16

After a day of rest, the training started again we are already nearly at the end of February. Soon the championship will end. There are only a few games left to play , yet Ajax's situation is not always the best. Their rival PSV Eindhoven are only a few points behind. Game day soon arrived. The match was played at home at the Amsterdam Arena. The spectators were as usual very numerous.

The game is about to begin. Both teams have announced the starting line-up for the game. Ajax will played against Utrecht. Ajax's starting line-up is quite strong. The formation of Utrecht is very poor compared to that.

The game was actually very dull.

Utrecht is based on the defensive counterattack, and Ajax is also seeking stability away. Both sides are not easy and didn't want to take risks.

The midfielders all put in heavy troops, but none of them achieved results.

The head coach of Utrecht Foeke Booy asked Van Den Berg to serve as the shadow forward and lie behind Leitoe, hoping that he can hold the ball within 30 meters and pass the ball out.

This seems like a very simple task, but under the strict strangulation of the opponent, the players did a very bad job. Even in the first half an hour, Den Berg did not give even a threatening pass.

Sneijder and De Jong' midfielders performed very sophisticatedly and steadily, suppressing Van Den Berg.

Utrecht is also trying to advance from the wing, but De Groot on the left is not good at dribbling the ball. Left back Zuidam actively running in, but the effect is not very obvious. Maxwell is on this side and the performance is very stable.

The style of the game is very enjoyable, and it looks good when you kick it. Even if it is edited into a few short videos, it must be very exciting, but if you zoom in to the entire game, at least the first 30 minutes, nobody create a threat. This is the difference between the video highlights and the whole game. Utrecht cannot open the deadlock, Ajax is also the same. But the difference is that Ajax is patiently waiting for the opportunity.

The game is going on dully. Just when Ravier began to feel a little unsettled, the midfielder suddenly intercepted the ball and Galásek sent a diagonal pass. Mitea quickly rushed into the penalty area. It was like pulling up an onion on a dry ground. With a header he scored the goal and finally broke the deadlock.

In an instant, the entire Stadium shoot. The opposite fans on the scene will certainly not applaud Mitea's goal.

But the fan of Ajax are very excited. After the player end their celebrating, the game resume and until the end of the first half there is no more goals.

Some time later the second half resume.

- It's fifty minutes now, Utrecht still failed to create a threat.

- From the first half until now, they didn't even have a chance to threaten the opponent's penalty area even if they launched a mad attack against Ajax.

Then the game continued until the 70th minute with Utrecht's wild attack and Ajax's tough defense, and the score line remained unchanged.

Among them, Utrecht produced two excellent counterattacks, but they were all spoiled by the goalkeeper Ravier. The match is over with a score was still 0-1.

Ajax ripped off that three-pointer in pain. In most of the game, the players just defended. They didn't really have the opportunity to make a serious attack.

After the match, the players greeted the public and then returned to the locker room. Ravier and Maxwell were chatting very casually. Even though they didn't win the match by a wide margin, they still didn't concede a goal either. The defense of the Ajax team did a great job in this game. Ravier was about to enter the dressing rooms when suddenly he heard someone in the stadium calling for him. He interrupted his conversation with Maxwell and turned back to the voice calling him. All he saw was a child around 8 years old sitting on his father's neck wearing an Ajax jersey with his number on it.

- Ravier I can have your jersey?

That's what the child told him. Ravier would never have thought he had a supporter in the stadium. So he didn't need to be asked, took off his jersey and gave it to him.

The child was very happy. And under the applause of the public continued its journey. It was just a little late-game episode. Things like that happening to players all the time. But Ravier realized that he too has some supporters even if they are not too numerous. It's a good start all, after all he's new here and he doesn't have much playing time.

After the game the coach gave the players a day off. Training started again because our next opponent is PSV Eindhoven. The training proceeded solemnly. From the coach to the players, everyone was very serious.

The PSV Eindhoven team is very solid. They are currently ranked second in the Eredivisie league.

The Eredivisie has always been a three-country situation. The three countries are Ajax, Eindhoven and Feyenoord, and the few others are just princes on one side, and they are not comparable to these three.

But the second-tier candidates have always been Alkmaar, Twente and Heereveen. Breda have been in the middle and bottom of the Eredivisie for the past two years and have never made the top 10. This season they have done well.

The Philips Stadium stadium here is very large. When he warmed up, Ravier raised his head and looked around. There was almost no end in sight. Many fans are already here. This is an important derby match in the whole of the Netherlands.

The number of Ajax fans cannot compete with the huge number of Eindhoven fans. Just outside the stadium, there are lot of police to keep order. The game has not started yet, fans on both sides are already scolding each other in the stands.

- 2003-2004 Dutch Football League, the match is about to start. Reigning champions PSV Eindhoven will host former rivals AFC Ajax at the Philips Stadium. FC Ajax can stay top of the table as long as they can retreat to Philips Stadium with a victory.

- Let's take a look at the starting roster for both sides.

PSV Eindhoven start 433.

Guardian: Waterreus.

Defender: Colin, Hofland, Bouma, Lee Young-Pyo.

Midfielder: Vogel, Van Bommel, Lucius, .

Attacker: Hesselink, Kežman, Robben.

AFC Ajax 433.

Guardian: Ravier.

Defender: Heitinga, Escude, Maxwell.

Midfielder: De Jong, O'Brien, Galásek, Sneijder.

Forwards: Sikora, Anastasiou, De Ridder.

Fans of PSV Eindhoven and AFC Ajax cheered from the stands and they turned the Philips Stadium into a battlefield.

With the head referee's whistle, the Dutch Derby begins!

From the first minute of play, PSV Eindhoven played very fiercely. This ferocity is reflected in the speed of the attack and the aggressiveness of the defensive combat.

Hiddink's Tactics today is simple.

Surrounding the midfield, attacking and flapping two wings together!

Robben and Hesselink are lightning fast. Explosive power and fast speed are the hallmarks of this striker. Before the match, Ravier had firmly withheld the information from this striker.

As the saying goes, if you want to win the battle, you have to know yourself and also know the enemy.

The large space behind Heitinga became Kežman's stage. Kežman received the pass and consciously blocked Escudé who had rushed to where the ball was rolling, held onto the ball and volleyed.

The ball, like a cannonball flew into the goal of AFC Ajax!

- It's dangerous …

Although Koeman insisted on watching out for Robben before the game, Ajax's defense didn't expect them to come out like this at first.

- Oh...… Ravier, He is there.... and made a spectacular save.

After making this stop, Ravier rubbed his wrist a little. This strike was very heavy. If he wasn't strong, he could have dislocated his wrist.