Marseilles spoil Ajax' birthday party
Wednesday 18 March 2009
For some 110 very entertaining
minutes Ajax' 109th birthday seemed to become a real
party, as Ajax had leveled the tie at 2-1 in the second
leg. But in stoppage time it all went wrong when Tyrone
Mears scored a second for the French and eliminated
the last Dutch team in Europe.
Ajax were the third Dutch team
being knocked out by Marseilles this season, after the
team of Eric Gerets had earlier done the same with PSV
in the Champions League and FC Twente in the UEFA Cup.
But Ajax can be proud of themselves
tonight as it was a much depleted Amsterdam side with
no less than 6 key players (Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen,
Rob Wielaert, Gregory van der Wiel, Rasmus Lindgren
and Gabri) missing.
Their young replacements did very
well and were the better side tonight, but two defensive
mistakes cost Ajax dearly.
The team of coach Marco van Basten
started very offensively and had their first good chance
after only four minutes (Suarez).
The hosts kept dominating Marseilles
and it was fully justified that Eyong Enoh gave them
the lead from a great Suarez through ball.
Ajax wealth lasted exactly 2 minutes.
Mamadou Niang was sent on his way
to the Ajax penalty area by Kone when Ajax goal keeper
made a mistake.
With both Oleguer and Toby Alderweireld
being there Vermeer left his line and was then an easy
victim for Niang.
After the break Ajax operated a
lot more cautious, but still got a set of decent chances.
Fifteen minutes Ajax then got what
they deserved.
Suarez turned away from his marker
brilliantly and provided Miralem Sulejmani with a header
from point blank range that the Serb didn't waste.
With the 2-1 from Marseilles now
leveled out Ajax went looking for a third, with some
great chances coming to the Amsterdammers in the dying
minutes of the game.
Extra time had to decide who was
to progress though and again it was poor defending from
the home team that handed the French a goal.
The Ajax defense was unable to
clear a Zenden free kick that was rocketed upwards by
the wall and with the young Ajax defenders looking at
each other Mears reacted best and headed the ball into
the net.
With ten minutes on the clock things
weren't quite over yet, but Marseilles held on with
ease despite a Leonardo shot going just a whisker wide
of the far post five minutes from the end.
Score
Goals
| E. Enoh 33' |
1-0 |
|
|
1-1 |
M. Niang 35' |
| M. Sulejmani 74' |
2-1 |
|
|
2-2 |
T. Mears 111' |
Cards
| |
|
M. Valbuena 15'
|
| |
|
V. Hilton 28'
|
| |
|
M. Niang 44'
|
| L. Suárez 68'
|
|
|
| |
|
J. Rodriguez
103' |
| R. Schilder 108'
|
|
|
| B. Silva 120' |
|
|
Lineups
| K. Vermeer |
|
|
S. Mandanda |
|
| E. Enoh |
113' S. de Jong |
|
B. Koné |
77' H. Ben Arfa |
| I. Aissati |
97' Leonardo |
|
B. Zenden |
|
| V. Anita |
|
|
J. Rodriguez |
|
| L. Suárez |
|
|
M. M Bami |
|
| M. Sulejmani |
104' D. Cvitanich |
|
M. Niang |
59' M. Samassa |
| Oleguer |
|
|
M. Valbuena |
52' K. Ziani |
| R. Schilder |
|
|
V. Hilton |
|
| T. Alderweireld |
|
|
T. Mears |
|
| U. Emanuelson |
|
|
T. Taiwo |
|
| B. Silva |
|
|
B. Cheyrou |
|
|