Ajaxtalk

Boulahrouz and Van Bronckhorst are argubly the best defenders we have :yes:

I think Van Bommel is a must, as for Boateng or De Jong they aren't as important.

ZoefdeHaas schreef:Boulahrouz and Van Bronckhorst are argubly the best defenders we have :yes:

:crazy:

I really like Boulahrouz. Great defender.

But Gio van Bronckhorst...? Decent left-footer, but not much of a defender, if you ask me.

I think, given his form in recent weeks, Heitinga really deserved his call-up. I've never been much of a fan and he's had a terrible first half of the season, but he's really impressed me in the last - say - six weeks or so.

I would perfectly understand it if Urby drops out of the squad. He's losing it a little bit. He's been wonderful and will surely be there at the next World Cup (or Euro 2008 even), but I don't think this is the moment. He should go to Toulon with Young Oranje.

K.

Kowalczyk schreef:...I think, given his form in recent weeks, Heitinga really deserved his call-up. I've never been much of a fan and he's had a terrible first half of the season, but he's really impressed me in the last - say - six weeks or so....K.

Its funny. I was thinking the same thing. I have in the past been critical of Heitinga, but over the past month or so, he has been pretty close to outstanding and has really stood up in the heart of the defense. He totally deserves his call up.

Actually on the topic of Ajax defenders, the same can be said for Vermaelen imo (well apart from the Holland call up ;)), I have been really down on him (and to some degree he probably deserved it at the time), but he has shown he has the abiltiy to step up a level.

I give them both the Dan's 2 thumbs up of approval :xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs:

If I had to do the same for KJH though, the positive emoticons would never end...

Gio Van B. is the sort of leftback you would want to have. He's fleet footed and like sto move foward, so as an attacking team like Holland, he gives the extra drive from the back.

I think it's best for Urby and De Jong to play for the youth team.

Kowalczyk schreef:I would perfectly understand it if Urby drops out of the squad. He's losing it a little bit. He's been wonderful and will surely be there at the next World Cup (or Euro 2008 even), but I don't think this is the moment. He should go to Toulon with Young Oranje.

K.

I'm glad they left Urby behind. He doesn't need to get plunked on the bench and get a big head like Babel and de Jong did. That way he can continue his development with Jong Oranje. Look forward to seeing him at Euro '08.

The Dutch olympic team U20's are playing a tournement in Toulon France and drew 0-0 with Columbia. I watched the game on Eurosport as Schilder and Sarpong are in the squad.

The Dutch were not very impressive and Schilder had apoor game, Sarpong did not come off the bench. France and Mexico to play.

I thought olympic teams can't include professionals? Or am I thinking of something else

Yes they can as Rosales played for Argentina at the Olympics in 2004.

ZoefdeHaas schreef:I thought olympic teams can't include professionals? Or am I thinking of something else

that used to be, but not anymore. Just look at the cycling, 1992 (silver for Erik Dekker) was the last "amateur only", and in Barcelona even the well paid NBA stars entered the Olympic arena. And do you think that all the top sprinters at the 100m dash are amateurs?

Henk de Gier schreef:

ZoefdeHaas schreef:I thought olympic teams can't include professionals? Or am I thinking of something else

that used to be, but not anymore. Just look at the cycling, 1992 (silver for Erik Dekker) was the last "amateur only", and in Barcelona even the well paid NBA stars entered the Olympic arena. And do you think that all the top sprinters at the 100m dash are amateurs?

I think the "amateur" thing is that they don't get paid to appear at the Olympics....pretty stupid really, for the basketballers and footballers who are full time employee's do their teams stop paying them for the two weeks or something????

Didn't think so!

IIRC, the rules for Olympic soccer are that the team must send an under-21 team, with three age exceptions. There is no limit to who can or can't be a professional, hence Tevez, Rosales and Heinze all played for Argentina.

Update on U20's.

I metioned Holland U 20's game against Columbia but they have played 2 more games since.

France 1-1 Schilder played defensive midfield and had a very good game and the commentators on Eurosport made him MOM. Sarpong played for most of the game and showed flashes of skill to quote the commentator.
Kenny Augustien who has just joined AZ scored a fine goal .

Last game 1-0 win over Mexico goal penalty. Schilder and Sarpong both came on at half time and played Ok .

Holland now play Portugal in Monday's semi and France play China.

I would not be watching Holland at this level if no Ajax players were involved but the one player who looks good is the left back Royston Drenthe. An Urby look alike.

Big problem with mentioning this player is that he plays for F-Word !!!

Schilder has impressed me and has played in defensive midfield whereas he is normally a central defender but being left footed played in our first team at left back v AZ.A typical Ajax product ie plays in 3 positions.

Sarpong has not played as much but shows glimpses of his talent, and of course at 17 he is probably one of the youngest players at the tournement.


Channel 5 will be showing the Holland games in the UEFA U 21 comp over the next 2 weeks. KJH, Urby and young goalie Kenneth Vermeer are in the squad so plenty of Ajax interest.


PS My wife is wondering when I am going to fly a Dutch flag for the WC.I do hope England and Holland do not meet as I do not have a favourite English player ( My house is an Arsenal house so you see my point)

Walcott? :yes:

Ashley Cole?

Walcott hasn't played one minute for Arsenal and both Cole and Campbell ,their only englishmen, have missed most of the season. The big joke over here this season has been Arsenal played with no englishmen.Had Senderos and Flamini not been injured 2/3 weeks ago I doubt Cole and Cambell would have played last week.

Shame really, I hope Ajax doesn't turn foreign

A few weeks ago we had that situation in Poland. First time in polish football history there were no Poles in first squad during the first division game. Antoni Ptak, the chairman of Pogoń Szczecin said that his team won't be a great mark in Europe with Poles in squad. He came to Brazil and took almost 20 Brazilians (most of them totally unknown in Europe - except former international Amaral). And once there were 10 Brazilians and goalkeeper from Slovakia in a squad.

PS: His idea was totally stupid. Pogoń had a chance to play in UEFA Cup, but - when Ptak turns it in "FC Brazil" - they've finished at 11th place. And could be worse unless the only Poles - Grzelak and Kaźmierczak - play in last few games.

U20 in TOULON

Dutch u20's beat Portugal 1-0 and will play either China or France in weds final. Goalscorer Bakkal of Den Bosch. Schilder played all game in defensive midfield and Sarpong played all but the final 3 mins.Both had Ok games.

Dutch mom was Zuiverloon of RKC . Nobody had a great game and Portugal created the most chances but Holland scored the vital goal.In addition Holland had a player sent off 20 mins from the end, Dustly Mulder,( RKC I think) for 2 yellow cards .

I will give a brief report of the final if I catch it..

SPL schreef:U20 in TOULON

Dutch u20's beat Portugal 1-0 and will play either China or France in weds final. Goalscorer Bakkal of Den Bosch. Schilder played all game in defensive midfield and Sarpong played all but the final 3 mins.Both had Ok games.

Dutch mom was Zuiverloon of RKC . Nobody had a great game and Portugal created the most chances but Holland scored the vital goal.In addition Holland had a player sent off 20 mins from the end, Dustly Mulder,( RKC I think) for 2 yellow cards .

I will give a brief report of the final if I catch it..

"Dustly Mulder".........fantastic name no????? :xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs:

Lucky win after dodgy group games......sounds like a team with "destiny" written all over it..... ;)

Manneken Pis schreef:
"Dustly Mulder".........fantastic name no????? :xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs: :xyxthumbs:

Sounds like one for the next Bond film to me :xyxthumbs:

maybe he's just a Fox Mulder's (The X-files) brother? ;)

Dutch U 20 final report.

The final of the tournement featured Holland and France and after a 0-0 game quess who lost on penalties 5-3 !! . Obviously Holland did.But on the night I thought France were the better side. Schilder played a full game and was voted Holland's best player of the tourney and 3 rd overall best.

Sarpong played the last 10 mins but when the penalties were taken he steped up to take Penalty no 1 and scored.A very cool young 17 year old . Schilder did not take one.

Schilder was very good over the 5 games but I was also impressed with the left back Royston Drenthe of F Word. The 2 commentators were also impressed by these 2 .I think some of the French will make a name for themselves.

Thats the end of my brief reports on our U 20's. It is the turn of the U21's and KJH and Urby next and I imagine quite a few of you will catch these games, which are not live over here, but I will be following them all the same.

Thanks for your U-20 reports, SPL. As far as I know we couldn't watch those games over here, so cheers for that.

We will be able to follow Young Oranje (U-23) here in Hollland. The first game, against Ukraine, was yesterday evening. Holland blew it and lost 2-1. I missed the game (I was out), but according to the reports Holland were quite poor, although the two Ukrainian goals were a bit stinky: the first one was a penalty that should not have been given and the second one a free-kick that should not have been given. Two Ajax boys (Vermeer and Emanuelson, respectively) were involved.

This is what I've read. I did not see it myself.

Gijs Luirink's goal (a header, on a corner kick) came too late for Holland. Huntelaar also played, but by all accounts he had a very poor game.

K.

Kowalczyk schreef:Thanks for your U-20 reports, SPL. As far as I know we couldn't watch those games over here, so cheers for that.

Yes we could, Eurosport broadcasted it :yes: