"AFC Ajax-RBC 2-0
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KPN Eredivisie, Friday September 22, 2000, 20.15 hrs, Amsterdam ArenA.
HALFTIME: 0-0 FINAL SCORE: 2-0
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When RBC promoted last year by winning of play-offs supporters were joked: 'Than will Ajax have already 6 points!'(-:))))-). This joke should have make realistic fridayevening in the Arena. There weren't expected a lot of supporters and they waren't also coming. With 34000 spectators where there 6000 seasonticketholders stay at home.
Before the game started it has a lot surprises. Captain of Ajax, Aron Winter was making his warm-up with the reserves and Richard Witschge was sitting in the Arena between the other spectators. Adriaanse has a reputation of hard measures and he confirmed that by don't call up both for the line up. Winter wasn't playing because he played to bad in the previous matches and Witschge was sending outside the squad because he trained to soft. By the way were Galasek, Vierklau and Arveladze injured so they weren't able to play. After that there was a surprising, young team on the field. Van der Vaart was replacing Winter and the Colombian Andre Cruz makes his first appearance in Ajax1 as striker. Pasanen started also and Tim de Cler played as leftback. Richard Knopper was the new captain and was rightmidfielder and Van der Gun could so play behind the striker,the place of Knopper. The Average age of the team was 21,9 years old what was a great risk because the young squad had a reduce of experience.
The match: Ajax was starting laborious in the first half and it was simply:very bad. Only a few shots produced Ajax what wasn't very dangerous for RBC goalie Dijkstra. Honestly could Ajax be happy that they didn't rank below to RBC because Vos could run free from the midfield to the goal of Grim. Apparently the pressure was for him to much. He shoot the ball slowly in the hands of the good marked Grim. It was a first signal of RBC that it would play football on an attacking way. The signal was getting more hot a few minutes later. Vos shoot from the left side hard but Pasanen is alert and fortunately is earlier to the ball than Heerkens. Ajax is seeking for rhythem but the referee is playing a irritating role in that. When Ajax would take fast free kicks than said Bossen that the ball wasn't take on the right pitch and shall be taking over. That was happening six times in the first half. It reduce the pace of the game what wasn't al very high. The first half ended and Ajax could walk to the dressingrooms with shouting upset supporters at the background.
After the first half where people trying to make the pitch a little bit better but it didn't help a lot. The players were able again to begin the second half. After ten minutes in the second half the supporters see through that Ajax needed support and Ajax was supported in a road to the victory. The support worked and Ajax was looking for attacking opportunities. Ajax gets a corner and Van der Meyde swings the ball perfectly in. And who else than Chivu is getting Ajax to the right shape. His header is unapproachable for keeper Dijkstra and the relief by everyone is very big. He runs to the dug-out of Ajax and hugging Winter. A symbolic move of the young Romenian.
With playing for a half hour was the resistance of the orange boys broken. There were some replacements in the team of RBC and could playing the match out simply. Ajax was taking the counterattack plenty of times and that was the importants weapon. So was this weapon also used by the second goal. RBC was seeking for a goal and was with to many players attacking forward. Then there is a lot of space when Ajax gets the ball and Knopper is sending away by Van der Vaart on the right side of the field and with three man of ajax again two of RBC could Ajax score. Knopper passed just for the line of offside to Gronkjaer and he can choose a corner. The Danish winger shoot the ball well and he increased the lead to 2-0. Relief in the Arena! Winter is next getting in for Van der Meyde and he can proove the wrong of Adriaanse. Ajax had than further 100% sure chanches to increase the score to a 6-0 but it that didn't happened. John Nieuwenburg is also makes his first started in the line up this season by replacing Knopper. He has to give away his captainstring who came by by the way back by Winter. Ajax has eventually won with a young team and a lot of people have gain experience.
Sure is that the morale in the squad is not very good because Witschge and Winter hadden't both sence to react of the fact that they didn't played from the beginning. Adriaanse wasn't also sure of the played Thursday again Gent for the UEFA cup, a match that isn't important because Ajax is already through the second round Both guys are needed for the hard programme for the further weeks because the young ones aren't good enough to win against Heerenveen, Vitesse, Roda JC, PSv en Willem 2. But first will come the belgians visit Amsterdam and than will probably the young ones gan gain experiences again. Next match: AFC Ajax - AA Gent, (September 28, UEFAcup).
Line-up:
AFC Ajax :
Grim; Chivu, Bergdřlmo, de Cler;
Pasanen, Knopper (85 Nieuwenburg), van der Vaart, van der Gun;
v.d. Meyde (72 Winter), Cruz (67 Hosé), Grřnkjćr.
RBC :
Dijkstra; Cas, Keller, Kuiper (40 Douglas), Brunswijk (84 Stassin);
Heerkens, Bakboord, Vos, Hertog;
Heije (74 van Galen), Cales.
Score:
1-0 Chivu (62), 2-0 Grřnkjćr (71)."
Hajrá Ajax!!!
