Now its down to 40

Ajax' convincing 2-0 win over an extremely lame FK Borac yesterday has propelled them into the final 40 (yes 40) teams in the UEFA Cup group stage. This match was never really in doubt as Ajax completely dominated possession and shots on goal, although it took an absolute cracker from Jeffery Sarpong in the 71st minute to open the scoring. A 6-0 scoreline would have been more representative of this match, which once again highlights the finishing issues this team seems to have. I wouldn't chalk up that many missed opportunities from this match to the Borac keeper, we just simply couldn't put it in the net. There was plenty of reason to be optimistic though, Ajax played well, there were no major injuries (although there is some bad news out today about Steks), and Ajax can now wait to see who they are paired with when the groups are announced on Tuesday. Ajax has been placed in a seeding pot (and therefore will not be grouped with) the following teams : Stuttgart, Olympiacos, Deportivo, Club Brugge, Spartak Moskva, PSG, and Heerenveen. Of course, big names still lurk out there, teams like Milan, Sevilla, Valencia, and Schalke could all be possible group mates.
Next up, a tough match at Heerenveen on Sunday. Hopefully I'll get a chance to see this one...