Ajax 'Saturday' amateurs qualify for 2004-2005 Amstel Cup
21 May: After several seasons of fine Young Ajax
achievements in the 'big', professional Amstel Cup, the
2004-2005 season will be a new milestone in the history of Ajax
in the Dutch cup competition. The first team of Ajax's amateur
section, known as Ajax 'Saturday-1', qualified for the Amstel
Cup via the Amstel Cup 'district tournament' for
amateur teams, so that Ajax will be represented by no less than
three teams in next season's Amstel Cup.
Apart from a professional section (consisting
of Ajax-1, Young Ajax and the entire youth system of teams
in age categories A, B, C, D, E and F) the club also has an
amateur section, which plays its home games at Ajax's youth
complex of De Toekomst. The Ajax amateurs were oft overlooked
by supporters in the past, but gained some prominence by
getting promoted to the Hoofdklasse ('Top
Class') of Dutch Saturday amateur football.
A tough first season was expected for the Amsterdammers and
the fact that they managed to stay up in their Top Class
division was already regarded as a major success. The fact that
Ajax qualified for the finals of the district cup for amateur
teams was an unexpected bonus. The 20 May finals had the
structure of a mini-tournament and took place at the home
ground of Elinkwijk football club in Utrecht. Ajax was in a
group with Hollandia (Sunday Top Class), Elinkwijk (Sunday Top
Class) and Sporting Maroc (Sunday Third Class) and played a
game of 2 x 25 minutes against each opponent.
Quite surprisingly, fine results were booked against Top
Class outfits Hollandia (1-0 win) and Elinkwijk (a 2-2 draw),
but the final game against Third Class side Sporting Maroc was
lost by the score of 1-0. It was just enough for Ajax to make
it to the play-off final against the runner-up from the second
group of four, FC Omniworld from the town of Almere. Saïd
Saïdi Amor scored the only goal of the game for the
Amsterdammers, who thereby qualified for the 'big' Amstel Cup,
in which 48 amateur teams participate each year.
Young Ajax, winner of the 'double' in professional reserves
football, has also qualified. Both Young Ajax and Ajax
Saturday-1 will play in the first round of the Amstel Cup, on
either 07 or 10 August 2004. Ajax-1 will enter the competition
at a later stage: in the third round, to be precise. Young Ajax
(previously known as Ajax-2) has become a notorious cupfighter
by reaching the quarter finals in 1988 and 2003 and a historic
semi-final slot in 2002. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl, Ajax Zaterdag.nl
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