31 Mar 2013: Ajax - NEC

[SPL]

Beautiful play for the 1st goal. So far very comfortable but we need that 3rd goal

[rjf1]

I know Ajax fans love to hate Wegereef, but he's done nothing wrong (yet). That was no penalty for Boerrigter...

Agree it wasn't a penalty, but IMO a deliberate kick to the knee area deserves at least a yellow -- if for no other reason, than to discourage further actions of that sort. If you recall, there was a similar kick (also not punished with a card) that took place later in the half.

Seems like after the 2nd goal the boys took the foot off the gas a little bit. NEC is making it easy to coast, but if you lose your concentration you can get burned in a hurry. I hope they don't start thinking the game is won already. A goal early in the 2nd half would pretty much take care of business.

[Tom_]

I couldn't tell on the replay if it was in the box or not—so I wouldn't complain if the ref doesn't get it right. He let a few go in the first half, Boerrigter could have had a yellow for his dive in the box and Blind for his late tackle, so... no argument with Jim's comment.

[souras84]

So far NEC seem like a bunch of people looking at the ball...

[jon h]

A bit more composure and N.E.C could maybe have scored,wake up Ajax! Hello everyone btw!

[souras84]

Hello there!
Boerrigter looks completely out of synch... Shooting, passing, controlling, dribbling... He may never be the player he was

[souras84]

Btw, I hate the way we play for the last 15 minutes...

[Orange14]

Well that one was really nice by Viktor!

[Amol]

Damn. Great chip by Fischer for 3-0! Bergkamp must be smiling there somewhere.

[King Litti]

world class stuf!

[Amol]

...and everyone goes to sleep to let NEC get one back

[souras84]

Didn't I tell you??? There's more to come I'm afraid, if we continue like that

[Orange14]

Toby really should have done better in tracking van der Velden!

[Amol]

4-1!!!!!!!!

Great turn and shot by Hoesen; good job by Babel to put away the rebound.

[Orange14]

WIcked shot by Hoesen and good to see Babel get the rebound and put it in the back of the net. That should about do it.

[souras84]

Getting serious I suppose...

[Amol]

Did Hoesen just pull off an old Zlatan trick there?

[Tom_]

Hoesen was good coming on as a sub for Kolbeinn for the second game in a row. He's got some tasty dribbling tricks up his sleeve as well. Frank's gotta be considering starting him...

I really feel sorry for Derk, he's just not the player he used to be. He gets kicked about a lot, and you can see he's really trying hard, but I reckon the whistles from the crowd get to him as well.

[souras84]

Tom, I really hope the summer break will help him make a new start!!! Afterall he was one of our top 3 players just before Euro 2012

[SPL]

A lovely bit of class by Fischer for his 2nd and good to see Babel back and scoring . It is a bonus that he is fit again and hope he will come on and score more goals in the run in.

3 points clear and we just need to keep winning . 4 wins in a row and 6 wins and 2 draws since Vitesse beat us.

[ajaxusa]

Did Hoesen just pull off an old Zlatan trick there?

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT!!!!

Good call. :-)

[souras84]

Didn't Ronaldinho first introduce this dribble?

[Orange14]

In the end an easy enough win. A let down after the third goal and sloppy play led to the NEC score. Good to honor Vertonghen, van der Wiel and Anita with a solid victory today.

Player Ratings:

Vermeer (7) - really had nothing to do and I guess this was the fewest number of back passes he received this season
Blind (7) - really solid going forward and had little to do on defense
Moisander (7.5) - managed the back line well cleaning up anything that got through
Alderwiereld (6.5) - slight demerit on the NEC goal though Schöne probably should have done better tracking him
van Rhijn (6) - really had some chances to do better with the ball going forward
Schöne (6.5) - decent enough as the controlling midfielder
Eriksen (7) - some really sublime passes and good free kicks
de Jong (6.5) - decent match but nothing exceptional from the captain
Fischer (8) - just dangerous every time he got the ball, wonderful match
Sigthorsson (6) - still not doing what is needed to control the ball
Boerrigter (6.5) - had some chances but some of the shots were just too wild
Hoesen (6.5) - did well coming on, solid on the ball
Babel (6.5) - nice goal for him on the rebound
Serero (6) - finally had some chances on the ball and didn't get pushed off it

The spring drive continues as in the past several years and Heracles are up next.

[GangstaRiB]

Nice victory. For the final stages of the season the squad is completely fit with Babel returning. Hoesen showed to be a good replacement for Sigtorsson (who continues to disappoint me). PSV away will be the do-or-die.

[Tom_]

I'd like to give Vermeer an 8 just for that fake with the striker pressuring him... it always reminds me of van der Sar when keepers do that