Joy and disbelief fight for priority on Saturday evening in the stands of the Johan Cruijff Arena. Ajax’s home match against AZ is only fifteen seconds away and the ball is already in the goal. A bounce from the agile Oscar Gloukh, via the head of Wout Weghorst, onto the foot of Kenneth Taylor. Would it? Will this finally be another carefree evening where everything is just right?
The joy is short-lived. After a moment’s hesitation, one of the line judges raises his flag. Weghorst was half a meter offside. But the 1-0 may disappear from the board, but the swagger with which Ajax started the match remains. The home team is eager, puts a lot of pressure on AZ and combines smoothly towards the goal. There is something to be achieved, that is the belief on and around the field.
“A new block,” head coach John Heitinga called the coming weeks, in a way as if he were talking about a fresh start. Another series of matches to show that football is improving. Until last weekend’s international break, Ajax played poorly under the new coach, sometimes even downright poor. Critics outside the club had doubted Heitinga’s performance on several occasions.
Alex Kroes
But instead of being dismissed, Heitinga had been appointed an assistant during matchless weeks, which allowed him to focus more on “perfecting the way of playing”, he said in the run-up to AZ. And perhaps even more importantly: he received a public statement of support from Alex Kroes, the club’s technical director, who looked back on the start of the season in conversation with the Ajax supporters’ association on Thursday.
Kroes had also received many questions in recent weeks whether Heitinga should leave, he said. “But we’re not going to do that, I said. First of all, we had to create peace.” The person ultimately responsible for football emphasized that Ajax has a long way to go and that it is important to show patience. Moreover, the damage was still manageable: Ajax was undefeated in the competition, the deficit to leader Feyenoord was six points.
At the same time, Kroes also made himself vulnerable, a little later in the conversation. By also formulating in public where the breaking point lies for him. Because: “As soon as an entire stadium starts to stir [rond de trainer]then you get wet.”
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Very young midfield
One of Ajax’s vulnerabilities in recent months has been its midfield. Heitinga always looked for a new interpretation, to bring more clarity to the game. He again tries something new against AZ: a variant without veterans Davy Klaassen and Steven Berghuis. Just in front of the defense, the trainer chooses Jorthy Mokio, with Taylor as a commuter and just behind the strikers for Gloukh. A very young midfield, barely twenty years old on average.
It seems like a good choice. While attacks often faltered in previous matches, Ajax often managed to reach the forefront in the opening phase against AZ. After the disallowed opening goal, it constantly led to a lot of threat in front of the goal and a number of modest chances for Taylor and Weghorst.
But AZ is treacherous, Heitinga emphasized in the preparation. It is an opponent with a strong midfield, who can recharge for matches against their fellow provincials. In the previous ten mutual matches, the Alkmaarders had taken a total of 24 points from Ajax. And although Ajax has the initiative in the first twenty minutes, AZ shows several times in transitions how it can cross the entire field within a few passes.
Both teams differ mainly in their eagerness. The visitors do not shy away from a duel, sprinting for every ball with conviction. It can also be seen when AZ gets a corner kick after 24 minutes and the cross seems to turn around the goal and over the back line. The Ajax defenders stop running, AZ attacker Troy Parrott sprints on and puts the ball back to teammate Weslley Patati with a clever spin: 0-1. Suddenly the stadium falls silent, only the away crowd can be heard.
Just before half time, the same difference in determination led to the 0-2. After a huge opportunity for midfielder Sven Mijnans, the ball ends up at the feet of Ajax back Lucas Rosa. But instead of clearing the ball, he hesitates, giving Parrott the opportunity to maneuver between the defender and the ball. Rosa then runs into the attacker’s back, after which the Irishman receives a penalty, which he scores himself.
Whistle
From then on, AZ is clearly the better. The Alkmaar team easily plays under the pressure of Ajax, has little difficulty finding its way to the goal, which leads to several good opportunities to further extend the lead. There is a telling moment ten minutes after the break, in which AZ’s forward players can dribble around the Ajax goal almost unhindered. It leads to a continuous whistle from almost all corners of the stadium.
There are still five minutes to play when the crowds start to clear out in the stands of the Johan Cruijff Arena. The stairs towards the exit are full, as cheers ring out. Defender Youri Baas headed in the 2-1. But as soon as the referee is called to the video screen to reconsider his decision – Weghorst has thrown an elbow in frustration – the crowd starts moving again, without waiting for the decision.
Football director Alex Kroes is also among them. On the way from his chair to the stairs, he visibly lets out a deep sigh. When the referee blows the whistle shortly afterwards, the remaining spectators start another whistle concert. A single fan waves a white handkerchief.
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