Wonder goals: Ajax

Wow, thats a beautiful compilation. Nice job on that, as always, Jan.

A little mini update on the Norway-Iceland game. Again, Norway starting an unusually attack oriented lineup. They usually play ver conservative with a single guy upfront but have now gone to what looks like a 4-1-3-2 with a regular striker as on of the mids (Iversen, ex-spurs now Rosenborg) and both backs very attack oriented, especially Riise, ex Liverpool, now Roma.
Obviously this will leave them vulnerable to counterattacks. In addition, the manager has decided to close 1 practice before each game in the entire quals. The speculation is it to practice set pieces, which they are really good at in the first place. With that lineup there will be 3 players inside the box that all are around 2m tall (Carew, Iversen and Hangeland) Iceland is having a goal keeper issue and are trying to decide between a part-time kindergarden teacher and a part time tax man…I hope the kindergarden guy gets it Nice to see that there still are players today that needs to hold down real jobs like the rest of us. I don’t think that’s an issue for Robinho at the moment.

I should also add that the Norwegian manager, Hareide, is under quite some pressure after failing to qualify for EC2008 and an opening loss at home in the WC2010 campaign against Iceland would very likely mean the end of it for him.

He is a players manager (used to be a CB for Norwich and Man City), I’ve met him once, real down to earth and nice guy. Very Neeskens like actually. Nice and polite, but someone you don’t want to mess with. Anyway, I expect Norway to play a very spirited game to get the campaign off on a good note and give the manager some breathing room.

Very nice goals

Finnster – thanks for the information, as always. Sounds like Norway could be a dangerous team. Set pieces will especially be a big threat for us…

Posted from  Canada

Thanks again, Jan, for these wonderful videos. One observation is that these goals are scored by players being SMART–using their technical skills but applying them to specific situations. How many goals do we see today when a striker lifts the ball over a keeper? Very few, I think. Using dribbling skills to position for a shot, knowing how to kick the ball for the correct spin, using a draw (right to left) shot to achieve the objective–all examples of players with football intelligence. At the professional level, the difference between good and great is inside the brain, not the body. Johan, Marco, Dennis–all very, very intelligent people. It does make a difference.

Posted from  United States

Interesting comment Bob… It’s true. When I was researching (ahum) the different goals by PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord I came to a similar conclusion. I was wondering whether this was the result of the randomness of YOuTube (it takes one dedicated fan to post the most glorious goals and maybe Ajax has more fans with time on their hands?? I mean, Rotterdam is the work city, as they say…).

But, the PSV goals look all good. Shortest way to the goal kind of goals. Some are remarkable (Nilis) some are dry and cool and collected (Ruud, Kezman, Koolhof).

But Ajax’ goals are from another world… The Dennis chips (his trademark), the trickery of De Boer, the backheel of Raf (the sheer balls and brains needed) and the smarts of Jari. Is it coincidence?

Then I saw Feyenoord’s goals and as I will share with you later, many great goals by De Kromme, Gullit, Jeliazkov and JC himself aren’t in that clip. Most of the goals are either brilliant (Pierre, Kindval), lucky (Wim Jansen) or typical workman’s goals (Kuyt, Israel).

I am not an Ajax diehard fan (I don’t hate them either) but it’s clear that in Amsterdam, scoring goals is an artform.