Shaken, not stirred; Ajax claim three points at Tilburg
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Eredivisie
Willem II Stadium, Tilburg
Saturday, 08 Dec 2007
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Kennedy Bakirçioglü's 3rd minute goal gave Ajax a dream start. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
The ‘Big One’ between Ajax vs PSV, this upcoming Sunday, will be a clash between the #1 (Ajax) and the #2 (PSV) of the Dutch Eredivisie. That’s not unusual. This time, however, it will also be a match between two hardly convincing teams that absolutely embarrassed themselves the previous weekend. PSV suffered an extraordinary home defeat to Roda JC: they were played off the park and should consider themselves fortunate that the final score was ‘only’ 2-4. Ajax did grab the three points at Willem II Stadium in Tilburg (2-3), but make no mistake: the Amsterdammers were just poor and just as utterly clueless as PSV. Anything can happen on ‘Super Sunday’.
Okay, the conditions in Tilburg were grim: a cold storm swept across the pitch, which the rain had turned into a bit of a swamp. Ajax hardly ever convince on days like that. In fact: the Amsterdammers always seem to have a poor string of matches in the five, six weeks before Christmas. But even the conditions and the usual list of absentees can’t explain why Ajax performed so poorly against the league’s #15. Ajax played just as poorly as they did against NAC Breda, last week. They always win in Tilburg (this was the 9th league win in a row at the home of Willem II), but it didn’t feel like a triumph. Indeed: just like last season, when Ajax booked a 0-2 win, but let the championship shield slip from their fingers on the finish line.
Ajax were 1-3 up at half-time, which was pretty amazing: it is hardly an exaggeration to say that Ajax somehow managed to worm three goals out of a chance and a half, at best. Many people were still looking for their seats when Luis Suárez’s thru-pass reached Kennedy Bakirçioglü, who sneaked through the home side’s defense and remained calm in front of goalkeeper Maikel Aerts: 0-1 (03’). Nice one for Kennedy, who surprisingly started in midfield in what was essentially a 3-4-3 line-up, due to the absence of fullback George Ogararu (thigh injury). An even bigger surprise: Albert Luque had lost his spot to Dennis Rommedahl.
Kennedy’s goal seemed to mark the start of a typically easy evening in Tilburg, but hey: we all know how solid Ajax’s defense is, these days. Jens Janse was the next right flank player from the Dutch Eredivisie to demonstrate what a piece of cake it is to storm past Urby Emanuelson. His low cross was let go by Frank Demouge at the near post, then tapped home by former Ajax man Kevin Bobson at the far. Six minutes into the game – and the score was level.
Under siege: The Ajax defense would weaken when Gabri is substituted at halftime. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
The home side, a team with only two wins behind their name, were easily the better side in the 84 minutes that followed. Quality football was impossible on the soaked pitch of Willem II Stadium, but the Tricolores battled bravely, were far superior in the air and simply more physical and masculine than Ajax. Maarten Stekelenburg had to tip a Frank van der Struijk attempt over the cross-bar and was fortunate when Saïd Boutahar got a chance, but fired just wide.
A second Willem II goal was in the air for almost 20 minutes, but Ajax took the lead again, in a manner that was pretty typical for the football they played on the day: Kargbo slipped and lost the ball, Aerts failed to hold on to Kennedy’s shot, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar wanted to convert the rebound but hit the ball totally wrong, thereby accidentally passing it on to Luis Suárez, who rocketed home: 1-2 (29’). Ajax’s third, just before the half-time whistle, was even more typical for the manner in which Ajax pocketed the points. Goalkeeper Maikel Aerts let Jan Vertonghen’s free-kick slip through his fingers: 1-3 (45+2’).
Points secured? Normally you’d say so, but not with Ajax’s current defense. The Amsterdammers require three goals to beat someone, these days. The goal that brought Willem II back into the game was typical. It was as if the Ajax defenders weren’t even aware of the fact that Messoudi launched a free-kick from the left into the Ajax goalmouth. No-one jumped, no-one marked any Willem II player in particular and ‘thanks very much’ said Arjan Swinkels, towering high above the Ajax defense and nodding home: 2-3 (75’).
What followed was a 15-minute siege that forced Ajax to retreat to their ‘Alamo’. After the departure of Gabri, who twisted his knee and had to be replaced, there seemed to be no such thing as an Ajax midfield. Gabri’s replacement, Jurgen Colin, once again demonstrated that he’s only good at one thing: whacking the ball into the stands, ‘English Division One-style’. This was how Ajax were hoping to remain upright until the final whistle. They succeeded, by good luck more than good judgement, for the simple reason that pretty much every high cross into the Ajax goalmouth guaranteed an unmarked header opportunity for the opposition. Thank God for Maarten Stekelenburg, who superbly turned Frank van der Struijk’s header around the post. Mind you: Messousi’s free-kick landed at the far post, inside Ajax’s five-yard area. Yet, the only person there was Van der Struijk… How can that be?
Stekelenburg's last-minute save salvaged the points for Ajax. [Photo: Ajax.nl]
The only Ajax defender who deserved a compliment was Jan Vertonghen, who battled, cleared and tackled, sometimes on the ball, sometimes on the man. Ajax would have collapsed if it wasn’t for him.
Let is be said: this was a totally undeserved win. Willem II humbled Ajax, deserved the ovation their fans gave them after the final whistle, while the Ajax players were slinking off, embarrassed, but knowing that they had returned to the top of the Eredivisie table, even though they hardly knew how. Roll on PSV… (Menno Pot)
Goals:
- 03’ 0-1 Kennedy Bakirçioglü
- 06’ 1-1 Kevin Bobson
- 29’ 1-2 Luis Suárez
- 45’ 1-3 Jan Vertonghen
- 75’ 2-3 Arjan Swinkels
Referee: Van Hulten
Yellow Cards: Messoudi (Willem II), Emanuelson, Huntelaar (Ajax)
Attendance: 14,044
Lineups:
- Ajax line-up: Stekelenburg; Heitinga, Vertonghen, Emanuelson; Gabri (45+1’. Colin), Maduro, Kennedy (86. Schilder), De Jong (76. Krohn-Deli); Rommedahl, Huntelaar, Suárez.
- Willem II line-up: Aerts; Janse (67. Wau), Swinkels, Bælum (85. Nieuwendaal), Van der Struijk; Messoudi, Kargbo, Boutahar; Demouge, Poepon, Bobson (77. Vorthoren).
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