08 MAY 2019; Ajax-Tottenham; CL Semi-Final

[Amol]

Ugh. Neres was nursing an injury he picked up from the weekend game against Willem II. I suppose he didn't recover in time.

Lets go boys!!!

[Amol]

1-0!!!! DE LIIIIIIIIIIGGTT!!!!

[kezme44]

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!!!!!

[Van basten]

It's unreal!!!

[kezme44]

omg 2-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tom_]

Three quarters the way there. Yikes

[Amol]

I would've totally taken 2-0 at HT. 45 minutes to go. Lets keep our heads.

I like Son in there instead of Llorente. Poch - Please keep Son in there.

[Amol]

Dolberg - Please play like its 2017. WAKE UP!!!

[kezme44]

let's just stay focused for another 45, close down the spaces and be careful in the back. they are going to come hard at us in the beginning of the second

[kezme44]

Dolberg - Please play like its 2017. WAKE UP!!!

i hope too he proves me wrong and scores in the 2nd

[Tom_]

Dolberg is just a placeholder for KJH, who will come on full of energy if we need him.

[kezme44]

again, horrible commentating with nash, howard and the other guy (who makes the most sense). that was not a fould by van de beek on the corner. commercials please!

[WP_Legend]

The commentators are pretty decent. Although they think Blind is the weakest link.

[Van basten]

We need to replace Dolberg.

[Tom_]

Caught up the pitch on a free kick - de Ligt an Blind were the furthest forward there. We need some ball possession

[Tom_]

Oh come on. Shöne took it off Onana.

[Amol]

WTF is happening over here.

[Tom_]

This looks bad. We’re going to need a goal I think. I hope that Schöne / Onana mixup isn’t this team’s Petri Pasanen moment.

[Tom_]

Classic Ajax. Couldn’t get over the easiest hurdle. Shrug

[Van basten]

Why God, why??? When i saw Huntelaar laughing on the bench 5 min. to the end, i kinda knew, that football Gods will punish us for that..

[Orange14]

The great American sportswriter, Roy Blount Jr., coined a great phrase when he was writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers more than 40 years ago, "...about three bricks short of a load..." I guess that's how gutted I feel right now. Ajax really ran out of gas in the 2nd half for the first time this season. After a great first half, they just could not keep up the pace and Spurs were far the more dangerous team in the latter part of the game. Ajax still had some chances but there was some great goal keeping, actually great on both sides, that denied Ajax the match clincher. Lot and ifs and maybes that we can talk about but that's little consolation.

I feel bad for all the Ajax players who brought us some great memories this season and I'm sure a bunch of them will now go on their way this summer and the club will have to rebuild. Always an opitimist, I hope to see something like this in some future season.

Player ratings:

Onana (7.5) - did all he could do to keep Spurs out but a couple of scrambles and defensive errors proved decisive
Tagliafico (6.5) - did not have much of a chance to effect things offensively
Blind (6) - some uncharacteristic poor passing and always looked second best on balls in the air
de Ligt (7.5) - kept his cool and encouraged his players to keep things moving; could not ask for a better captain
Mazraoui (5) - had trouble with the pace of Son early on and then moved into the MF in place of Schöne
Schöne (5.5) - thought he was just a bit better than OK
de Jong (6) - had some good moments on the ball but I thought he could have done better
van de Beek (5.5) - not at his best tonight
Tadic (7) - really tried hard to make things happen up front
Dolberg (3.5) - poor on the ball and not fast enough to pressure; I suspect he is on his way out of town
Ziyech (8) - great goal and another couple of shots that on another night might have found the net; active pressing all night long
Veltman (7) - critical save off the line to keep Ajax on top and very good play on the night
Sinkgraven (5.5) - curious substitution but after the Juve game who should question ten Hag?
Magallan (NR) - on late

Club has to turn it around and play Utrecht at home this weekend. I wonder if there will be any spirit.

I give a major shout out to ten Hag as I really questioned whether this was the right choice last season. He molded a club that had to come through three qualifying matches and got them within a minute of a Champions League final! All these guys will remain heroes for what they achieved this season.

[Tom_]

Yeah, you seem to get a team like this about once a decade with Ajax, and this batch did pretty well. Win the eredivisie and then back to scratch next season?

[Amol]

Don't have words right now. But I'm proud of this team!

Will post more stuff tomorrow.

[King Litti]

Just got home from a sports bar. I know i won't be able to sleep anyway so might aswell write with my bad english.
I remember screaming run to the corner and play out the clock! They tried to score and I respect that. Another goal would have nailed the coffin shut. You have to respect everything about this squad. If they would have said we will win the cup, and have the league title in our own hands and play in the semis in the Cl, I would have taken it in a heart beat. What a team. Yes sadly many will leave, but already some have said they will stay. Magical moments this season and that won't be forgotten. A team with this player budget. This average age. Proud. We didn't deserve to go out like this.

[SPL]

Gutted and drained after that. Spurs deserved if after that 2nd half. Wheels fell off in the 2nd.

How do they lift ourselves for Utrecht.