Nerves get the better of AZ

Saturday 18 April 2009

In a game that was as unexpected as it was nervewrecking AZ suffered defeat at the hands of Vitesse Arnhem (1-2) on Saturday and had to postpone their championships celebration until next week.

Or Ajax would have to lose at PSV Eindhoven on Sunday.

The defeat against Vitesse was only the third of the season and the first since 13 September 2008.

It was a bizarre night in the DSB Stadium.

A night that started upbeat with the joy of the imminent league title, but that finished in a minor key.

The 2-1 defeat against Vitesse has put a lot of doubt in the heads of all supporting AZ and with the fixtures remaining (Ajax and FC Twente away, Heerenveen at home) there are plenty of people who fear AZ are going to give it away again, and tis time in an even more dramatic fashion than they did two years ago, on the last day against Excelsior.

Only Ajax will be able to reach the same amount of points as AZ (when they win all of their three remaining games, and AZ lose all of them) and with Ajax-AZ being scheduled for next week Amstterdam is quietly hoping for a miracle.

And it all started so well for AZ against Vitesse.

Topscorer Muonir El Hamdaoui put them ahead halfway through the first half and all seemed to go as planned.

But AZ showed complacency and then all of a sudden out of the blue came Ricky van Wolfswinkel who benefitted from sloppy defending by AZ and slotted home for the unexpected and unwanted equalizer.

After the interval the men of Louis van Gaal went looking for a second goal much more eagerly but build up was inaccurate and Vitesse held on without any serious difficulties.

El Hamdaoui did score a second, but it was disallowed for off-side.

Then when good news came from Rotterdam (Twente were 1-0 down against Feyenoord) and all knew that a draw would be sufficient to win it, AZ halted their efforts and they paid dearly.

A lightly given free kick was taken quickly, the AZ defense was taken unaware and when Gilles Swerts made a last desperate attempt to block Alexander Büttner shot he deflected the ball and gave it an effect that made it curl over Joe didulica into the far corner: 1-2.

The two goals Vitesse scored were only the fifth and the sixth AZ had conceded in the entire season at home, but they couldn't have come at a worse moment.

De bijna elektrische spanning van in Rotterdam was er zaterdagavond nooit in Alkmaar. Immers, er is altijd nog volgende week of die week erna. Maar in Alkmaar gingen de gedachten toch terug naar die dag in het stadion van Excelsior. Toen, die dag in april, toen op de laatste speeldag van het seizoen drie clubs kampioen konden worden en AZ uiteindelijk het onderspit dolf.

Het was AZ-topscorer Mounir El Hamdaoui, zaterdagavond uitstekend op dreef, die zijn ploeg na ruim een kwartier op voorsprong had gezet. De Alkmaarse toeschouwers, als verwacht allen in het rood, zagen in de eerste helft ook nog een schot van Demy de Zeeuw op de paal belanden en waanden zich veilig. Eenrichtingsverkeer richting het Vitesse-doel werd in de tweede helft echter nooit beloond. Vertwijfeld, in mineur en ruziemakend zochten de AZ-spelers na de wedstrijd de catacomben op.
FILMPJE: AZ, er kan niets meer mis gaan

Score

Goals

Cards

Lineups