but he is not worried. "We will land quality
successors. We have professional, knowledgeable people to take
care of that."
Ajax will set off for De Lutte on Monday, for the
usual one-week training camp. The first opponent in the
Eastern Netherlands, on Monday evening, will be GFC, the local
pride of the town of Goor. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl, Leidsch Dagblad
GOALS
- 07' 0-1 Kennedy Bakirçioglü
- 34' 0-2 Kennedy Bakirçioglü
- 42' 0-3 Thembinkosi Fanteni
- 89' 0-4 Nicolae Mitea
Referee: Vink
Cards: none
Attendance: 5,000
Ajax line-up: Gentenaar (46.
Stekelenburg); Colin (46. Ogararu), Stam (46. Vertonghen [76.
Mitea]), Heitinga, Emanuelson; Gabri (46. Anita), Kennedy
(46. Sneijder), Davids (46. Delorge); Doutie (46. Sarpong),
Fanteni (46. Huntelaar), Mitea.
VVSB line-up, first half: IJzendoorn,
Ferrier, Gaarthuis, Koelemij, Ooijendijk, Van Dijke, Duindam,
Jozic, Kokkelkoren, Fransen, Weiden.
VVSB line-up, second half: Aanhane,
Hoogkamer, Kaptein, Kaptein, Keij, Oude Veldhuis (73. Cusell),
Reijd (73. Duivenvoorde), Verhoeve, Vleugel, Warmerdam, Van der
Weiden.
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