09 Aug 2006: FC København - Ajax

[Kowalczyk]

The first leg!

Ajax played two games in UEFA competition in Denmark, and we're still waiting for the first win. The two previous one (FCK 2001 and Brøndby 2005) ended in draws.

K.

[SE6Ajacied]

I'll be in Amsterdam for this one, Can anyone recommend a good bar to watch the game in? (I know a few bars but I'm hoping to find one with a good Ajax atmosphere for the game)

[Henk de Gier]

Monico at the Rembrand square.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Does anybody know if somebody is going to show this game in the US ??? Any channel ???? Webcast ????

[aveslacker]

None in the U.S. that I'm aware of. :nooo:

[acab]

i can watch the match in Bulgariaaaaaaaa :eusa_dance:

[SE6Ajacied]

Monico at the Rembrand square.

Cheers,

I'll give it a go. I couldn't get a ticket for the ManU game (shame really :pukey: ) so I ended up watching on TV in my hotel room.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to tomorrows game...a lot.

[Dubbel]

What will this game bring us? On one hand I hear that FCK is the best team in Scandinavia on the other hand I hear that they have only 2 or 3 players that are any good. All in all I get the feeling that this opponent is better then last year's Brondby.

FCK plays a 442 with Jesper G as left winger. Up front they have Berglund(ex-Roda JC) and Allback (ex-Heerenveen). At back thay have the likes of good-old Andre Bergdolmo and Jacobsen. In the midfield Swedish inernational Linderoth is a pretty well known player.

Our coach seems to be happy with a draw as long as it isn't goalless. I guess that I can vouch for that. Anything to put the Danes in the position where they need to score in the return. This to prevent a rehap from Ajax-FCK last time(0-1) when we had to score and stranded on a solid Copenhagen defence.

[aveslacker]

What will this game bring us? On one hand I hear that FCK is the best team in Scandinavia on the other hand I hear that they have only 2 or 3 players that are any good. All in all I get the feeling that this opponent is better then last year's Brondby.

FCK plays a 442 with Jesper G as left winger. Up front they have Berglund(ex-Roda JC) and Allback (ex-Heerenveen). At back thay have the likes of good-old Andre Bergdolmo and Jacobsen. In the midfield Swedish inernational Linderoth is a pretty well known player.

Our coach seems to be happy with a draw as long as it isn't goalless. I guess that I can vouch for that. Anything to put the Danes in the position where they need to score in the return. This to prevent a rehap from Ajax-FCK last time(0-1) when we had to score and stranded on a solid Copenhagen defence.

I don't know how pretty it will be, but we should have a good defense, and with Huntelaar, a goal is always within reach.

I would be very pleased with a goal-scoring draw.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Possible line up:

Stekelenburg

Heitinga-Stam-Vermaelen-EManuelson

Gabri-Maduro-Sneijder

Rosales-Huntelaar-Perez

I think the midfield is pretty strong. But Perez as winger is just a gamble

[aveslacker]

Possible line up:

Stekelenburg

Heitinga-Stam-Vermaelen-EManuelson

Gabri-Maduro-Sneijder

Rosales-Huntelaar-Perez

I think the midfield is pretty strong. But Perez as winger is just a gamble

I think that is a good lineup.

[afckeeper95]

Alrite lads, after yet another new job and relocation I thought I would check in and give you an update from Denmark on the eve of the first CL qualifier.

FC Copenhagen (FCK) has had a very strong start to the season going 3 for 3 in the championship and reaching the 3rd round of qualifications for the CL. All pretty standard stuff for surely one of the strongest teams in the Nordic countries. The difference this year seems to be the strength and determination of the club. While the club has always been financially healthy - in part - due to its ownership of "Parken" the national arena, FCK has been improving its squad over the past three seasons to a roster that now features well-established players on all positions a majority of which have international experience and national games under their belt. FCK has 10 players called up for national teams in the upcoming friendlies. FCK's dominant win of the Danish championship ahead of Brøndby last season cemented its position as the number one team in Denmark. Swedish and Norwegian soccer's recent disappointment in European soccer compared to the 90s and early 200s has only further enhanced FCK's image as the number one club in Scandinavia. The sentiment among fans and media before the CL-draw was that this was the year, this was the year that Danish soccer would finally have the international success on the club level that the national team has enjoyed for some time. FCK's team looks strong and plays well. The club's ability to sign Grønkjær exemplifies this sentiment. Finally, a Danish team has the cash and appeal to sign a seasoned international in competition with other 'big' European clubs. This sentiment, this feeling of strength and sense of this being the year that FCK breaks into the CL might actually be the most dangerous feature of FCK. As Im sure we will see tonight, the fans and the players alike are very determined to make these two games count. Incredible as it may seem, I think FCK actually wins in the motivation department. It will be physical, Scandinavian 4-4-2 soccer against technical, Dutch 3-4-3 soccer no doubt about that, but it will also be the established Ajax side with a proven European record that is expected to qualify against a confident FCK team that has only sporadic success in Europe, but is riding on a wave of self-confidence and motivation that I hope Ajax wakes up and takes into account.

For tonight’s game, which is expected to be sold out (40.000), Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken (played for FCK and Wimbledon among other) has had an injury-free squad to select from. interestingly, there is not a single player in the current squad that played against Ajax in 2001. It is expected that FCK will lign-up as follows:

Christiansen
Jacobsen-Hangeland-Gravgaard-Bergdølmo
Silberbauer-Linderoth-Hutchinson-Grønkjær
Berglund-Allbäck

Possible changes include left-back where Oscar Wendt, Swedish U/21 player, might replace Bergdølmo and right midfield, where Ghanaian international Razak Pimpong might replace Silberbauer. Keeper Jesper Christiansen is currently the 2nd choice for the national team behind Aston Villa's Thomas Sørensen while Jacobsen and Gravgaard feature regularly for the Danish national team. Gravgaard is arguably the best header in Danish soccer and scores many game winning goals on set pieces. He is often used as a forward, if FCK is behind in a game and playing long passes to the front. Hangeland is a strong Norwegian defender who likewise features on the national team. Bergdølmo has not been called up for Norway against Brazil, but his abilities on free kicks have so far given him the edge over Oscar Wendt on the left-back position. Swedish powerhouse Tobias Linderoth is the captain for FCK and plays centre-midfield along Atiba Hutchinson, a Canadian also playing for his national team. The FCK midfielders are classical 4-4-2 midfielders who play psychical disruptive defence and patient, passing style offence. Grønkjær's merits speak for themselves. Although he is not as fast as he was in Ajax, his form has improved since his arrival in FCK. It is generally believed that Grønkjær needs a lot of security and comfort to play well on a team - something he did not have in Middlesbrough, Madrid or Stuttgart. Right midfield will be either Pimpong, who played for Ghana in the World Cup, or Michael Silberbauer, also featuring on the national team though mostly as a sub. Silberbauer is very direct in his game and is a "breakthrough" type of player, who is best when facing the opponent head on. In the front, Swedish nationals Fredrik Berglund and Marcus Allbäck are the current favourites of coach Solbakken after the departure of Brazilian Alvaro Santos to Sochaux. They are straight-out-of-the-mould-type Swedish forwards, who depend a lot on Grønkjær and Silberbauer to deliver the ball to them in the box. One weak side to the current squad might be the bench as it is mostly filled with younger players. Although most of them would be starters on any other Danish team and have featured on different youth-national teams, they do not possess the international experience of the starting eleven. Today, Morten Olsen stated that passed on FCK’s current form and the fact that the Ajax has not yet played any league matches, he predicts the odds are fifty-fifty on who goes through to the CL. I expect the home-crowd along with players like Gravgaard, Linderoth and Grønkjær to be the potential game winners. But once again, I cannot stress the motivation of FCK as a club enough to be the biggest danger for our Ajax.

Having written this, I still expect Ajax to win :yes: Hup! hup!

[aveslacker]

Nice summary of FCK. I hope you're right and Ajax wins, but I'm not confident. I think a goal-scoring away draw and a 1-0 win at home is a best-case scenario.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Alrite lads, after yet another new job and relocation I thought I would check in and give you an update from Denmark on the eve of the first CL qualifier.

FC Copenhagen (FCK) has had a very strong start to the season going 3 for 3 in the championship and reaching the 3rd round of qualifications for the CL. All pretty standard stuff for surely one of the strongest teams in the Nordic countries. The difference this year seems to be the strength and determination of the club. While the club has always been financially healthy - in part - due to its ownership of "Parken" the national arena, FCK has been improving its squad over the past three seasons to a roster that now features well-established players on all positions a majority of which have international experience and national games under their belt. FCK has 10 players called up for national teams in the upcoming friendlies. FCK's dominant win of the Danish championship ahead of Brøndby last season cemented its position as the number one team in Denmark. Swedish and Norwegian soccer's recent disappointment in European soccer compared to the 90s and early 200s has only further enhanced FCK's image as the number one club in Scandinavia. The sentiment among fans and media before the CL-draw was that this was the year, this was the year that Danish soccer would finally have the international success on the club level that the national team has enjoyed for some time. FCK's team looks strong and plays well. The club's ability to sign Grønkjær exemplifies this sentiment. Finally, a Danish team has the cash and appeal to sign a seasoned international in competition with other 'big' European clubs. This sentiment, this feeling of strength and sense of this being the year that FCK breaks into the CL might actually be the most dangerous feature of FCK. As Im sure we will see tonight, the fans and the players alike are very determined to make these two games count. Incredible as it may seem, I think FCK actually wins in the motivation department. It will be physical, Scandinavian 4-4-2 soccer against technical, Dutch 3-4-3 soccer no doubt about that, but it will also be the established Ajax side with a proven European record that is expected to qualify against a confident FCK team that has only sporadic success in Europe, but is riding on a wave of self-confidence and motivation that I hope Ajax wakes up and takes into account.

For tonight’s game, which is expected to be sold out (40.000), Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken (played for FCK and Wimbledon among other) has had an injury-free squad to select from. interestingly, there is not a single player in the current squad that played against Ajax in 2001. It is expected that FCK will lign-up as follows:

Christiansen
Jacobsen-Hangeland-Gravgaard-Bergdølmo
Silberbauer-Linderoth-Hutchinson-Grønkjær
Berglund-Allbäck

Possible changes include left-back where Oscar Wendt, Swedish U/21 player, might replace Bergdølmo and right midfield, where Ghanaian international Razak Pimpong might replace Silberbauer. Keeper Jesper Christiansen is currently the 2nd choice for the national team behind Aston Villa's Thomas Sørensen while Jacobsen and Gravgaard feature regularly for the Danish national team. Gravgaard is arguably the best header in Danish soccer and scores many game winning goals on set pieces. He is often used as a forward, if FCK is behind in a game and playing long passes to the front. Hangeland is a strong Norwegian defender who likewise features on the national team. Bergdølmo has not been called up for Norway against Brazil, but his abilities on free kicks have so far given him the edge over Oscar Wendt on the left-back position. Swedish powerhouse Tobias Linderoth is the captain for FCK and plays centre-midfield along Atiba Hutchinson, a Canadian also playing for his national team. The FCK midfielders are classical 4-4-2 midfielders who play psychical disruptive defence and patient, passing style offence. Grønkjær's merits speak for themselves. Although he is not as fast as he was in Ajax, his form has improved since his arrival in FCK. It is generally believed that Grønkjær needs a lot of security and comfort to play well on a team - something he did not have in Middlesbrough, Madrid or Stuttgart. Right midfield will be either Pimpong, who played for Ghana in the World Cup, or Michael Silberbauer, also featuring on the national team though mostly as a sub. Silberbauer is very direct in his game and is a "breakthrough" type of player, who is best when facing the opponent head on. In the front, Swedish nationals Fredrik Berglund and Marcus Allbäck are the current favourites of coach Solbakken after the departure of Brazilian Alvaro Santos to Sochaux. They are straight-out-of-the-mould-type Swedish forwards, who depend a lot on Grønkjær and Silberbauer to deliver the ball to them in the box. One weak side to the current squad might be the bench as it is mostly filled with younger players. Although most of them would be starters on any other Danish team and have featured on different youth-national teams, they do not possess the international experience of the starting eleven. Today, Morten Olsen stated that passed on FCK’s current form and the fact that the Ajax has not yet played any league matches, he predicts the odds are fifty-fifty on who goes through to the CL. I expect the home-crowd along with players like Gravgaard, Linderoth and Grønkjær to be the potential game winners. But once again, I cannot stress the motivation of FCK as a club enough to be the biggest danger for our Ajax.

Having written this, I still expect Ajax to win :yes: Hup! hup!

OK I cant say i'm kind off scared now......... Still as i have said before, WE ARE AJAX WE BELONG IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE. Plain and simple :xyxthumbs:

[ZoefdeHaas]

Yeh I mean wtf is Bordeaux and Sporting Lisboa doing there? Theyre shite tbqfh

[Amol]

Ajax.nl has the following line-up -


Ajax: Maarten Stekelenburg; John Heitinga, Jaap Stam, Thomas Vermaelen, Urby Emanuelson; Gabri, Hedwiges Maduro, Wesley Sneijder; Mauro Rosales, Klaas Jan Huntelaar, Kenneth Perez

Wissels: Kenneth Vermeer, George Ogararu, Zdenek Grygera, Robbert Schilder, Olaf Lindenbergh, Ryan Babel, Markus Rosenberg.

Where's Manucharyan? If both Sneijder & Perez have bad games there's absolutely no offensive fire power in the subs.

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Babel can always come in a give a little ofenssive spark, lets just hope we wont need that ;)

PD: 0-0 in firts 20 minutes.

[Dubbel]

1-0 Huntelaar!

[Amol]

Sweet. Here we go.

[SwedishFan]

Yes! How was the goal?

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

That goal is golden!!!!! Let's ad another one and finish this up once and for all.

[SwedishFan]

1-1 X'C

[Dubbel]

1-1 , header after a free kick.

[Manneken Pis]

1-1 (injury time 1st half)

...and deserved according to the Dutch commentator

[Venezuelan Ajacied]

Shit...... that goal is still important.