Entry of:21-09-99
EUROREVIEW
HAPOEL HAIFA(ISR)-AJAX
Ajax this week:
In an atmosphere of total friendship Ajax played his first match in the second round of the UEFA-cup, away against Hapoel Haifa from Israel.And what was allready to be expected after the draw came true. All right it was true, this Israelian team knocked out Besiktas(Tur) and Club Brugge(Bel) earlier this year, and true, Wouters did everything to uplift his opponent, but false, it was not at all a difficult opponent. Amongst the players that started Chivu was a defender taking the place of de Cler, who is suffering from an injury, Chivu uphold his duty nicely. Ajax could afford to take the match very relaxed. Especially after halftime it was cristalclear that Ajax would go home with a solid win that is promising enough for some real challenges in the third round UEFA. Machlas opened the score very early with a header in the 3rd. minute, Hapoel did not even know yet what was happening. 9 minutes later it was magic Knopper who doubled the score after an assist from defender Nieuwenburg who had a lot of space. So at halftime there were no worries. Machlas could take some rest, and just before Laudrup could do the same, he decided to leave the field with class scoring the 3rd Ajax goal in the 56th minute.Gronkjaer gained some more minutes playtime after him and is slowly coming back.This match was not one to remember through history, an obligatory win, nothing more, nothing less. Fans look forward to what is to become a goalfestival in the homematch in 2 weeks.Including yours truely. But it is about time that Ajax met some true competition in the UEFA-cup. It sure did proove to be ready for anybody.
Note for Ajax: 8
Other Dutch teams in European Cups:
Like always the Champions League was a disaster for Dutch clubs. 3 clubs played 4 games allready and none of them won a single match. No wonder Holland is called the Mickey-Mouse-competition throughout Europe. Ajax is the only to change that, not the current representants. Willem II took the lead but had to forfait in the end loosing in Prague from Sparta Prague with
3-4.Brave performance though for the debuting team. Feyenoord played horribly bad on tuesday and seemed to go for a very undeserved victory but Boavista took a point home in the 82nd minute and that was the welldeserved punishment for the blundering RotterdamBoys. A disgrace for the Dutch reputation Ajax created throughout the years. PSV joined the clubs of loosers. Unbelievable to notice that PSV, a top team in the Netherlands,is nothing in the European theatre.
A 4-1 crashing defeat in Glasgow from the Rangers was their share and that gives them something to think about.Theoretical chances still exist, but take it from me, no more Dutch clubs in the next round Champions League.
Ajax won in the UEFA cup and only Roda JC played as well, and did below expectations against a not too strong opponent, Vfl.Wolfsburg with a 0-0 home draw.The game was very tiring and Roda JC have to gain full energy to go through to the next stage when they play in Germany in 2 weeks. Vitesse plays his first match in the 2nd round next week, cause opponent RC Lens needed its stadium for rugby matches. Ajax is through,Roda JC with luck, Vitesse still too early to say.
Note for the competition
Moment of the week:
Moment of the week without doubt is the perfect friendship between Israelian fans and Ajax-fans.A great moment in this hooliganism-era.If it was only every week like this.Bravo Hapoel!
OH YES PSV AND FEYENOORD DID NOT WIN!!HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!
Willem ter Haar
(Happy with this weeks results,both inside as outside of the field)
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