2 - 0 Cup Win

I finally had time to watch an Ajax match yesterday, and the KNVB Cup match against Utrecht turned out to be a good one to watch. Ajax dominated this match from the start and should have won by much more than the 2 - 0 final score.

A half empty (but still rather boisterous) ArenA crowd watched a masterful Ajax attack continuously bombard the Utrecht goal, but young Michel Vorm kept his side in the game until the last 20 minutes. A rarely tested Ajax back line looked solid, with excellent games turned in by Urby and new boy Eyong Enoh in particular. Van Basten praised his new midfielder, who impressed in a substitute role against Feyenoord and played the full 90 yesterday in place of Evander Sno. But the player that impressed ME the most yesterday was man of the match Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan winger was all over the pitch, shedding defenders, finding open space, creating a penalty shot and then scoring a beautiful goal from an impossible angle just a minute after KJH had missed the aforementioned PK. Suarez then layed a perfect pass off to KJH in the 87th minute that Klaas easily converted to seal the victory.

Ajax played well and looked like the well oiled machine they are supposed to against a Utrecht team that really never showed up to play. The one bonehead play of the day was an awful clearance/pass/whatever is was by Steks early in the first half that basically gave an Utrecht player the ball with about 20 yards of open space between him and the goal. Thankfully Urby was there to clean up his mess.

Lucky penatly saves a point for Rotterdammers

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to see the match, so I can't write much of a report, but I did see some highlights and overall it seemed to be a very entertaining match that Ajax probably should have won but shouldn't be too disappointed with a point. Here are just a few of the pics that the guys at Ajaxfotside.nl (always worth checking out for a fan's perspective on the match) have posted. Good news: PSV lost to AZ, dropping their first points of the year. Bad news: reports today say that Miralem Sulejmani could be sidelined for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury. Interesting news: Eyong Enoh got his first taste of playing time in the 75th minute. Not sure how he played, anyone care to comment on this? Bottom line: Feyenoord has not beaten Ajax since February 2006.

Winner winner...chicken dinner

UEFA CUP First Round

Borac Cacak 1 - 4 Ajax

Great win. More to come later.

Highlights here (for now):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv3Ii88PaTY

One small step forward

This is a HUGE week for Ajax. With the opening round UEFA Cup match in Serbia on Thursday and the Klassieker in Rotterdam on Sunday, and after an opening weekend shock loss at Willem II, Sunday's home match vs Roda JC was one of the most crucial early season games that Ajax has played in a long time. If the past few Eredivisie campaigns have shown us anything, its that you gotta win the games you are supposed to. Ajax was supposed to win in Tilburg. Strike one. I hate to use a baseball reference, but honestly if they had lost this game to Roda, a game that they 'should' win, it would have a been a huge swing and miss for strike two. Can you really hope to be landskampioenen after strike 3? Probably not.
Ajax actually played well on Sunday, not exactly inspired, but well enough to get a deserved win. Roda hardly created any chances and rarely tested Steks in goal, which honestly I would attribute more to their lack of imagination and effort than to anything the Ajax defense did. I am starting to worry about Oleguer's foot speed, he looked like me out there a few times. The guy is slow. Urby, Vermaelen and Van der Wiel were solid, but again, not really tested.
Evander Sno is exciting to watch. Scary sometimes, but exciting. And he's got a very lively shot that I hope he pulls out more often. As for the rest of the midfield and forwards, it was a game to forget. KJH was even pulled in the 80th minute after a lackluster performance and missing numerous opportunities to end his five match scoreless streak. For some reason Leonardo started the match, and really looked uncomfortable out there. On one hand I felt bad for the guy, but his removal and replacement was overdue when Suarez came on in the 59th minute.
It took a well placed header by a wide open (i mean WIDE open) Vermaelen to put Ajax ahead just ten minutes after the half.
All in all, it was a deserved 3 points. Hopefully the trip to Serbia won't turn out like some recent matches vs Eastern European competition (see Slavia Prague, Dinamo Zagreb), and hopefully Ajax won't return to Amsterdam with their collective tails between their legs before the trip to Rotterdam.

SI is not my normal source for news, but this is a well written article about the current state of the Eredivisie. Yes, I'm feeling very un-inspired to write much these days. I am hoping to see an improved Oranje showing today, especially after loosing to the Socceroos last weekend in Eindhoven(yikes). Nice goal Klaas, nice back pass Johnny.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/world_soccer/09/10/dutch.soccer/index.html

Eredivise Standings

I didnt get to see the match last weekend, but it obviously was not a good result. Matt has a good write up as usual here. Naturally PSV is starting off right where they left off last season and we are 3 points back already. Super.
But, its one game. PSV will loose more games this year than they did last year, and Ajax will get better. I'm trying to rise above all the negativity that this loss is creating, and to maintain a reasonable perspective on the season as a whole.
Serenity now.
Hey, at least it finally looks like KJH is staying put.