“My God, that defense”: Ajax' cup campaign ends in Breda
| 4 (1) |
2 (0) |
KNVB Cup
Rat Verlegh Stadium, Breda
Wednesday, 16 Jan 2008
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Ajax can 'focus on the league', as they say, after NAC Breda once again demonstrated how horribly weak the Ajax defense is (4-2). The cup winners of 2006 and 2007 have crashed out of the competition in the round of sixteen, in a fashion that (even though the KNVB Cup wasn't very high on the Ajax fans' wishlist this season) can only be described as very painful.
No-one in Amsterdam really seemed to care: the Ajax supporters didn't sell out the away section of an otherwise packed (and roaring) Rat Verlegh Stadium, head-coach Adrie Koster decided to rest Edgar Davids for Sunday's league game and it was clear from the outset that each and every player of NAC Breda had an overwhelmingly strong will to win, which could not be said about Ajax.
Perez and Donald. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
In the first half, in particular, it was crystal clear that NAC Breda simply wanted it more. There number of chances was very small. In fact, you could say that there were no clear-cut scoring opportunities at all in the first 45 minutes. The only noteworthy moments of danger were two long range shots. Jan Vertonghen's free-kick slammed the cross-bar in the 20th minute. Kurt Elshot's bold attempt from just outside the penalty area, less than one minute later, had a nast curve and seemed to totally surprise Maarten Stekelenburg: 1-0 (21').
Other than that? No real chances, but the hosts were all over Ajax, enjoyed considerably more possession than the Amsterdammers and won almost every physical duel on the ground or in the air. NAC's lead at half-time was well deserved.
After the break, Ajax demonstrated that they did actually care. There was more fighting spirit, more determination, more possession and – inevitably – more danger. Ajax actually started to play very well around the 50th minute mark, which was underscored by a string of small chances. 53rd minute: free passage Vertonghen, but Ten Rouwelaar was out of his goal quickly enough to clear. 55th minute: Penders and Huntelaar pushed and pulled for a Kennedy cross, allowing Suárez to pick up he loose ball and hammer it into the side-netting. 58th minute: corner kick from Perez, enormous unmarked header opportunity for Kennedy at the near post. 65th minute: great run from Suárez over the left flank, nice touch from 'KJH', with a massive scoring chance for Gabri as a result.
Ajax just had to score – and they did it one minut after Gabri's chance. Perez's corner went over everybody's heads, Jan Vertonghen nodded it back into the goalmouth, where Luis Suárez emerged victorious in a brief scrimmage: 1-1 (66') – and at this point Ajax totally had NAC Breda by the throat.
Heitinga and Luque clear a corner while Gabri and Suarez look on. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
But then it all went wrong, as the Ajax defense started to demonstrate how terrible they reall are and NAC somehow managed to score three goals in ten minutes' time. The yellow and black took the lead again straight from kick-off: Anthony Lurling slipped past George Ogararu as if the Romanian wasn't even there, Jan Vertonghen totally missed Lurling's low, simple cross – and substitute Ahmed Ammi only needed to give the final push: 2-1 (67').
Three minutes later: no Ajax defender to be seen as a free-kick from Csaba Fehér lands at the far post. Thank you very much, says Patrick Zwaanswijk, as he slams his forehead against the ball: 3-1 (70').
Another seven minutes later: George Ogararu pockets the 'trophy' for 'Worst Man of the Match' as Lurling once again humiliates him, cuts to the middle and fires home with his right. 4-1 (77').
What a spanking. Evening matches at NAC's home ground are legendary, but their home record is definitely not great this season: NAC Breda got 9 points out of 9 home matches. Which is poor. The eleven players from coach Ernie Brandts' starting line-up scored 13 goals between them so far.
Luis Suárez's second goal (a remarkably beautiful shot – or was it a cross? – from the right flank that landed against the far side netting) was only interesting for statistic reasons: this was the sixth time that Ajax scored twice, but couldn't win. It was also the 13th time in 27 official matches (all competitions) that Ajax conceded two goals or more. In other words: in almost 50% of their games, Ajax required (or would have) required at least three goals for a win. In this particular they would have required five.
How can a head-coach (or technical director) seriously say that Ajax do not need a central defender? Yes, okay: Thomas Vermaelen and Gregory van der Wiel are injured, but a club that finds itself in a position where they have to drop the name of an injured teenager in order to explain their nightmarish defense stats, has seriously underestimated something… But we're probably over-reacting. As fans do.
NEC vs Ajax on Sunday. Anything can happen. (Menno Pot)
Goals:
Referee: Blom
Yellow Cards: Vertonghen, Perez (Ajax), Fehér (NAC Breda)
Attendance: 16,400
Lineups:
- Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Ogararu, Heitinga, Vertonghen, Emanuelson (72. Luque); Gabri, Perez, Donald (46. De Jong); Kennedy (63. Rommedahl), Huntelaar, Suárez.
- NAC Breda line-up: Ten Rouwelaar; Elshot, Penders, Zwaanswijk, Mtiliga; Stam, Fehér, Molhoek (73. Gilissen); Lurling, Idabdelhay (57. Ammi), Kolkka (85. Veenstra).
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