Historic bankruptcy
Ajax Amsterdam’s sporting crisis has continued with its first cup exit against an amateur club. The 20-time cup winner lost 2:3 (0:1) to fourth division team USV Hercules in the second round on Thursday. Winger Tim Pieters (22) started the sensation with a brace in front of 5,400 spectators. “This will go around the world,” he told ESPN. “It would have made more sense if we had lost 6-0.”
Ajax’s Brian Brobbey and Chuba Akpom equalized a 0-2 deficit late on in Utrecht with their goals in the 83rd and 88th minutes, but in stoppage time Mats Grotenbreg completed the sensation with the winning goal for the outsiders. Hercules attacker Pieters had other commitments before the historic victory: “I still had something to do for my studies, but I finished it this afternoon.” USV Hercules, as a newcomer to the fourth-class Derde Divisie A, is currently in 10th place Tabel.
For Ajax, who were temporarily bottom of the table at the end of October, 2023 will end as the season began. “That shouldn’t have happened,” said Ajax assistant coach Michael Valkanis after the game. He represented head coach John van’t Schip, who is in Australia for his son’s wedding. “We are going through a very difficult season. But we have to keep working and get everything back on track,” said Valkanis.
After four wins and two draws, the record champions recently climbed to fifth place in the table. They are 13 and 23 points behind their usual rivals Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven – Ajax have 25 points after 16 games. After the cup exit, the Amsterdam team can concentrate on the domestic league and the Conference League, where Bodø/Glimt awaits in the intermediate round.
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