SUNDAY 10TH AUGUST 2014
AJAX 4 – 1 VITESSE
Ajax got their title defense underway with 4-1 win over Vitesse, although the victory was not as one-sided as it sounds.
Whilst potential signing Samuel Eto’o was among the spectators at the Amsterdam ArenA, Frank de Boer went with three-pronged attack of Ricardo Kishna, Arkadiusz Milik and Lasse Schöne. He left all three of Ajax’s representatives at this summer’s World Cup on the bench, Jasper Cillessen, Joël Veltman and Daley Blind.
Meanwhile, Peter Bosz decided to feature two youngsters from the latest crop sent over to Arnhem from Chelsea. Burkina Faso attacking midfielder Bertrand Traoré returned for his second season at Vitesse while Brazilian right-back Wallace made his debut at the back.
Vitesse controlled the majority of the first 45 minutes with Ajax looking vulnerable at the back, however the visitors were due to rue all the missed opportunities especially when Ajax made the breakthrough five minutes before half-time.
Summer signing Nick Viergever got the first goal with a wonderful left-foot finish. Young full-back Ruben Ligeon got forward on the right-wing and planted a cross in the middle of the box, arriving late Viergever volleyed past Piet Velthuizen in goal to make the Amsterdam ArenA jump.
Just after the interval, the lead was doubled after Chelsea youngster Wallace brought down Kishna around 30-yards out. From the resulting set-piece, Lasse Schöne hit a dipping long range shot that made Velthuizen look rather foolish in goal.
The second goal woke Vitesse up immediately and Bosz’s men nearly reduced the deficit. Defender Guram Kashia cracked a header off the crossbar from a Zakaria Labyad corner and then nodded the rebound over. However, the game was settled just after the hour mark with Mike van der Hoorn’s first goal for Ajax. Schone whipped in the corner and the defender rose above Jan-Arie van der Heijden to make it 3-0. Game over for Vitesse Arnhem.
The entrances of new signing Denys Olinyk and young forward Uroš Djurdjevic did not bring Vitesse any joy, Ajax were in full domination and dictated the tempo of the play. Although, Vitesse did get a consolation goal with a lovely effort by Marko Vejinović with just six minutes to go. After shrugging off the challenge of Van der Hoorn, the midfielder caught the Ajax defence asleep as he surged through the area and slotted home inside Kenneth Vermeer’s inside post.
Ajax made it four before the final whistle when young substitute winger Ahmed El Ghazi played a ball into the back post, and Schöne sidefooted home to score his second of the match.
Great second half performance from the Amsterdammers which may have shown Marc Overmars and De Boer that, do they really need to spend €2million a year on wages for Eto’o when they have all this talent banging in the goals when it matters.
TEAMS
AJAX: Vermeer, Ligeon, Van der Hoorn, Moisander, Boilesen, Klaassen (Sigthórsson 80), Viergever, Serero, Schöne, Milik (Blind 59), Kishna (El Ghazi 70).
SUBS NOT USED: Cillessen, Veltman, Sigthórsson, Andersen, Denswil.
GOALS: Viergever 40, Schöne 48, Van der Hoorn 62.
BOOKINGS: Ligeon 43, Van der Hoorn 82.
VITESSE: Velthuizen, Wallace, Kashia, Van den Heijden, Kruiswijk, Pröpper, Leerdam (Achenteh 85), Vejinovic, Labyad, Kazaishvili (Olinyk 66), Traoré (Djurdjevic 66).
SUBS NOT USED: Room, Dijks, Bosz, Dauda.
GOALS: Vejinovic 84.
BOOKINGS: Wallace 47.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Lasse Schöne (Ajax)
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