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Belgium international defender TOBY ALDERWEIRELD (3) of Ajax Amsterdam tackles the ball away from Hungary international winger BALASZ DZSUDZSAK, who leads PSV Eindhoven with 20 goals in all competitions this season, during the Klassiker Derby on Sunday at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (pics united/psv.nl)
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Both teams having achieved advancement in the UEFA Europa League earlier in the week, arch-rivals AJAX AMSTERDAM and PSV EINDHOVEN battled to an entertaining 0-0 stalemate in a Dutch Eredivisie Klassiker Derby on Sunday.
Ajax Amsterdam had Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG to thank for its share of the spoils; the 28-year-old netminder had two important saves from PSV Eindhoven’s joint top goal-scorers, Hungary international winger BALASZ DZSUDZSAK and Sweden international attacking midfielder OLA TOIVONEN, in the first half and another on the second half substitute of the Boeren, 20-year-old GENERO ZEEFUIK.
19-year-old Denmark World Cup midfielder CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN, the man of the match in Ajax Amsterdam’s first leg victory over RSC Anderlecht in Brussels, had the best chance for de Godenzonen in the first half.
Although the Rood-witten under trainer FRED RUTTEN would have preferred to win, PSV Eindhoven, who last won the Dutch title in 2008, still remain three points ahead of the pack in Holland while Ajax Amsterdam are in third on the Eredivisie chart five points off the pace.
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Holland international winger JERMAIN LENS, who scored the goal which progressed PSV Eindhoven past French side OSC Lille in Europe during the week, has the ball run out of play as Ajax Amsterdam’s Holland international fullback VURNON ANITA (5) watches at the Philips Stadion in the Netherlands. (pics united/psv.nl)
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Serbia international winger MIRALEM SULEJMANI is swarmed by Ajax Amsterdam teammates after his second goal in the 4-1 come-from-behind KNVB Cup victory over NAC Breda in midweek; Sulejmani, whose loan move to English Premier League side West Ham United fell through at the end of summer, and Ajax must face NAC Breda again on Sunday in the Dtuch Eredivisie. (ajaxfc)
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The roster of AJAX AMSTERDAM will have a slightly different look for new trainer FRANK DE BOER as the Dutch Eredivisie heads toward the stretch run of the campaign.
Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ, who failed to match his standout goal-scoring production of a season ago, has been sold by Ajax to English Premier League club FC Liverpool at a huge profit, nevertheless. Never-in-favor Egypt international striker MIDO was granted his release from his obligiation to de Godenzonen at the New Year. And 20-year-old winger MARVIN ZEENGELAAR has been sent out on loan to Eredivisie side SBV Excelsior Rotterdam for the rest of the term.
URBY EMANUELSON, a seven-year veteran of Ajax Amsterdam who has earned 13 caps for Holland, as well, was sold to Italian Serie A leaders AC Milan for a transfer fee of 1.7 million Euros. A key player for de Godenzonen, the 24-year-old midfielder was out of contract at the end of this season. Emanuelson, who appeared in 173 Eredivisie matches and scored 17 goals over his career, had played 19 games and scored one goal in the Dutch top flight this term for Ajax.
Of course, this is Ajax Amsterdam, recognized around the world for its tradition of a strong youth policy — and so there replacements ready and waiting in the system.
19-year-old winger LORENZO EBECILIO is the latest in a long line of talented teenagers to make his Eredivisie debut this season and has been featuring in the starting XI for Ajax as of late. 20-year-old Turkish winger ARAS OZBILIZ has cracked the first team for de Godenzonen with one start and three substitute appearances in the Dutch top flight this 2010-11 campaign. And 19-year-old striker FLORIAN JOZEFZOON has come off the bench in the league four times, as well.
Also, returning to Ajax Amsterdam during the winter break was Argentine striker DARIO CVITANICH. The 26-year-old striker had been out on loan for a year with CF Pachuca in the top flight of Mexico. Originally purchased for 6.5 million Euros from Club Atletico Banfield in May of 2008, Cvitanich scored 13 goals in 24 Eredivisie games over a season and a half before the loan assignment by Ajax.
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Argentine striker DARIO CVITANICH scored 13 goals in 32 matches for Mexican club CF Pachuca (above) during the calendar year of 2010 after being sent out on loan by Ajax Amsterdam of the Netherlands. (pixazza/goal.com)
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Much-traveled Egypt international striker AHMED HOSSAM HUSSEIN ABDELHAMID, known throughout the football world as MIDO, started this 2010-11 season in Holland with Ajax Amsterdam after a free transfer from English Football League Championship (second division) side FC Middlesborough but was unable to secure a first team place with de Godenzonen and is seeking a return to glory with his first club back home in North Arfica. (afrikansoccer.com)
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According to the domestic outlet FILGOAL, legendary Cario-based club Sporting Club Zamalek — the first-ever winners of the Egyptian Cup in 1922 — has no money in the coffers to afford out-of-contract star Egypt international striker MIDO, who recently asked for the remainder of his contract with Dutch Eredivisie club Ajax Amsterdam to be annulled.
In a statement released by SC Zamalek sports director IBRAHIM HASSAN, the White Knights were counting on financing from the club’s former President MAMDOUH ABBAS to pay the wages of the 27-year-old star striker, who has earned 51 caps and scored 20 goals for Egypt in his career.
“Abbas was to pay for the first six months of Mido’s contract. But instead we were surprised to receive a letter from him telling us that we should deduct the payment from what the club owes him. Now we are in a rough position because we cannot afford it,” Hassan stated.
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Egypt international striker MIDO of Ajax Amsterdam shoots past NEC Nijmegen goalkeeper JASPER CILLESSEN (22) to score his one of his two Eredivisie goals of this 2010-11 season during the early December 1-1 draw at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands. (Olaf Kraak/AFP/Getty Images)
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Ajax Amsterdam had hopes that Mido, who scored 21 goals on 40 appearances in the Dutch top flight before being sold to French Ligue 1 outfit Olympique Marseille for 12.0 million Euros in July of 2003, could rediscover past form upon his return to de Godenzonen.
Doubts, however, hung over Mido about weight and a lack of match fitness while in Amsterdam. The journeyman striker was unable to secure first team football under either since-departed manager MARTIN JOL or his successor, FRANK DE BOER, and made just one start with four substitute appearances in the Eredivisie. In the end, the Egyptian could not displace Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ nor Morocco international attacker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI.
Overall in all competitions, Mido managed three goals, including a pair in the Eredivisie, in six games for Ajax Amsterdam before requesting a release from his contract at the New Year.
Aside from his two stints in Holland, the still-relatively youthful Egypt international striker has played with four clubs in England as well as one each in Belgium, France, Italy and Spain.
Mido did spend the bulk of the 2009-10 campaign out on loan from FC Middlesborough to SC Zamalek, but had a disappointing season highlighted by a missed penalty kick on his debut in the Egyptian Premier League and just one goal from 15 games thereafter.
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Egypt international striker MIDO (center) was signed by FC Middlesborough from Tottenham Hotspur for a transfer fee of 6.0 million English pounds in August of 2007 but never did recreate the form that produced 11 goals in 27 Premier League games back during the 2005-06 campaign. (www.football.co.uk)
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Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ (16), who led the Eredivisie with 35 goals for Ajax Amsterdam and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year last season, attempts to avoid the challenge of AJ Auxerre’s Switzerland World Cup defender STEPHANE GRICHTING (4) during the mid-October UEFA Champions League Group G match at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands. (Robin van Lonkhuijsen/Reuters)
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Dutch Eredivisie club AJAX AMSTERDAM have agreed to sell controversial Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ to English Premier League side FC LIVERPOOL for the reported transfer fee of 26.5 million Euros (22.8 million English pounds).
The reigning Footballer of the Year in Holland certainly has generated some headlines since the end of the 2009-10 campaign. While representing Uruguay in South Africa this past summer, the 24-year-old striker garnered world-wide attention for his handball on the goal line in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match with Ghana. This past November, Suarez earned a seven-match suspension from the KNVB for biting PSV Eindhoven’s Holland international midfielder OTMAN BAKKAL.
After a spectacular haul last campaign, the goal-scoring of Suarez in the Dutch top flight has dropped dramatically this term. Serbia World Cup striker MARKO PANTELIC, who scored 16 Eredivisie goals for Ajax Amsterdam a season ago, was not offered a multi-year contract as was desired and departed for Greek table-toppers FC Olympiakos Piraeus. And the new partnership with Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI was not quite as successful for Suarez.
Ajax Amsterdam stand to profit a great deal, however, should the Uruguayan agree personal terms with FC Liverpool — Suarez was originally purchased by de Godenzonen in August of 2007 from FC Groningen for the transfer fee of 7.5 million Euros.
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LUIS SUAREZ
career record
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League
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2005-06 — 27 games – 10 goals — CF Nacional Montevideo – (URG)
2006-07 — 29 games – 10 goals — FC Groningen – (HOL)
2007-08 — 33 games – 17 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
2008-09 — 31 games – 22 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
2009-10 — 33 games – 35 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
2010-11 —- 13 games —- 7 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
Europe
————
2006-07 —– 2 games – 1 goals — FC Groningen – (HOL)
2007-08 —– 4 games – 1 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
2008-09 — 10 games – 5 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
2009-10 —– 9 games – 6 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
2010-11 —— 8 games – 4 goals — Ajax Amsterdam – (HOL)
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With a hand on the stomach of Holland World Cup midfielder DEMY DE ZEEUW (20) to keep the Ajax Amsterdam midfielder at bay, AC Milan’s two-time World Cup forward RONALDINHO, who has won 88 caps and scored 32 goals for Brazil in his career, attempts to settle the ball at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in northern Italy. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
12/8/2010
0 – AC Milan (ITA)
2 – Ajax Amsterdam (HOL) ——— de Zeeuw 57′, Alderweireld 66′
A determined effort for the new head coach resulted in a pair of deserved second half goals as visiting Dutch Eredivisie side AJAX AMSTERDAM defeated hosting Italian Serie A club AC MILAN 2-0 in Group G of the UEFA Champions League.
Ajax Amsterdam took the game to AC Milan immediately and would continue to apply pressure throughout the game as the 21-9 advantage for shots-at-goal would indicate. In fact, if not for the work of Italy international MARCO AMELIA between the sticks for the Rossoneri, the defeat for the home side might have easily been much heavier. The 28-year-old Amelia, on loan to AC Milan for the season from FC Genoa, was credited with eleven saves by the official website of the UEFA Champions League.
Even though French club AJ Auxerre lost in Madrid and, thus, Ajax Amsterdam would have claimed third place in Group G and the resulting spot in the UEFA Europa League this spring anyway, the away win in Milan was still a fine way for de Godenzonen to begin the managerial tenure of FRANK DE BOER.
The 40-year-old de Boer, the former Ajax Amsterdam and two-time World Cup defender who earned 112 caps for the Netherlands over the course of his playing career, replaced the preceding MARTIN JOL, who resigned on December 6.
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Serbia international MIRALEM SULEJMANI (7) of Ajax Amsterdam, whose proposed season-long loan to Premier League side West Ham United collapsed when the 22-year-old winger did not receive an English work permit from the Home Office back in August, seeks to escape the clutches of AC Milan’s 34-year-old veteran international defender MARIO YEPES (76), who has collected 72 caps and scored four goals for Colombia in his day, at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. (Olivier Morin/AFP/Getty Images)
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AJAX AMSTERDAM: Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Enoh ; Emanuelson, de Jong (El Hamdaoui 84′), Eriksen, de Zeeuw (Lindgren 82′) ; Sulejmani, Suarez (Tainio 90+2′)
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(Reuters photo)
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On the heels of a rocket fired into the lower corner of the net for Ajax Amsterdam’s first goal of the match against AC Milan, Holland World CUp midfielder DEMY DE ZEEUW (20) races off trailed by 18-year-old Denmark World Cup midfielder CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN (8) — the youngest participant at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa — and Holland U-21 international midfielder SIEM DE JONG (10) at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in northern Italy. (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
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France international midfielder LASSANA DIARRA, in a rare start for Real Madrid this season, watches as former Spain U-21 international midfielder PEDRO LEON, another who has spent plenty of time riding the pine this term, leaps the sliding tackle of Ajax Amsterdam’s Holland international midfielder URBY EMANUELSON at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands. (Peter De Jong/AP)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
11/23/2010
0 – Ajax Amsterdam (HOL)
4 – Real Madrid (SPA) ———— Benzema 36, Arbeloa 44′, Ronaldo 70′, pen ’81
Once upon a time, before the Peace of Muenster in 1648, what is now the Kingdom of the Netherlands was actually ruled by the Spanish Crown — for some during the UEFA Champions League match at the Amsterdam Arena, it may have seemed as if nothing has changed.
A pair of goals on each side of the halftime whistle powered visiting REAL MADRID to an impressive 4-0 victory over AJAX AMSTERDAM and guaranteed that the Spanish capital city club will finish first in Group G whatever the result of its final round-robin game.
A leaping, sublime backheel from Germany World Cup midfielder MESUT OEZIL after a long ball from Spain World Cup champion midfielder XABI ALONSO allowed France international striker KARIM BENZEMA to neatly curl past Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG of Ajax Amsterdam roughly ten minutes before the break.
Benzema, rewarded for recent improved play with a start for the resting Argentina World Cup striker GONZALO HIGUAIN, bagged his first goal in the UEFA Champions League and third in all competitions this season for Real Madrid.
ALVARO ARBELOA, a reserve on Spain’s title-winning team in South Africa this summer and one of several reserves given a game by Portuguese manager JOSE MOURINHO with Real Madrid already qualified for the next round heading into the match, took a lot of starch out of the home side right before halftime.
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Germany World Cup midfielder MESUT OEZIL of Real Madrid (23), the summer acquisition from Bundesliga club Werder Bremen who now leads Los Blancos with three assists in the UEFA Champions League, looks to beat Ajax Amsterdam’s Holland international midfielder URBY EMANUELSON (11) at the Amsterdam Arena. (John Thys/AFP/Getty Images)
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The Real Madrid youth product and former FC Liverpool center back corralled a free kick that had been blocked by the Ajax Amsterdam wall and launched a long-range shot that may have taken a slight deflection to fool Stekelenburg; still, the goalkeeper for de Godenzonen might have done much better.
Stekelenburg did make a spectacular save to steer the ball off the crossbar after Portugal World Cup star CRISTIANO RONALDO had burst into the box following a fine move right after the restart.
A back-breaker, however, did arrive ten minutes after the hour when Real Madrid’s Argentina World Cup midfielder ANGEL DI MARIA, a second half substitute for PEDRO LEON, helped himself to a horrendous Ajax square ball near midfield and released Ronaldo on the left in the box; the world’s most expensive player did not waste this chance with a low, left-footed shot past the hapless Stekelenburg.
The Portuguese superstar closed the books from the spot after absolute trickery from Oezil forced the bamboozled Holland international midfielder URBY EMANUELSON to haul the influential German down in the Ajax penalty area.
With the brace, Ronaldo ran his count in the UEFA Champions League to three and now registers 18 goals from 19 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid this season.
The second successive loss in the group, coupled with AC Milan’s defeat of AJ Auxerre in Burgundy, has conspired to officially eliminate Ajax Amsterdam from the knockout round of the UEFA Champions League.
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Spain World Cup champion reserve defender ALVARO ARBELOA (left) of Real Madrid battles 21-year-old Serbia international striker MIRALEM SULEJMANI, who is struggling with just one goal from 24 appearances in all competitions this season for Ajax Amsterdam, for the ball at the Amsterdam Arena. (Michael Kooren/Reuters)
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AJAX AMSTERDAM : Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Enoh ; Emanuelson, de Jong (Lindgren 77′), Anita ; Sulejmani (Eriksen 88′), Suarez, El Hamdaoui (de Zeeuw 46′)
REAL MADRID : Casillas ; Marcelo, Arbeloa, Albiol, Sergio Ramos ; L. Diarra (Mateos 82′), Xabi Alonso, Oezil, Leon (Di Maria 65′) ; Benzema (Sergio Canales 82′), Ronaldo
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(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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Spain World Cup champion midfielder XABI ALONSO (14), a purchase costing 30.0 million Euros from English Premier League club FC Liverpool in August of 2009, leaves the playing field after his early dismissal in the 87th minute against Ajax Amsterdam at the Amsterdam Arena. (Toussaint Kluiters/Reuters)
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Spain World Cup champion defender SERGIO RAMOS, who registered a goal from the penalty spot for Real Madrid against Athletic Bilbao over the weekend, is ordered off the pitch late by match referee CRAIG THOMSON as Ajax Amsterdam’s Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ (16) stares off into the distance during the conclusion of the home side’s heavy defeat at the Amsterdam Arena in the Low Countries. (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
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AJ Auxerre’s 29-year-old club captain and midfielder BENOIT PEDRETTI (17), who has earned 22 caps for France in his career, competes with Ajax Amsterdam’s Holland international defender VURNON ANITA at the Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps in the world-famous wine-making region of Burgundy. (Michel Euler/AP)
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A late goal from substitute on a quick restart with roughly six minutes remaining carried French Ligue 1 club AJ AUXERRE to a surprising 2-1 victory over visiting Dutch side AJAX AMSTERDAM in Group G of the UEFA Champions League.
24-year-old midfielder FREDERIC SAMMARITANO, an off-season acquisition from second division side OC Vannes, set AJ Auxerre off to a fast start. A long ball by Poland international defender DARIUSZ DUDKA was chested down at the edge of the area by midfielder JULIEN QUERICA in the ninth minute. Sammaritano ran onto it and smashed a shot that deflected off Ajax Amsterdam’s Belgium international defender JAN VERTONGHEN on the way into the lower right hand corner of the net.
Ajax Amsterdam had far more of the possession on the evening and were unlucky when club captain and Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ, who has seven goals in ten Eredivisie games and another four goals in seven European matches for de Godenzonen this season, hit the crossbar in the second half.
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AJ Auxerre’s 22-year-old substitute midfielder STEEVEN LANGIL, who spent all of last season out on loan at SM Caen, stumbles as Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG of Ajax Amsterdam makes the save at the Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps. (Laurent Cipriani/AP)
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After wasting plenty of chances, Ajax Amsterdam finally pulled even in the 79th minute when Belgium international defender TOBY ALDERWEIRELD headed home the curling left wing cross of Suarez from just outside the six-yard box.
The respite was brief, however, for the visiting Dutch side. After being fouled following some fancy footwork along the right flank, AJ Auxerre’s Morocco international midfielder KAMEL CHAFNI took a quick free kick and sent fellow second half substitute STEEVEN LANGIL in on goal one-on-one with Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG of Ajax Amsterdam. The 22-year-old midfielder made no mistake to provide AJ Auxerre with its first three points at the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Ajax Amsterdam, meanwhile, waste a tremendous opportunity to advance in the Group G standings and fall to third place on four points behind Spanish side Real Madrid and Italian club AC Milan, who have ten and five points, repsectively.
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Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ, wearing the captain’s armband for Ajax Amsterdam, has an attempt at goal as AJ Auxerre’s 31-year-old Switzerland World Cup defender STEPHANE GRICHTING is unsuccessful with his effort to block such at the Stade de l’Abbe Dechamps. (Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images)
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AJAX AMSTERDAM : Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Enoh (de Jong 46′) ; Emanuelson, de Zeeuw (Eriksen 83′), Lindgren, Anita (Sulejmani 58′) ; El Hamdaoui, Suarez
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AJ Auxerre goalkeeper OLIVIER SORIN easily snares the high ball ahead of Ajax Amsterdam’s 21-year-old Holland international midfielder SIEM DE JONG at the Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps. (Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images)
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AJ Auxerre midfielder STEEVEN LANGIL (21) celebrates his stunning game-winning goal from a quick restart in the 84th minute against visiting Ajax Amsterdam at the Stade de l’Abbe Deschamps in the world-famous French wine-making region of Burgundy. (Laurent Cipriani/AP)
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Cameroon international defender EYONG ENOH (6) of Ajax Amsterdam is challenged by AJ Auxerre’s Congo international midfielder DELVIN NDINGA (29) along the sideline at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands. (Paul Vreeker/Reuters)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
10/19/2010
2 – Ajax Amsterdam (HOL) ——— De Zeeuw 7′, Suarez 41′
1 – AJ Auxerre (FRA) —————— Birsa 56′
After scoring twice in the first half, AJAX AMSTERDAM were forced to defend with ten men for most of the second but still hung on to defeat visiting French side AJ AUXERRE in Group G of the UEFA Champions League.
Holland World Cup reserve midfielder DEMY DE ZEEUW delighted the home supporters with a long range, rising blast to score his first goal of the season in any competition and give Ajax Amsterdam the early lead in just the seventh minute.
De Zeeuw dispossessed AJ Auxerre’s Congo international midfielder KELVIN NDINGA outside the penalty arc after visiting goalkeeper OLIVER SORIN had just saved with his legs from Ajax Amsterdam’s Sweden international midfielder RASMUS LINDGREN.
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Sweden international midfielder RASMUS LINDGREN (18) of Ajax Amsterdam, who was involved in the first goal for the home side, is knocked off the ball by AJ Auxerre’s goal-scorer and Slovenia World Cup midfielder VALTER BIRSA (9) at the Amsterdam Arena. (Paul Vreeker / Reuters)
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Ajax Amsterdam doubled its advantage just before the halftime whistle with a fast break down the right flank that ended when Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI slid a ball into space in the box for his attack partner, Uruguay World Cup striker LUIS SUAREZ, to run onto.
The Ajax captain Suarez cooly finished with a low shot to the far post in the 41st minute and registered his fourth goal in the UEFA Champions League this campaign.
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Uruguay World Cup striker and Ajax Amsterdam captain LUIS SUAREZ (16), who has now recorded 11 goals from 13 games in all competitions for de Godenzonen this season, is greeted by Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI (9) after scoring the second goal of the game at the Amsterdam Arena. (Paul Vreeker/Reuters)
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Not so long into the second half, the visitors got the break they were looking for when Kenya international winger DENNIS OLIECH was hauled down from behind just outside the penalty area by Holland World Cup defender ANDRE OOIJER in the 55th minute; since the 25-year-old AJ Auxerre player had a clear path to goal, the 36-year-old veteran Ajax Amsterdam defender was properly given his marching orders by match referee OLEGARIO BENQUERENCA.
Slovenia World Cup midfielder VALTER BIRSA, who scored his country’s first goal in their memorable 2-2 tie with the United States at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg this summer, took the subsequent free kick for AJ Auxerre and curled the ball up over the wall and past Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG to bring the Burgundy side back into the match.
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Holland World Cup defender ANDRE OOIJER (13) of Ajax Amsterdam reacts after hauling down AJ Auxerre’s Kenya international winger DENNIS OLIECH (14) from behind just outside the box and will soon receive a straight red card from the referee for his efforts at the Amsterdam Arena. (Paul Vreeker/Reuters)
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AJ Auxerre, however, would not find an equalizer and fell for the third consecutive game at the Group Stage in the UEFA Champions League this term.
The Kenyan Oliech would be, himself, red-carded in the 85th minute for using his hand to punch a ball past Stekelenburg and into the net; in an unusual scene, unused AJ Auxerre substitute defender JEAN-PASCAL MIGNOT also earned a red card along the touchline in the 90th minute for mouthing off to the referee.
With the victory, Ajax Amsterdam pulled level with Italian Serie A side AC Milan for second place on four points in a Group of Death which also includes Spanish La Liga giant Real Madrid.
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A diving Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG (1) of Ajax Amsterdam crashes into AJ Auxerre striker ROY CONTOUT (16), who is sent flying as the ball sails wide of the net at the Amsterdam Arena. (Toussaint Kluiters/AFP/ANP)
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AJAX AMSTERDAM : Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Ooijer, Vertonghen, Enoh ; Emanuelson, de Zeeuw, Lindgren, Sulejmani (Oleguer 60′); El Hamdaoui, Suarez
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With Spanish substitute defender OLEGUER (23) of Ajax Amsterdam looking on, Cameroon international defender EYONG ENOH (6) hooks the ball off the line and bails out Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG at the Amsterdam Arena. (Paul Vreeker/Reuters)
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Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG of Ajax Amsterdam has the ball directly in sight as AJ Auxerre’s Kenya international winger DENNIS OLIECH (14) hunts the rebound at the Amsterdam Arena. (Olaf Kraak/AFP/Getty Images)
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AJ Auxerre unused substitute defender JEAN-PASCAL MIGNOT is shown the red card for dissent in the 90th minute by Portuguese match referee OLEGARIO BENQUERENCA along the sideline at the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands. (Paul Vreeker/Reuters)
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AC Milan’s veteran 34-year-old Holland international midfielder CLARENCE SEEDORF (10), who started his accomplished senior professional career at Ajax Amsterdam in the fall of 1992 and later earned 87 caps (11 goals) for the Netherlands, attempts to shield the ball from Ajax Amsterdam’s Holland international defender VURNON ANITA (6) at the Amsterdam Arena. (Reuters photo)
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UEFA Champions League
Group Stage
9/28/2010
1 – Ajax Amsterdam (HOL) ——— El Hamdaoui 23′
1 – AC Milan (ITA) ———————- Ibrahimovic 37′
In the first of a home and away series likely to decide second place for Group G, visiting Italian Serie A side AC MILAN and AJAX AMSTERDAM battled to a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions League.
Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI, an off-season acquisition from AZ 67 Alkmaar costing 5.0 million Euros, sent Ajax Amsterdam to the lead in the 23rd minute with his second goal in UEFA Champions League competition this season after a fine run on the right and square ball from Uruguay World Cup attacker LUIS SUAREZ.
Two former Ajax Amsterdam players, however, pulled AC Milan level with less than ten minutes remaining in the first half to mark the occasion of their homecoming.
Holland international midfielder CLARENCE SEEDORF, who made his first Eredivisie appearance for Ajax Amsterdam against FC Groningen in November of 1992 at the age of 16 and is still the youngest debutant in history for de Godenzonen, led the counterattack for AC Milan and provided the final ball.
Sweden international forward ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC, who played three full seasons for Ajax Amsterdam before being sold to Italian side Juventus of Turin for 16.0 million Euros in August of 2004, equalized for AC Milan with a vicious volley that left Holland World Cup goalkeeper MAARTEN STEKELENBURG no chance between the sticks.
AC Milan might have had a late winner, but Stekelenburg, who had five saves in the match, made a sensational stop on Ghana World Cup midfielder KEVIN PRINCE BOATENG to make sure Ajax Amsterdam received a share of the points.
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Ajax Amsterdam’s Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI fires a shot in front of 34-year-old Italian international defender ALESSANDRO NESTA (13) of AC Milan at the Amsterdam Arena. (Reuters photo)
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AJAX AMSTERDAM : Stekelenburg ; van der Wiel, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Anita (Sulejmani 38′) ; Emanuelson, de Jong, de Zeeuw (Lindgren 79′), Enoh ; El Hamdaoui, Suarez
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Ajax Amsterdam’s Morocco international striker MOUNIR EL HAMDAOUI (9) has his arms out after a 23rd minute goal while Italy international defender ALESSANDRO NESTA (13), midfielder ANDREA PIRLO (21) and France international midfielder MATHIEU FLAMINI (16) of AC Milan express their frustration with falling behind early at the Amsterdam Arena in Holland. (Reuters photo)
