17 Sep 2009: Ajax - FC Timişoara

[Kowalczyk]

Four days after the NAC Breda home game: the first group game in the Europa League, at home against Romania's FC Timişoara.

This lot finished second in Romania last season and actually started their European campaign in the third preliminary round of the Champions League. in which they eliminated (!) reigning UEFA Cup champions Shaktar Donetsk from Ukraine. Remarkable achievement, n'est ce pas? They didn't get past VfB Stuttgart, though - and now they're up against us.

Edit: Kick-off time is 19:00 CET!

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Disappointing home draw for FC Timişoara this weekend: 0-0 against Astra Ploieşti.

Not a great dress rehearsal, for what it's worth.

Always tricky, team like this. You never know how good they are.

K.

[GangstaRiB]

I've read that Timisoara put everything on the Ajax game and that the regular league games were not important.

They will be fired up against Ajax!

[aveslacker]

Timisoara is also the site of an important moment in the Romanian revolution, one of the key moments in the end of the Cold War.

[orange goblin]

Atouba has again been left out from the squad and the same is for Wielaert, while Enoh is injured and Donald is sick. Silva and Rommedahl back in the 18. Who are:


Maarten Stekelenburg
Gregory van der Wiel
Oleguer
Jan Vertonghen
Urby Emanuelson
Marko Pantelic
Bruno Silva
Miralem Sulejmani
Ismaïl Aissati
Kenneth Vermeer
Luis Suarez
Toby Alderweireld
Dario Cvitanich
Siem de Jong
Vurnon Anita
Dennis Rommedahl
Kennedy
Demy de Zeeuw

[Cedric]

No surprise, it's the expected line-up:

Opstellingen:

Ajax: Stekelenburg; Van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Emanuelson; De Jong, De Zeeuw, Aissati; Kennedy, Suarez, Cvitanich.
Wissels: Vermeer, Oleguer, Pantelic, Sulejmani, Silva, Anita, Rommedahl.

FC Timisoara: Pantilimon; Éder Bonfim, Mera, Nibombé, Artavazd Karamyan; Curtean, Alexa, Bourceanu, Goga; Parks, Bucur.
Wissels: Taborda, Stancu, Scutaru, Maxim, Ionescu, Magera, Poparadu.

[NE_Ajax_Fan]

Straight back from work to watch the match - looks like its on NVS1 on Sopcast. Cracking!

[Mr_Holte]

Straight back from work to watch the match - looks like its on NVS1 on Sopcast. Cracking!

Can you link me that please, mate? thanks

[Ajaxfanuk]

Here we go! A new European adventure. I like the line up, i know Urby isnt a defender, but my mind feels much calmer when I dont see Wielaerts name :D

[NE_Ajax_Fan]

Unable to figure out link directly but copy and paste into sopcast:

sop://broker1.sopcast.com:3912/74174

Hope that works

[NE_Ajax_Fan]

Bit of a frustrating first half. Ajax have had the better of it but havent really clicked - been relatively untroubled at the back mind. Could/should have had a penalty when one of their defenders decided to wrestle Dario to the floor not playing the ball at all.

[Mr_Holte]

Bit of a frustrating first half. Ajax have had the better of it but havent really clicked - been relatively untroubled at the back mind. Could/should have had a penalty when one of their defenders decided to wrestle Dario to the floor not playing the ball at all.

Agreed.

We haven't looked at all troubled, we just need to step it up a gear. Can't remember us actually having a threatening shot on goal. I think one goal will win this one.

[NE_Ajax_Fan]

Pantelic on for Dario. Suljemani on for Kennedy. Come on Ajax, know its only the first game but could really do with a win.

[gordonvandekamp]

Haven't been able to watch this, but I see it's 0-0 in the 80' at home. I don't like the looks of that at all.

[souras84]

So, any opinion about it? I didnt see and wait for the comments. The Belgians won in Zagreb so that makes them favorites for the time being

[aveslacker]

Haven't been able to watch this, but I see it's 0-0 in the 80' at home. I don't like the looks of that at all.

I've only watched the second half, but Ajax are completely dominating. It's been a long time since a team played this scared against us in European competition. But they're bunkering so hard that it's tough to get a goal. We've had some opportunities, though.

[Van basten]

Solid defence. Shame, that we couldn't score a goal. Not a good result.

[Orange14]

They had the wrong start time posted on ESPN. I thought this was starting at 2 pm EDT here in the states and I guess it started an hour early. I couldn't figure out why Jol was making substitutions in the first half and it really was the 2nd half. Only saw the last 40 minutes. Very frustrating just like Barca and Inter yesterday. Looked like we were throwing everything at them and just couldn't get a break. Suarez needs to know that he will NEVER get a call. His reputation as a diver is now known throughout Europe. Too bad as it looked like we deserved better.

[Jojo]

So, any opinion about it? I didnt see and wait for the comments. The Belgians won in Zagreb so that makes them favorites for the time being

Don't agree. Watched the Dinamo - Anderlecht game, hard to say which team played worse. Very poor game in Zagreb.

[SPL]

Watched from about 35 min . We just could not break them down. Defence was solid from what I saw.
(6 from our youth set up in action which is good)

[aveslacker]

I really liked what I saw. Urby played one of his better games. Even though they didn't win, the team had good spirit and worked really hard to stop the counter. If they were a little luckier, they'd probably have scored a goal, but against a team that was content to defend with ten men, it was always going to be tough.

Even though we didn't get three points, lots of positives to take from the game. I'm feeling better about this team each time out.

[Orange14]

The more I see of Siem de Jong, the more I think he needs solid consideration as a starter. He had a wicked shot that was turned aside by the keeper. I also thought the defense played well backtracking and catching up when it looked like they would break away on a counter.

[orange goblin]

After all, it was a good performance. there could have been one, maybe 2 penalties, to break the 0-0 without going mad. timisoara defender very aggressive and looked solid. not an easy one but we conceded nearly nothing and had a lot, a lot of possession. too bad we couldn't score, but I am more convinced on this team anyway.

[ZoefdeHaas]

Meh, fair performance, too bad we couldn't score.

Next time boys

[Kowalczyk]

0-0. Shit happens. Can't really blame Ajax for anything. They tried.

Last season we would probably have lost this one 0-1.

K.