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Ajax and AZ are at it, again!

May 13th, 2007 | By: Jan | 17 Comments »

The second leg of the play-offs were played yesterday, and yes yes yes…competitors AZ and Ajax will have to face each other again, this time to determine which of the two will get the sought after Champions Leagie Qualification ticket…

Man… After having lost 1-0 to Heerenveen last week, Ajax showed it meant business in the Amsterdam Arena. Huntelaar (twice), Babel and Perez sealed Heerenveen’s fate (4-0). Not that the Northerners were without a prayer… Particularly in the first half they did get their chances, but Stekelenburg kept a clean sheet with some good saves. Ajax gave off a clear message.

AZ Alkmaar had a tougher test. After the 1-1 last week in Twente, yesterday AZ was struggling. Twente had the better of the game and it took a lucky shot (or better put: a goalkeeper’s fumble) in the 70st minute from Tim De Cler to get the 1-0 on the scoreboard. In the last minutes of the game, sub Lens even scored the 2-0, but most punters had to admit that FC Twente actually deserved more….

So, Ajax and AZ Alkmaar will go head to head once again. It seems that frivolous and playful AZ has lost it’s magic over the last weeks. Being ousted from the UEAF cup, missing the championship title on the last matchday and losing in the National Cup Finals may have proven too much. Football technical and tactical it was super, mentally Van Gaal’s boys need some more muscle. Ajax on the other hand, know what it means to rise to the occasion, and led by the likes of Stam and Davids the Sons of Gods seem to be back with a vengeance… By the way, Edgar Davids did get another yellow card against Heerenveen and will be suspended against AZ Alkmaar.

And then some said news from Rotterdam. Ye Ol’ Fox Don Leo did not pull it off with Feyenoord against FC Groningen. The sleeping giant scored early in the game through Pierre van Hooijdonk in what proved to be the last match of his career; 1-0 from a setpiece… But Feyenoord struggled all the way through and a miss-judged long ball gave FC Groningen the opportunity to put the equalizer behind goalie Timmer and that was enough for FC Groningen who will enter Europe for the second time in a row. They had won the 1st leg 2-1.

Don Leo sighed, gnarled, puffed…but the spark was gone… Feyenoord will need to start all over again…

And talking about setbacks!!! White handkerchiefs in Camp Nou in Barcelona!! Barca couldn’t win in their La Liga match yesterday, thereby allowing Real Madrid to take over the lead after their sensational match against Espanyol (4-3 win after the 1-3 half time score….). Van the Man is hot, Rijkaard is not .

Tags: Edgar Davids, Frank Rijkaard, Louis van Gaal, The Netherlands

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Comments

By carrington | May 14th, 2007 at 3:07 am

come on real! i would much prefer them to win the league and see nisterooy finish up golden boot winner. Also in other news i read again that huntelaar is on man u shoppin list. I really reckon that even though i hate man u that is probably the best place to go at the moment as man u only really have saha and rooney as players who will restrict him from getting oppertunities in the first team. I rellay wanna see him in the prem though.

Posted from United Kingdom

By Jan | May 14th, 2007 at 7:05 am

Huntelaar at United, that would be cool! But what will Sir Alex do with Giggs?? I think the Welshman is over the hill. I can’t see the brilliance anymore? Is it me? WOuld Robben be the right man for the job? Van der Vaart? Carrington?

Posted from Australia

By goose | May 14th, 2007 at 8:22 am

Giggs is done…you can still use him for 1/4 of the game but it will even be less next season… always feel a bit sorry for those great players (which he was) who come from small countries were they will never qualify for big tournaments..
im not really impressed by Saha..thing Car. is right, Prem. Leg. will be the best leguea for Huntelaar..hes not a really technally gifted player but hes a great striker (hes a bit like vanNistelrooy), think Spain is always very difficult for a striker..can think of only Jimmy Floyd Hesselbank and Makaay who really had succes in Spain as dutch strikers..
will be very interesting to see how Huntelaar will play at the next level..im still not convinced he has the footballing intelect to be one of the great..

im still sure Robben wont leave Chelsea and i think his contact with Morinho is just fine (look at the little talk they had at the Liv. game before the penalties)

vdVaart will stay at Hsv (his child is just born so dont think hes looking to move very soon)

Were will Alves go (hes topscorer in Holland with 34 goals…maybe Psv?)

Looks like Alex will leave for Chelsea next season (Piet Visser, uberscout was on dutch tv yesterday) and looks like Boula is looking for a new club

have this feeling that will see some nice surprises in the very near future…

RUUD RUUD RUUD

Posted from Netherlands

By carrington | May 14th, 2007 at 10:51 am

are u implieing that i would be the right man for the job, or are u asking my opinion! haha
na dont fink vaart is of the same style of giggs so i would rule him out! and mourinho would not sell robben to man u. i fink that giggs has probably got another year in him

Posted from United Kingdom

By Mario | May 14th, 2007 at 11:39 am

Jan:

I read that Stekelenburg made some good saves yesterday and that Rijkaard is not having a good time at Spain as we all know. Jan, guys, anyone can tell me what do you think of Stekelenburg as a goalie, can he ever reach the level of a van der Sar or a van Breukelen?. And do you think Rijkaard will still be Barcelona´s coach next season?.

By ferenc | May 14th, 2007 at 1:25 pm

laporta said one or two weeks ago that rijkaard would stay at barca.

Posted from Hungary

By goose | May 14th, 2007 at 1:49 pm

@Mario: Stekelburg is still improving…he had a difficult time in the early beginning of his career, he was dropped a few times had a lot of injuries but remember he has already played in Oranje!! think it was Lichtenstein a few years ago.. its always the same with goalies, they need time to built autorithy and presence in the box.. think his plus on vanderSar is that he has more of a personality..hes more ‘there’if you know what i mean..(vanBreukelen was the true master when it came to presence..he had this iron will to win and you could tell..remember his face when he stopped the Belanov penalty in 88? .BUT.. he still has a lot to learn, vdSar took some time (and never really was impressed by him, i think his a great keeper but just always thought somethings missing)
but for sure he the man for the future together with one of the great dutch revelations this season: Az’s Boy Waterman..im telling you, hes agreat keeper..

@ferenc: im sorry for you my friend but keep believing, remember that season with Deportivo missing the penalty in the last minute of the game, ill be alright with Barca as champions as long as Ruud gets the topscorer prize

@car: ??

grzt

Posted from Netherlands

By carrington | May 14th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

i was replying to jans question to me. It looks like he is asking whether robben, van der vaart or me would be the best man for the job! haha

Posted from United Kingdom

By Jan | May 14th, 2007 at 9:19 pm

Stekelenburg is definitely a good goalie. He was compared with Sar a bit too much I guess. Once people use words like “the new Cruyff” or the new this or that, they’re doomed .

Waterman is the one to watch. Great charisma too. Important for goalies.

Rijkaard was asked the question recently. Will he still work at Camp Nou next season? His answer: that’s not for me to say, is it?

Posted from Australia

By goose | May 15th, 2007 at 11:39 am

typical Rijkaard answer, it would surprise me if i was kicked out after this season, even if they dont win this years spanish leguea but strange things happen..like the Wigan manager who quits after saving the club the day before..
@Car: and what do you reckon?? haha
grzt

Posted from Netherlands

By Rami | May 15th, 2007 at 11:46 am

so if he resigns, where would he go?

is it possible to see him back at the helm of the national squad before its too late?

By goose | May 15th, 2007 at 2:55 pm

nah, dont know if i want rijkaard (altough any change would be better than vanBasten), never really convinced but think he is a great people manager other than his mates from 88 (Koeman, vanBasten), i mean anyone could get to the semis with Oranje at home, Barcelona has some great players..i mean, he went down with Sparta.. what do you think about Jol??

Posted from Netherlands

By Alaa | May 15th, 2007 at 3:18 pm

i would love to see rikaard back with the oranje, i don’t agree with you goose because look at the bad seasons barcelona had before they got rijkaard, he has excellent players i agree but at the same time i think he is a great manager and every one loves him in the club, i think it would be great to have him in the national team.

Posted from United States

By carrington | May 15th, 2007 at 4:48 pm

how can they think bout sacking rikaard, he has done wonders at barca. They won the champions league last season and are joint top of the league. i dont reckon he will go.
secondly i hope louis van gaal goes to man city, i want to see wat he will be like at them, he mite bring a few dutch players into the team, i reckon someone like emanuelson or heitinga

Posted from United Kingdom

By Jan | May 15th, 2007 at 4:58 pm

Rijkaard will stay, I guess. Laparte and Cruyff will not panick this fast. Deco is over the hill, though.. And in central defense – with all respect to Puyol – there is no real crack. You need a Koeman/De Boer/Blind kind of intelligent player and Barca doesn’t have him. Point is, Barca is a poor club at the moment .

Van Gaal and Man City? In my view, Manchester City is a sub top club and van Gaal a top coach. I wouldn’t take that call. I’d say: was that Man United? No?!?! City??? Tell ‘m I’ll call back….

Posted from Australia

By Rami | May 15th, 2007 at 7:40 pm

haha … nice one jan.

Id like to see jol too goose… although i doubt he’ll leave tottenham next season.
Same with rijkaard, i think hes current state is comparable to mourinho, they both havent achieved much this season, but theyre too good and have been too successful in recent years for the two clubs to let them go so easily.

id back van gaal if anything, or koeman.. but to be honest, im missing hiddink, maybe beenhakker as well.. hes been impressive with poland.

By Jan | May 15th, 2007 at 8:53 pm

Beenhakker….Beenhakker… Pleaaaaassseeeee….

He ruined the WC90 when we had the best group EVER… (apart from WC74 of course).

A lot of rhetoric, bluff, shouting, huffin’ and puffin’… The man’s a dino. Let’s move on…

Posted from Australia

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