Ajax Youth & Amateurs

[Kowalczyk]

Ajax made an excellent impression on the first day of the Gestion Copa Amsterdam tournament, but were not nearly as impressive on day 2: at 13:00 CET they settled for a dull 0-0 draw against Anderlecht and the 17:00 CET game against Glasgow Rangers was lost by the score of 2-3, after a very weak first half and a better second.

Nevertheless, Ajax finished tops in their group and pull into the semi-finals. They are actually playing right now (kick-off at 11:00 CET) against Sparta Prague. If they lose they will play for the 3rd and 4th slots at 14:00 CET. If they win they'll be in the final, to be played at 15:00 CET this afternoon.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Yer facking kiddin' me...

http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s237/st73207.htm

K.

[Kowalczyk]

They are actually playing right now (kick-off at 11:00 CET) against Sparta Prague. If they lose they will play for the 3rd and 4th slots at 14:00 CET. If they win they'll be in the final, to be played at 15:00 CET this afternoon.

They're in the final!

Ajax were the by far better side in the semi-final against Sparta Prague. Stanley Aborah gave Ajax the lead, but Prague equalized two minutes before the end with a long range shot. A rather undeserved goal.

Goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer was the hero in the penalty shoot-out: he saved two penalties and converted the decisive one himself!

Ajax are in the final (which will start in 20 minutes time at 15:00 CET) against Panathinaikos, who have come to Amsterdam with no less than eight players from the Greek U-18 national team. Beating them would be a formidable achievement.

K.

[SPL]

The Scum are looking at Vurnon Anita, hopefully they will be told he has signed a 3 year contract with us. I thought that now they are an American club they would look over their for their youngsters.

[Neefkens]

Ajax are in the final (which will start in 20 minutes time at 15:00 CET) against Panathinaikos, who have come to Amsterdam with no less than eight players from the Greek U-18 national team. Beating them would be a formidable achievement.

K.

They lost 0-1 X'C
Better in the whole match, 10 good chances, but didn't make any. One counter of the Greeks and bingo

[J.C.]

They lost...
Better in the whole match...
10 good chances, but didn't make any...
One counter and bingo...

It seems this scenario is applicable to all Dutch matches lately... :nooo:

[SPL]

Regards the story about the scum looking at Anita, there was an EMail on the item from the author. I have informed him that young Vurnon has been given a 3 year contract by Ajax so chances of signing him are remote.

I was very polite.

[Kowalczyk]

After the highest team of De Toekomst (Young Ajax) Ajax's second highest youth team have also clinched the Dutch championship in their age category. Ajax A1 played their last game of the season last night at De Toekomst an booked an easy win over Vitesse A1: 4-0. Johan Plat (first half), Javier Martina, Rydell Poepon and Murat Yildirim (second half) were the goalscorers for the team that had Danny Blind as their coach until February - and John van den Brom since the latter made the jump to the first team.

Danny Blind was in attendance at De Toekomst and did a one man pitch invasion immediately after the final whistle. He wanted to be the first to congratulate Van den Brom and his boys. "That was very nice of him," said Van den Brom. "It shows that he still feels a bond with the boys and is very much involved." Johan Cruyff was also watching the game from the executives' balcony.

Captain Robert Schilder said: "We've had a good season. I don't think many people expected us to grab the championship in the second half of the season, as many players of our team moved on to Young Ajax or even Ajax-1. Ajax can be very pleased about this development."

Here is the final table in the National A-Youth's Eredivisie:

Ajax 26-58
Feyenoord 26-56
Twente/Herac. 26-52
AZ 26-50
Vitesse 26-42
FC Groningen 26-35
PSV 26-33
Excelsior 26-33
sc Heerenveen 26-31
ADO Den Haag 26-31
FC Utrecht 26-29
RKC Waalw. nc 26-22
NEC ** 26-20
Willem II ** 26-17

(NEC and Willem II go down; Sparta and Volendam are coming up).

K.

[Neefkens]

Great performance of the boys :xyxthumbs:
Whát an asset is a good youth-program, players allready used to the style of AJAX when they enter the senior-squad. That's AJAX.

[ZoefdeHaas]

I'd like to see this squad play at least one game in next seasons Eredivisie...

[Kowalczyk]

The Ajax C1 are the over-all Dutch champions in their age category!

Genero Zeefuik scored the only goal of the game in the final against FC Utrecht: 1-0.

Explanation: there is a nation-wide league for the higher age categories (Reserves plus the A and, I believe, B youth). In younger age categories the league has two or more divisions, based on region. The champions play each other for the over-all Dutch championship.

Dutch amateur football works the same way: the Hoofdklasse ('Top Class') of amateur football (which is basically what they would call non-league in the U.K.) has six divisions in total, three on Saturday and three on Sunday. The winners play each other for the over-all Dutch amateur championship.

The thing with 'Saturday' and 'Sunday' is typically Dutch: church attendances are extremely low (and still going down) in modern The Netherlands, but the country used to be very strictly Christian (both Protestant/Calvinist areas and Roman-Catholic areas). Calvinists, in particular, totally devoted their Sunday to the Lord and did not want to play football on Sunday. Many sports clubs in Holland were Christian in the past: they only played on Saturdays. Most of the non-religious clubs played on Sundays. That system still exists, although many of Holland's bigger amateur clubs now have a Saturday and a Sunday section.

Religion is no longer a big thing in Holland, but it still is prominent enough in sports culture: villages and towns where people are still devoted Christians tend to be tighter, as communities. Those towns usually have a very big amateur club, actively and fanatically supported by the whole community. Many of those clubs belong to Holland's best. So, as a result, a remarkably high number of Dutch amateur clubs are still from very Christian villages and towns, such as Spakenburg, Katwijk and the province of Zeeland (Calvinist) and the provinces of Limburg and Brabant (Catholic). The average Amsterdammer will think that a time machine flashed him back to the 1950s when walking around in those towns. Very traditional, Calvinist moral standards and values.

Calvinists, in particular, are still very much against 'football on Sundays' and in some cases also against 'football for money'. Which explains why there is no direct promotion and relegation from amateur football to the First Division: many of the best amateur clubs wouldn't even want to make the jump to the professional league, even though many of them are bigger and richer clubs than First Division sides such as FC Dordrecht or Haarlem. Amateur clubs such as ADO '20, Quick Boys, Spakenburg and IJsselmeervogels have a surprisingly large fanbase and high attendances. Professional (league) and amateur (non-league) football are still two completely separated things in Holland.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

From the USsoccer.com website:

U-17 ’88 MNT CONTINUE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATIONS IN HOLLAND
The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team continues to prepare for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship as they will travel to Atlanta on Monday (July 25) for a three-day camp before moving on to Holland for a week-and-a-half trip, which will include four matches against Dutch youth club teams. Head coach John Hackworth will be taking 24 players to Atlanta before reducing the squad by two for the Holland trip. Only three players (Daniel Kelly, Bobby Warshaw and Diego Restrepo) joining the U-17s in Atlanta are not currently a part of U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program. Upon arriving in Holland on June 30, the U-17s will travel to their camp location of Roermond and have two days of practice before their first match against PSV Eindhoven on Aug. 1. The U.S. will also face Heerenveen on Aug. 3, KRC Genk on Aug. 6 and Ajax on Aug. 8, before returning home the following day.

U-17 ’88 MNT Atlanta/Holland Schedule

Date Opponent
Aug. 1 PSV Eindhoven
Aug. 3 Heerenveen
Aug. 6 KRC Genk
Aug. 8 Ajax

No idea where that game will be played (Amsterdam?). They're probably talking about Ajax B1, I think.

K

[Kowalczyk]

Just like Ajax-1 the Ajax A1 youth team (coached by Sonny Silooy this season) have won the Dutch Super Cup by beating Feyenoord A1 at the Amsterdam ArenA. Last season the A1 grabbed the championship in spectacular style (it seemed like they'd given it away to Feyenoord, but they f*cked up on the last matchday and Ajax won the title after all). They also made it to the cup final, but lost to Feyenoord, so that the two teams met again for the Super Cup.

Silooy knew beforehand that it was going to be a tough game. School vacations started early in Rotterdam, so that Feyenoord A1 have been in training for three weeks. Vacations in Amsterdam started a bit later: Ajax A1 have only been in training for one week. The Super Cup match was their first game.

Feyenoord took the lead on a Mitchell Schet goal, but Johan Plat and Jan Vertonghen turned it around in the first half. Feyenoord equalized again (goal by Diego Biseswar), but Johan Plat's second goal of the day was the winner.

Line-up of Ajax A1:

Van Duin; Burgzorg, De Heus, Slijngaard, Sterk; Anita (Sarpon), Weihrauch (Reuser), Vertonghen; Plat, Yildirim (Poepon), Martina.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

From the USsoccer.com website:

U-17 ’88 MNT CONTINUE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATIONS IN HOLLAND
The U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team continues to prepare for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship as they will travel to Atlanta on Monday (July 25) for a three-day camp before moving on to Holland for a week-and-a-half trip, which will include four matches against Dutch youth club teams. Head coach John Hackworth will be taking 24 players to Atlanta before reducing the squad by two for the Holland trip. Only three players (Daniel Kelly, Bobby Warshaw and Diego Restrepo) joining the U-17s in Atlanta are not currently a part of U.S. Soccer’s Residency Program. Upon arriving in Holland on June 30, the U-17s will travel to their camp location of Roermond and have two days of practice before their first match against PSV Eindhoven on Aug. 1. The U.S. will also face Heerenveen on Aug. 3, KRC Genk on Aug. 6 and Ajax on Aug. 8, before returning home the following day.

U-17 ’88 MNT Atlanta/Holland Schedule

Date Opponent
Aug. 1 PSV Eindhoven
Aug. 3 Heerenveen
Aug. 6 KRC Genk
Aug. 8 Ajax

No idea where that game will be played (Amsterdam?). They're probably talking about Ajax B1, I think.

No Sir :D They played Ajax A1. That was yesterday. Check this link:

http://www.ussoccer.com/news/fullstory. ... tegoryID=0

K.

[Kowalczyk]

AT5 Text reports that Orville Blankendal, striker of the Ajax Saturday-1 amateur team, is currently on a try-out at Millwall FC. Blankendal will reportedly play a test game with them as well. Blankendal joined the Ajax Saturday amateurs a couple of years ago, coming from Amsterdam amateur outfit DWS.

Would be nice if he could win himself a contract in England.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

According to Voetbal International Ajax have reached an agreement with no less than three former first team players to become youth coaches next season. We are talking about...

Aron Winter (to coach Young Ajax).
Frank de Boer (to coach the D1 youth).
Michel Kreek (to coach the E1 youth).

Always nice to see some experienced, real Ajacieden return to the club.

K.

[DanK]

According to Voetbal International Ajax have reached an agreement with no less than three former first team players to become youth coaches next season. We are talking about...

Aron Winter (to coach Young Ajax).
Frank de Boer (to coach the D1 youth).
Michel Kreek (to coach the E1 youth).

Always nice to see some experienced, real Ajacieden return to the club.

K.

Aron Winter. Probably one of the all time greats of Ajax and The Netherlands. Bloody legend!

[souras84]

Well I remember Kreek form his appearences with AEK Athens. He was sort of mild but he might be a good coach


I would love to see a technical team of Litmanen and De Boer or Winter and Van Basten

[Kowalczyk]

It was 'contract day' at the ArenA today: Urby Emanuelson signed a new deal (see Ajax USA homepage!) and five A1 youngsters agreed to their first professional deals. They are:

Rydell Poepon: 2 seasons
Donovan Slijngard: 2 seasons
Marco van Duin: 2 seasons
Gregory van der Wiel: 2 seasons
Chakib Tayeb: 1 season

The only one whom I've seen in action is Rydell Poepon, who played for Young Ajax in their cup game at Helmond Sport. He looked quite good. Better than most of the 'real' Young Ajax players anyway. As for the other four: I have no clue. Never seen them in action.

K.

[Kowalczyk]

Donovan Slijngard: 2 seasons

http://english.ajax.nl/show/id=118083/contentid=46463

K.

[SPL]

Van Duin is a goalkeeper, Poepon a striker ,VD Weil defender and Tayeb I believe is a midfielder.

A1 results are always on Ajax official site with the lineups.

[SPL]

I see Ajax have not included a young defender called Martjn Sterk. He has played regularly this seasonffor the A1 and is a Dutch U 19 .

I only mention this because of 2 other examples he will probably be playing first team footy next season whereas the above 5 wont.


2004 we released Dwight Tiendalli, who joined Utrecht and got in their first team last season .

2005 Evander Sno left and joined FWord where he got on their bench. He was loaned to NAC in Jan and has appeared for them.

Thus young Sterk , who isnt good enough for our reserves next season will probably be playing against our first team.!!

[aveslacker]

He is Strong.

[Kowalczyk]

A team of Ajax A-juniors was in Japan this week for a prestigious youth tournament. It was not a team of current A1 and A2 players, but mainly of players who will play for Ajax A1 next season. The games were played at the Global Arena in the city of Fukuoka.

Ajax started well by beating the champions of Japan, Aomori, in the first group game (5-1). Jordy Brouwer scored three goals in this game.

The report on Highlow.nl does not mention the results of the other two group games, but Ajax won all three of 'em -- and in of them Jordy Brouwer actually scored four goals.

In the quarter final Japanese side Ozhu were beaten (3-1), so that Ajax advanced to the semi-final for a game against the AC Milan youth, who had just beaten the South Korean national youth team in the quarter final. Ajax played a wonderful game against Milan and beat the Italians by the score of 2-0.

After the game AC Milan youth coach Colombo said: "We knew exactly how Ajax were going to play, and we knew exactly what we had to do about it, but there was no way we were ever going to win."

In the final Ajax bumped into Tokyo Verdy. That game lost by the score of 2-1, in slightly unfortunate fashion. Ajax took the lead on a goal by Johnny Goossens, but gave it away in the second half.

A silver medal for the new crop of Ajax A-youngsters. Very well done. There are two pictures from Japan on the Highlow.nl website:
http://highlow.nl/CMS/index.php?option= ... 0&Itemid=2

Oh yeah: one of the players was young Vito Wormgoor, a player of amateur side DOVO. He was on a try-out at Ajax, was over the moon when he could make the trip to Japan and made a very good impression over there. He will be in the Ajax A1 squad next season.

K.

[afckeeper95]

After the game AC Milan youth coach Colombo said: "We knew exactly how Ajax were going to play, and we knew exactly what we had to do about it, but there was no way we were ever going to win."

Last night I dreamt this quote was from Ancelotti a year from now :eusa_pray: :xyxthumbs: