14 Sep 2005: AC Sparta Praha - Ajax

[Kowalczyk]

Champions League, group B, matchday 1!

Here we go!

K.

[AjaxThailand]

and i still need 2 tickets. I have tried everywhere :sad:

Dont want to sit between sparta supporters. Those tickets i can get. I need ajax vak tickets. :yes: Anyone out there who knows where to get them? I will even buy then at top rate through some agency.

Anyway, as i am living in Prague and know all the right places to go, maybe we can have a meet up in Prague and i can take you all to the sights or great bars. Just an idea

[Kowalczyk]

Just like Ajax, Sparta Prague had a good 'dress rehearsal' in the league this weekend, winning their home game against FC Vysoèina Jihlava by the score of 2-0. The big man fpr Sparta was Lukáš Zelenka, who scored both goals in the second half.

This was the Sparta line-up: Blažek, Pospìch, Sivok, Lukáš, Petráš, Kisel (58. Poborský), Zelenka, Hašek, Poláèek, Slepièka (86. Došek), Matušoviè (46. Kadlec).

K.

[Philippe]

how old is Poborski ? 46 or 56 ?

[AjaxThailand]

After spending good part of the morning in a line infront of the Sparta Stadion, I finally got my tickets. Ok, no ajax vak, but better then watching it on the TV. I was suprised by the number of Germans buying tickets for the game. I saw more then 50 germans while i stood there.

So if you see a big tall guy in ajax shirt and his little thai wife in ajax shirt getting their ass kicked by Czech supports because they were cheering for ajax goals then you know its me and my wiife. lol.

Saw the pitch today, looks in very nice shape. Weather isnt as nice as last few weeks. Its cloudy but hasnt rained in while yet.

[AjaxThailand]

And offcourse it starts pissing down right after that last posting.

[__earth]

Call me pessimistic but I somehow feel Ajax is going to fuk things up. X'C

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Well acording to Uefa.com's match background the czech team has not lost to a dutch team yet and have a 15-4 goal diferencial. Ajax has not had good luck aither against czech teams. Still with Galasek and Grygera in the squad i bet we can at least notch a point. Go Ajax!!!!!!

Question to ajax thailand... Besides Poborsky what other player should we watch out for Zelenka???? Sivok perhaps???? at this precise moment who is their best player ????.

[SE6Ajacied]

Call me pessimistic but I somehow feel Ajax is going to fuk things up. X'C

You are pessimistic........1-2 Ajax, we can do it!

[AjaxThailand]

Well acording to Uefa.com's match background the czech team has not lost to a dutch team yet and have a 15-4 goal diferencial. Ajax has not had good luck aither against czech teams. Still with Galasek and Grygera in the squad i bet we can at least notch a point. Go Ajax!!!!!!

Question to ajax thailand... Besides Poborsky what other player should we watch out for Zelenka???? Sivok perhaps???? at this precise moment who is their best player ????.

Haha, i wish i could help you. I am Dutch and although I live in Prague, I never watch Czech football. I asked around and they dont have good strikers. Probably their best striker at the monent is the number 9, Dosek.

Poborsky is still a good player, made 2 goals so far (in 6 matches), another strong midfielder is Hasek (brother plays in the NHL) Obviously Zelenka is a good player, former Anderlech guy, he is somewhat of the creative mind on midfield. Is often the Man of the Match

There defence are mostly guys in mid to end 20's. Nothing special.

The team used to have many internationals but in the last few years almost all have moved abroad.

[Kowalczyk]

Call me pessimistic but I somehow feel Ajax is going to fuk things up. X'C

Safe bet...

... but I'll go for a trickier bet: 0-2 Ajax!!

K.

[Philippe]

0-2 for Ajax sounds reasonable, that's my bet too :xyxthumbs:

[Kowalczyk]

0-2 for Ajax sounds reasonable, that's my bet too :xyxthumbs:

You can't! You can't! I already said 0-2! :D ;)

K.

[Philippe]

all right, I'll make it 1-3, but not more. ;)

[Per]

2-0, will be a f#cking shite game with Prague scoring early and late to make the disaster complete :pukey:

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

I'll say if we have lady luck on our side 2-1 Ajax, if we dont then it'll be a 1-1 draw. I going further though... Sneijder on a free kick and a rifle shot from a Czech called Tomas on home soil.

Hup Ajax!!!!! :eusa_dance: .

[SE6Ajacied]

I'll say if we have lady luck on our side 2-1 Ajax, if we dont then it'll be a 1-1 draw. I going further though... Sneijder on a free kick and a rifle shot from a Czech called Tomas on home soil.

Hup Ajax!!!!! :eusa_dance: .

Is that for the 2-1 or the 1-1....do Sparta have any players called Tomas? :D

[Ayman]

I hope we do score but I hope Haristeas doesnt score.....maybe if Rosenberg comes on and score...I will be happy, I got a feeling we might draw tomorrow, but a sneaky feeling we might snatch a win, well we shall see

[SE6Ajacied]

I'll say if we have lady luck on our side 2-1

And Ko's rules, you can't have 2-1 either or I'm not playing ;)

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

I'll say if we have lady luck on our side 2-1 Ajax, if we dont then it'll be a 1-1 draw. I going further though... Sneijder on a free kick and a rifle shot from a Czech called Tomas on home soil.

Hup Ajax!!!!! :eusa_dance: .

Is that for the 2-1 or the 1-1....do Sparta have any players called Tomas? :D

Im talking about Galasek ;)

I change my prediccion then... with good luck 1-0 Tomas Galasek scoring the goal, with bad luck we fuck it up in the last minute 1-1(would not surprise me).

There you go...

[Kowalczyk]

Based on training in Prague De Telegraaf just published the following 'expected line-up':

----------------------------- Vonk --------------------------------

Trabelsi ------- Grygera --------- Maduro ------- Emanuelson

---- Galásek --------- Lindenbergh ---------- Sneijder ---------

-- Pienaar ------------- Rosenberg --------------- Babel -------


That's right: the exact same line-up as against Willem II. No real surprises I guess, except perhaps that Blind still goes for Rosenberg. He has underscored in the media that he believes in Rosenberg and wants to give him time. Also, even more importantly, he wished to underscore that they are two completely different types of striker: Rosenberg is faster, is more dangerous on counter-attack and is smarter in 'running into the spaces'. Charisteas on the other hand is stronger on the ball, better at one-two's with onrushing midfielders and stronger in the air.

Against Sparta Blind seems to expect that Ajax will get space on counter-attack. That seems to be the reason for him to stick with Rosenberg. I hope Markus will deliver. Come on, man. You can do it.

K.

[SE6Ajacied]

we fuck it up in the last minute 1-1(would not surprise me).

There you go...

I'd be happy with a 1-1. Sparta are not a bad team and we're away from home so would certainly not be a disaster (unlike Bayern/Macabi to name but two recently)

[Kowalczyk]

Oh yeah: Ruud Krol, Blind's assistant, saw Sparta in action several times, so Ajax know quite well what to expect. Sparta pretty much play with five men in the back, even in home games: four defenders and a very defensive midfielder just in front of them. This defensive 'block' is solid and physically strong, but also static. The defenders don't interchange and do not rush forward. They stay in position throughout the game. Blind compared their way of defending to Brøndby.

In front of them is a block of four midfielder and this is the line where Sparta's most important offensive qualities are: Karel Poborsky is 100% the key figure (it will be extremely important to 'eliminate' him; I guess Galásek is the right man the shadow him, if only because he knows him very well). Zelenka is also a very good, creative midfielder. Prague have only one striker, but he is not their most dangerous man. The offensive midfielders will show up next to him when Prague are in possession.

When Prague lose the ball the midfield will immediately drop back to play a few metres in front of the back five. This makes Sparta very compact defensively and the spaces will be very small. They love to give their opponent the ball, let the opposition take the initiatives and lean back. According to Blind Prague are vulnerable when they have the ball: the formation will 'unfold', the midfielders will go forward, but -- and this is the crucial bit -- the defensive block will stay behind, so that there's a gap in between. If they lose the ball that gap is where the space is. This space, between defense and midfield, is their most important weakness.

Ajax will have to take advantage of that by switching from defense to offense very quickly when Prague lose the ball. What we need is quick and accurate passes forward, right into the space (by Sneijder and Lindenbergh), two creative players will have to race around in the space between defense and midfield (Pienaar, Babel) and we need a striker who can 'go deep' really quickly and penetrate the defense line (I do, indeed, believe that Rosenberg is better at that than Harry).

That's the tactical plan, roughly.

Zdenek Grygera said that the defenders are quite 'simple': physically strong but rather mediocre. We have to mark Poborsky and Zelenka really tightly, because everyone in the Prague team will pass the ball to them a.s.a.p. so that they can come up with an idea. The creative responsibility is completely on their shoulders. If we mark Poborsky and Zelenka (Galásek, Maduro!) and we force the defenders to build-up... that's where our opportunities are.

If we give Poborsky space and allow him to determine Sparta's play, we'll be f*cked.

K.

[Philippe]

Against Sparta Blind seems to expect that Ajax will get space on counter-attack. That seems to be the reason for him to stick with Rosenberg. I hope Markus will deliver. Come on, man. You can do it.

K.

If he fails, we still have the possibility of Anastasiou for his usual decisive late goal.

[Per]

Q:

Is there something wrong with you if you thoroughly enjoy a tactical round up like Ko's? Great read! :xyxthumbs:

I should really lay off football for a while...

I can agree on most things, but seeing as I've already been very pessimistic in this thread.......Sparta won't have the ball very often. What we'll have to deal with most of the time is trying to force the wall. On the odd occasion we'll have the chance to snatch the ball off of them when they attack but I believe we won't get many chances of that.

Having all that said we need players that can either force in a header or score by a shot outside the penalty area. Not ofthen that you're able to finish close range against teams like these.

We've seen Sneijder score from far and also Galasek. I am worried about our heading ability without Charisteas though.

I think I would have preferred Charisteas as a starter and Rosenberg to come on with some more space in the second half. Or better yet, play them together in a 3-5-2. (joining the English contingency) to get a constant theat of both power and speed throughout the game.