02 Feb 2014: FC Utrecht - Ajax

[Dave the mac]

Guess someone has to break the ice here. A win could give Ajax a nice cushion at the top of the table! On at 3:30 am here on the West Coast.... Hate these early matches.

Van der Hoorn will be on the bench. Last season he played for Utrecht, and played well. I still think he was a good purchase and should be in the 1st team. Wish his ex-teammate Toornstra would have come with him, a very useful player who leads Utrecht with 8 goals from his midfield spot. de Jong also returns to the squad.

Utrecht is in a bit of a poor spell having lost their last four matches. Let's make it five.

[rjf1]

Ha -- I know what you mean about hating early morning matches -- there have been an inordinate amount of them in my timezone -- but this one is at 19:30 my time -- so, for a change, I get to enjoy a favorable start time. As far as Utrecht having lost their last four matches, this worries me -- as they are due for a rebound on the one hand, and we might take them too lightly on the other. We can't afford to be complacent. If we are, we are sure to get burned.

[saddlerian]

To make it clear to all...Kick Off at 11:30UK, 12:30 Central Europe and 13:30 here in Greece...just time for a swim and quick "brunch" before settling to the day's entertainment!!

[Orange14]

Bright sunny day in Utrecht with nice blue sky!

[SPL]

Hope for 3 points today, livesport shows 20 streams so hope one works

[Tom_]

To make it clear to all...Kick Off at 11:30UK, 12:30 Central Europe and 13:30 here in Greece...just time for a swim and quick "brunch" before settling to the day's entertainment!!

No way, is it still warm enough to swim there???

[Tom_]

Nice!

[saddlerian]

Yes Tom...still warm enough....even warmer with that Blind shot!!! 1-0

[Orange14]

Out of nowhere, what a rocket by Blind! 0-1

[Amol]

Wow - bullet by Blind. 1-0!!!

[rjf1]

After a lukewarm 25 minutes, and just after a letoff, Daley Blind gets us started with a cracker from well outside the box!

[Tom_]

Yes Tom...still warm enough....even warmer with that Blind shot!!! 1-0

That's it, I'm packing my bags (as soon as this match is over)...

[Dave the mac]

Yes! Great start from Blind.

[Tom_]

And, that's why you don't let the opposition strikers play one-on-one against your defenders

[Dave the mac]

Horrible defending 1-1

[saddlerian]

Terrible defending...got to get harder!!!

[Orange14]

Third mistake by Veltman this half and it's not the charm. 1-1

[Amol]

Oh boy. 1-1

[rjf1]

Just outmuscled -- can't play that style of defense against a team that can outmuscle you and when the ref lets them get away with it. We had been lucky a couple of times up to then, but it finally caught up.

[Tom_]

Yeah, both centre halves at fault—Moisander missed the interception and then was completely out of position; Veltman lost the one-on-one.

[Tom_]

Good attacking pressure in the last fifteen minutes, though. Boilesen and Fischer are both playing well on the left.

[SPL]

good shot by Blind for his goal but dreadful defending by our CD's. They are abit physical and getting away with it .

[Orange14]

Poor officiating and rough play are letting Utrecht stay around in this one (de Ridder could have had two Yellow cards for dangerous play!). We had some good shots saved by the keeper. Veltman had an unusually poor half. Wouters always has his team ready to play Ajax and today is no exception. We are going to have to play much better in the second half. Both Klaassen and Serero are going to have to pick things up. Serero is no where to be seen when Fischer is trying to create something on the left and ends up with no outlet pass. Until the last five minutes Klaassen had hardly a single touch.

[Tom_]

Actually they just showed the replay of Utrecht's goal. Veltman was unlucky, de Ridder fouled him (maybe twice).

[Orange14]

Actually they just showed the replay of Utrecht's goal. Veltman was unlucky, de Ridder fouled him (maybe twice).

By all rights (and a good official) de Ridder would have been sent off for two really bad fouls. Veltman was fouled but positionally was in a bad spot to begin with. Same thing happened earlier in the match.