Woohoo!
KUALA LUMPUR, August 1 (Bernama) — Netherlands-based professional football club AFC Ajax has expressed its willingness to extend its expertise in developing youth football to Malaysia. [AFC Ajax Plans Youth Development Programme In Malaysia. Bernama. August 1 2007]
Despite ending second in the Eredivisie, the Dutch system forces Ajax to play a little tournament for a place in the Champions League. While the system sucks, Ajax get through nonetheless. Ajax beat AZ 3-0 at Amsterdam, with a 4-2 aggregate result:
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Watch that own goal by Donk. It is possibly the most beautiful own goal I have ever seen.
See you in the Champions League!
The Eredivisie ended in a dramatic way but Ajax lost.
The KNVB Cup ended dramatically too but Ajax won only after 16 penalties:
On 22 May 1996 Edgar Davids missed a penalty for Ajax in Rome – and it wasn’t an unimportant one: Ajax’s first in the shoot-out of the Champions League final against Juventus in Rome. Ajax lost the shoot-out: 2-4. Davids’ miss marked the start of Ajax’s 2-4 collapse. The ‘pitbull’ of Louis van Gaal’s golden Ajax team knew that he would leave Ajax for AC Milan that summer and would have given his left arm for a more succesful last ball contact as an Ajacied…
Almost eleven years later, on 06 May 2007, Edgar Davids once again stepped forward for a penalty. This time it wasn’t Rome but Rotterdam. This time the goalkeeper wasn’t Juventus’ Angelo Peruzzi but AZ’s Khalid Sinouh. This time it wasn’t the first, but the 16th and possibly last of the shoot-out. This time Louis van Gaal wasn’t Davids’ coach, but his opponent. And… this time Edgar Davids didn’t fail: he made it 7-8, just after AZ defender Ryan Donk had missed the 15th in a long series of 16 near-perfect spotkicks, and gave Ajax their 17th Dutch cup in club history. “This feels like a new beginning,” the Ajax veteran said after official ceremony on the pitch of De Kuip. [Ajax claim KNVB Cup after 120 minutes and 16 penalties. AjaxUSA. May 7 2007]
Poor AZ. Poor Van Gaal. Sincerely. I would rather have AZ won the Eredivisie instead of PSV. But do enjoy the victory, humbly:
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Enjoy the Cup.
I might be wrong but this must be the tightest season in recent history. Or ever. With one more game to go, three teams mathematically have the chance to be the next kampioen of the Eredivisie. It is all down to PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord.
Wait, not Feyenoord! No! It is AZ Alkmaar!
How close it is right now?
This situation is made possible through the simultaneous win of Ajax and AZ over their respective opponent while PSV pulled down by Utrecht.
Ajax had their chance to top the table but just like how Chelsea squandered their chance earlier this evening, Ajax were unable to capitalize on the fever PSV had a few weeks ago.
Though Ajax could claim the title, I doubt trophy would go to Amsterdam this year. In my opinion, AZ would win the title. If AZ manage only a draw next week, the odd would favor Ajax because of the superior goal difference. At the moment, AZ have 6 more goals than Ajax.
But fret not for Ajax is in the final round of the Cup game against AZ. One silverware to win.
One interesting possibility: all three teams could end up with 75 points at the end of the season, with the same goal difference. How cool would that be?
And heh, the folks from Rotterdam are doing so badly this season that I always almost feel pity for them each time I look at the Eredivisie of table.
Anyway, let us savor Ajax’s 5-2 victory over Sparta.
First goal by Sneijder in the 9th minute. 1-0:
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Sneijder again in the 17th minute. 2-0:
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The Hunter in four minutes later. 3-0:
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Krohn-Deli, an Ajacied on loan to Sparta, assisted Bouaouzan. By the 37th minute, 3-1:
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Krohn-Deli assisted another goal. This time scored by Freire. In the 47th, 3-2:
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Too close, but Perez made some space for Ajax in the 76th minute. 4-2:
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Mitea completed the demolition in the 82th minute. 5-2:
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While PSV struggled against NAC, Ajax struck 3 goals against SC Heracles. Because of that, Ajax is now only three points behind PSV. Three points!
I have some animated photos and would like to post it. However, I’ll wait for Youtube.
In the meantime, I would just love to savor the moment. It ain’t over yet but we don’t have to worry about that for the next six days.