13

The players were in good spirits after this winning streak. You could easily tell by their smiling faces. They had a day off and then the next day, training resumed. They have to prepare for the next match.

The next match will be played against the Groningen team. Until now in the competition Ajax didn't encounter a difficult team. And Ravier did played in this game. Just like he says, he will take seriously every opportunity he was given.

Ajax.

Goalkeeper: Ravier.

Defender: Maxwell, Escude, Pasanen, Trabelsi.

Midfielder: Pienaar, Van Der Vaart, Galásek.

Forwards: Sonck, Ibrahim, Soetaers.

Groningen

Goalkeeper: Vrede.

Defender: Elshot, Kruiswijk, Floren.

Midfielder: Roy, Sander, Arvid, Paul,

Forwards: Rolf, Pinas, Glen.

The match soon began.

In the 12nd minute of the game, Floren blocked Pienaar forward insertion. This time he try a cross pass that was too unimaginative. Anyone can see that he will pass the ball to Sonck. So Floren steal is not unexpected. .

After the ball was broken, he immediately passed the ball to Sander.

Groningen quickly countered, but Sander passed the ball directly to Defender Elshot.

His delayed pass allowed the Ajax player to retreat immediately. Elshot passed the ball to Defender Floren. Paul had already moved laterally to the front of Elshot and he pulled to the side to receive his pass.

Paul evaded Galásek interception and sent the ball to Sander's feet.

He took the ball to the front and he faced the half of Ajax. He kept the ball and went straight to the top.

In front of him, the right-winger Glen was not so far, he has already outmatched Escude when the football has flown over the heads of the two.

He is fast, his acceleration and the speed of the off-ball sprint are fast. He only has comprehensive strength and counts no other abilities, so he is not too famous, but if we holds a sprint race for football players, he will be one of the best.

It is no surprise that he broke Escude with speed. At the moment of stopping the ball in front of the baseline, Glen stopped the ball directly to the inside and made it into the penalty area.

Ajax defenders quickly returned to defense, and Glen then calmly observed the situation and sent a ball to Pinas he rushed towards him.

This time, he was once again stuck in a favorable position. He did not waste this opportunity. So he observe the position of this unfamiliar keeper and push the goal in the lower left corner.

Being a goalkeeper is really a hard work. You always have to be focused to the maximum. A moment of relaxation and a match the team could have won is lost due to a lack of concentration on the part of the goalkeeper. But staying focused in an environment where there is noise, shouting, is also a great feat. But at the same time being a goalkeeper is also a fabulous position. The fact of repelling ready-made goals, defeating a high-profile striker again and again is a source of pride.

So when the match started Ravier was very focused. As soon as the ball was intercepted by the opposing team, his concentration went up a notch. This allowed him to push back the vicious shot of Pinas. Sending the ball into the far corner of the goal is a nightmare for goalkeepers, especially those who are not very tall. With the tip of his fingers Ravier managed to slightly deflect the ball from its trajectory, and sent it out for a corner.

It could have been the first goal he would have conceded.

The crowd in the stadium was on fire and cheering, and With the encouragement of his teammates he got up to continue the game.

A few minutes later on a counterattack, Ibrahim scored the first goal of the game. It's really infuriating when you have the opportunity to score but didn't. And now the opponent score a goal before you.

In the second half, the opposing team played a bit better, they didn't give Ajax the chance to shoot and they didn't get that chance either. But this situation will not last long. Almost at the end of the match, in the 82nd and 89th minutes, Sonck and Mitea entered the game, each scoring the second and third goals. Without wasting time, the referee ended the match.

It was also the last match before the FIFA game. The players who have been called up to the national team made the trip. Ravier took the opportunity to rest a little and counted his winnings in the few matches he had to play.

Stanley took advantage of one of those rare days when Ravier wasn't training to take him to one of those clubs. It must be said that Stanley was really a little genius. He still hasn't found a job but already knows Amsterdam better than Ravier.

The reason he dragged him into the club is to, "Decompress." Ravier doesn't like the atmosphere at all, so after a few minutes, Stanley, who was with Ravier, found a girl to talk and completely abandoned him. So he found himself an isolated place to finish his juice.

As a sportsman, alcohol, smoking is not too suitable for his body. Plus he's still a minor. He was alone sitting on the balcony. The temperature is a little cold. The city was beautiful during the night, Ravier had finished his drink and decided it was time for him to go home. He didn't want to be spotted by a journalist and make the headlines for nothing.

When he heard a noise. He turned and noticed that there was someone there.

- Sorry to have disturbed you, I thought there was no one here.

The person who spoke was a girl. She was about the same age as Ravier. She was very tall. Dress very simple wearing a shirt and pants. Her shiny black hair was tied in a ponytail. An angelic face with a pairs of magnificent gray eyes.

She was stunning. Ravier watched her and she did the same in turn.

Finally Ravier answered.

- No not at all.

Then he heard that same melodic voice say to him again.

- I guess you got dumped by your friends too?

Ravier didn't think she was going to continue talking to him and was a little surprised, but answered him anyway.

- Yes I came here against my will and as soon as I arrived I got dumped by him.

Ravier heard a small laugh.

- What is a charming young man doing here in this bar?

Ravier chooses to answer this question with another.

- And what is a charming young woman doing here in this bar?

With another small laugh she answered.

- According to my friends, I came here to decompress.

- I don't think that's what you're doing.

- Not really.

Then there was silence between us. It was not an embarrassing silence, but surprisingly this silence between us was very harmonious.

- Cathalea.

- Sorry?

- My name is Catalea my friends call me Lea. She said holding out her hand to me.

- Ravier.

I tell her, taking her hand in mine.

During that brief moment when we shook hands, there was a shock between us, a current.

Then we heard someone called Catalea. It was one of her friends.

- I have to go, my friends are there. Nice to have met you Ravier.

- Likewise..

She took a step, then another. Ravier felt that if he didn't do something an opportunity was gone. So he mustered up his courage and took a few steps after her.

- Waits!!

She turned around with a slightly confused look.

- Will I have the opportunity to see you again?

She first gave me a smile and said:

- I will stay here for a while if the opportunity arises again we could see each other.

Without giving Ravier time to say anything else, she left. Ravier remained pensive for a moment on the balcony then in turn went in search of Stanley.

It was just a small episode in the monotonous life of Ravier. After a few days, even if he did not completely forget the girl who made his heart beat for the first time, he had to put this meeting aside for the moment and concentrate on the game to come since the players had returned and training resumed.

Ajax were to face FC Volendam. The match ended with the score of 5-1. A victory for the Ajax team. Ravier didn't play in this game.

After this game, a few days later it will be the Champions League. Ajax will face Celta de Vigo. This small team led by manager Lotina has become one of the best team in la Liga in the past years. Just in the first team, the youngest player is only 22. Ravier didn't start this game he was on the bench during all the game. It was Ibrahim who scored the only goal of the game.

In the ninth round of the league, Ajax had to play against PS Eindhoven. In the end, the two teams fought, and the score was 2:2. In the tenth round, Fc Ajax narrowly beat Alkmaar 3-2. Despite the fact that Ravier didn't played, he did not stop training.

The team was preparing for the champions league. They are going to played against Celta de Vigo. It was not at home so, all of us have to make the trip. The atmosphere of the team was ok. We want to win this game and make advanced to the next tour.

As usual the scene was spectacular. The scenery here is very different. There are already many supporters on the stadium. As Stanley said the atmosphere of the Champions League is markedly different. That's why it's one of the greatest leagues in football history.

As usual Ravier was sit on the bench with the other players. Surprisingly this game was very difficult. In the 25th minutes of the game, the opponent score first on a penalty. And score another goal at the 39th minutes. This Celta de Vigo team is completely different. Maybe it was because they are at home. Finally, the game come to an end. The score was 3-2. The FC Ajax lost.

Maybe the players felt a little humiliated during the Champions League match, on the 11th game against ADO Den Haag there was a 4-1 massacre. And beat SC Heereveen 3-1. Since the team was on the right path, Koeman always trusted Lebont and still didn't give Ravier any other game time in the league.

Now, they were going to face Ac Milan. Surprisingly, Ac Milan had lost its last match 1-0 against Fc Bruges.

As usual the scene was spectacular.

A match in which the team was very disappointed despite the fact that Lebont played well, he could not do anything in the last action and still conceded a goal. The Milan team was much better than them. And it is on this score 1-0 that the team returned to Amsterdam.

Another victory for Ajax 2-0 against Feyenoord after their miserable defeat against the Milan team.

December 9, 2003

The team had to meet FC Bruges again in the champions league. Surprisingly they suffered yet another defeat. The score was 3-2 in favor of FC Brugge. Faced with their last defeat against AC Milan, With the little score they accumulated in the group stage. Ajax was knocked out of the Champions League.

For Ravier, whether Ajax gets promoted or not has little to do with him. Anyway, he has no chance to played the champions league this season just like what Stanley has said. Maybe the outcome will be a little different if he has played. Even if it was one game.