After the conclusion of the last third round fixtures the draw for the 'round of sixteen' of the Amstel Cup took place live on Dutch TV station SBS6. The draw determined that Ajax-1 will start its Amstel Cup campaign with a home game against NAC Breda. Young Ajax, meanwhile, will have to travel to Enschede, for its second Amstel Cup clash with FC Twente. The games will be played on Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 December (exact dates and kick-off times to be confirmed).
Ajax (the first team) and NAC Breda met several times in cup competition. The last time was in the quarter final on 11 March 1998 in the Amsterdam ArenA. Ajax was slightly stronger: 2-1. The Amsterdammers went on to win the Amstel Cup that season. Ajax and NAC even met each other in two Dutch Cup finals: in 1961 and 1967. On both occasions the trophy went to Amsterdam. The Breda club won the cup once: in 1973. Ajax was eliminated on the way to the final, in the second round: 2-2 after extra time, after which NAC advanced on penalties.
Their home fixture against Young Ajax is the perfect opportunity for FC Twente to take revenge on the Ajax rookies for the humiliating defeat the 'Reds' suffered in an extatic Amsterdam ArenA on 12 December 2001: back then an unforgettable Jason Culina strike in stoppage time made it 1-1. The young Amsterdammers eliminated FC Twente on a 'golden goal' from the penalty spot. Walker was the scorer.
The second Amstel Cup confrontation between FC Twente and Young Ajax is spicy for another reason: at the time John van 't Schip was head-coach of FC Twente. He was later fired by the club from the eastern Netherlands, to become the new coach of Young Ajax, with which team he will return to Enschede's Diekman Stadium.
The 'round of sixteen' draw in full
SC Heerenveen - NEC
Sparta Rotterdam - RBC Roosendaal
Heracles Almelo - Hoek
Feyenoord - Vitesse
Ajax - NAC Breda
FC Twente - Young Ajax
PSV - Willem II
FC Utrecht - RKC Waalwijk
Amstel Cup: Ajax to play NAC in ArenA, Young Ajax travels to
Moderators: ajaxusa, Kowalczyk, mods