At FC Twente, disappointment and especially anger prevail after the 2-1 defeat against Ajax. The Tukkers are having an excellent season and seemed to be going to deal a new blow to the errant record champion, but were left empty-handed after a poor second half. believes that his team did not present itself as the number three in the Netherlands and even calls it a ‘shame’.
Anyone who had said at the start of the season that FC Twente could have put Ajax on eighteen points five rounds before the end would undoubtedly have been declared crazy. Although the team from Amsterdam had had a disappointing season, in contrast to FC Twente, the Tukkers also saw a number of strong players leave in addition to successful trainer Ron Jans. However, unlike the record champion, the club from Enschede had a good summer and was able to take serious steps in the first phase of the season.
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While Ajax seemed to be chasing FC Twente and third place at the start of the second half of the season, the difference has only become bigger and bigger in recent weeks. FC Twente traveled to the Johan Cruijff ArenA on Sunday with a fifteen-point lead, where it could take the next step towards the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. That seemed to happen after the first half, in which FC Twente was in control. But in the second half nothing could be further from the truth. “Anyone who is third and has everything in hand for a wonderful end to the season cannot act like FC Twente did in the second half in Amsterdam,” writes club watcher Leon ten Voorde van Tubantia.
Van Wolfswinkel agreed with this. The veteran headed the visitors into the lead in the first half, but could not prevent Ajax from ultimately keeping the points in Amsterdam. “I am very disappointed in ourselves. If you are number three, you have to behave like it,” Van Wolfswinkel is quoted by Ten Voorde. “We have a mature team, so you have to show that. We failed to do that in the second half. The contrast with the first half was far too great.” FC Twente certainly had opportunities for a better result, especially Rots, who scored the 1-2 after an error by Ajax goalie Geronimo Rulli. “I have to make that ball, especially in the phase I am in. Then it becomes 1-2 and they win the match. I blame myself for that.”
For FC Twente, all the ingredients seemed to be present to deal a new blow to Ajax. The Amsterdam team lost 6-0 to Feyenoord last week and the administrative chaos reached a new low a few hours before the kick-off against FC Twente, while the Tukkers have been in excellent form for some time. But due to the defeat in Amsterdam, the lead over AZ has shrunk to five points and there is suddenly a lot of pressure on the coming matches. “I think it’s a shame that we’re losing here. Especially when you see what kind of season Ajax is going through and what we are going through. We just have to win here,” said Rots.
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