Down to the Wire Again

By: Matt | April 16th, 2008

KJH and Suarez So, Ajax won the rescheduled match against Groningen 2-1. And I am officially beginning to creep myself out with my match predictions. Nobody really thought Lindgren would score the opener 18 minutes in, so I can be forgiven for thinking KJH would open the scoring. Groningen would level the match through Cahais, who I mentioned as a threat. The kid is going to be a great defender. And Suarez did put Ajax ahead two minutes later than I predicted, at 68′. So there can be no celebration in Eindhoven yet, and there will be a cup to win in Amsterdam should PSV stumble. Any point would clinch it for them, but should they lose at Vitesse and Ajax win against Heracles, Ajax will win the title on goal differential. And how sweet that would be after last year!

The match was well played by both sides, but Ajax certainly looked like the victors throughout. Groningen’s fans were slightly better behaved as the Euroborg is still standing tonight, but their reception of Suarez was deafening. He was booed mercilessly, as was Bruno Silva and Lindgren. And the trio responded, with Lindgren scoring the first, Suarez netting the game winner, and Bruno Silva awarded a yellow card. So the duo responded.

Thomas Vermaelen left the match during the first half, and we played the rest of the match with Vertonghen in the center of defense. Vertonghen has responded to this need and filled a utility role all season, serving at left back and center back as well as his more natural midfield position. Kuffour was on the bench, but he never moved when Vermaelen went down. What a waste. Looking forward, we need not one but two CBs, for it should be clear that Vermaelen will never be injury-free. We should send him and Nicolae Mitea to get some titanium exoskeleton applied to their bodies if we ever hope to use either one of them. I usually like what I see in Vermaelen, but I see far too little.

But the next few days are not days for thinking about exoskeletons and Kuffours. These are days to dream about stealing an Eredivisie plate from PSV. It is still highly unlikely, BECAUSE PSV DOES NOT DROP CHEAP POINTS!!!!! I am not even going to think about how we have clinched our spot in the playoffs already, because we may not need them. I am not ready to start reflecting yet on what this all means, but it does add some perspective on the season. Despite Wesley leaving, the ten Cate disaster, the European crash and burn, the Stam retirement, we still led the league in the first half of the season. And now we are in a position to win the title going into the final matchday. Whatever the outcome, it is clear that this season cannot be written off and discarded entirely. Adrie Koster deserves a medal. (At least until the playoffs.)

Highlights