01/03/2024 21:55 | by BadembaBarrie
Young Ajax failed to beat ADO Den Haag on Friday evening. In the Bingoal stadium, Dave Vos’ team certainly had the better of the game before half time and had the better chances in both halves. However, he did not make enough use of them, while the home team was more careful with the opportunities. It ended 2-1 for ADO.
Young Ajax played a significantly better match than earlier in the week against SC Telstar. They played the ball well and carefully at times and also had a few chances. For example, Kian Fitz-Jim and Jaydon Banel shot the ball wide through an opponent. Julian Rijkhoff also had a great chance on a pass from David Kalokoh, but he was unable to get the ball towards the goal.
At the same time, ADO also made itself felt. The home team clearly had the physical advantage over Jong Ajax and used this where possible in the matches. The crosses in particular became dangerous. For example, Jort van der Sande shot over from such a cross after just under ten minutes, while Henk Veerman and Jerry van Wolfgang also had nice opportunities to score a goal from a given ball. However, the former shot over, while Tom de Graaff was alert to Van Wolfgang’s attempt.
Yet Jong Ajax had the better of the game and deservedly took the lead halfway through the first half. Fitz-Jim had space with the ball about 25 meters from the goal. Rijkhoff made a run, apparently to be played to, but he also cleared the way for Fitz-Jim’s shot. That seemed to be touched by an opponent and flopped in the far corner behind Nick Marsman.
The lead was deserved at that moment and Fitz-Jim was the scorer as well. The midfielder was very important as number eight in the good Amsterdam field game. That only got better in the phase after the 0-1 and that resulted in two enormous greaves. First Banel ran off with the ball. The right winger stayed ahead of Matteo Waem on speed and seemed to score 0-2 face to face with Nick Marsman. However, his shot flew against the inside of the post and back into the field. A minute or two later, Nassef Chourak also thought he had made it 0-2, when Rijkhoff served him with a cross. However, the midfielder’s header from close range was saved by Marsman.
The game picture was clear. Young Ajax was clearly the dominant party with the ball and if it managed to stay out of the physical duels, which it did quite often, ADO could not get a grip on it. However, when it came to a physical battle, the significantly stronger ADO had the upper hand. This is how it happened that Jong Ajax was hit hard on the nose a few minutes after the chances for Banel and Chourak. Timothy Derijck headed home from a corner and leveled the score. Jong Ajax did not rest with what at that moment would have been a deserved 0-2 lead, but with a 1-1 draw.
Immediately after the break, Fitz-Jim was given an opportunity to score his and Jong Ajax’s second goal of the evening. A corner from The Hague was headed away and Fitz-Jim was more decisive than his opponent with the falling ball. The road to Marsman was suddenly wide open, but Fitz-Jim still had to cross half the field. The midfielder was certainly significantly slower with the ball than Justin Ché without it. The Hague defender could no longer prevent a shot, but did hinder Fitz-Jim enough to prevent the midfielder from scoring. The ball rolled narrowly wide.
Substitute Oualid Agougil also had a good chance to restore Jong Ajax’s lead, but he ran into Marsman. A few minutes later it was ADO that struck again. Lasse Vigen crossed the ball from the right and at the far post was Alex Schalk who made it 2-1 with his head.
Immediately after the goal, Mika Godts, replacing Fitz-Jim, returned from three months of injury. The young Belgian immediately asserted himself upon his return with some nice dribbles. This soon resulted in a first chance, with Godts passing two opponents and opting for a left cross in the box instead of a right shot. The action was nice, but the cross could be cleared. Further towards the final phase, Godts came closer to a goal, after another nice dribble was followed by a dangerous shot towards the far intersection. However, Marsman just got a hand against it, making it 2-2.
Shortly before the end, Godts had an excellent opportunity to enhance his return with a goal. Marsman had an incorrect pass and Godts undersharpened and went into the box. The corner was admittedly not easy, but Godts’ shot was above all disappointing. Marsman was able to correct his mistake with the foot relatively easily and, as it turned out, secured the three points for his team.
Line-up ADO The Hague:
Martian; Ché, Derijck, Waem, Van Hintum; Sürmeli, Vigen; Van Mieghem, Van der Sande (Schalk 41′), Van Wolfgang; Ferryman
Substitutions ADO The Hague:
Nikiema, Coremans, Asante, Klas, Sellouki, Koudossou, Absalem, Esajas, Siereveld, Struick, Schalk, Houwaart
Line-up Young Ajax:
DeGraaff; Sarfo, Brandes, Verschuren, Martha; Vos, Chourak (Gorter 66′), Fitz-Jim (Godts 62′); Banel, Rijkhoff (Agougil 46′), Kalokoh
Substitutions Young Ajax:
Setford, Agougil, Chahid, Godts, Henry, Gorter, Speksnijder
Goals:
0-1 Kian Fitz-Jim (25′)
1-1 Timothy Derijck (41′)
2-1 Alex Schalk (61′)
Particularities:
– Mika Godts returns to the Jong Ajax match selection on Friday evening after a long absence due to an injury.
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