By FRANCO PANIZO
Aron Johannsson is looking to help AZ Alkmaar successfully defend their KNVB Cup title, but some stiff opposition stands in their way of making it back to the final.
AZ are set to host traditional Dutch powerhouse Ajax on Thursday in the semifinals of the competition and the winner of the match will move on to the championship game on April 19 against Wednesday’s winners PEC Zwolle. The in-form Johannsson should be in the starting lineup for the Cheese Farmers and will attempt to end a personal run of three games without a goal.
There are several other matches on Thursday’s schedule as well. Inter Milan faces Udinese in Serie A action and there are three Copa Libertadores group games on tap in the evening, including Lanus-Cerro Porteno.
If you will be watching any of today’s matches, please leave your thoughts, opinions, analysis and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
If Jozy would have stayed AZ would not have lost this match!
Hope he moves to Spain post WC, the defending is much better and will hopefully force him to step up his game.
so you all have abandoned your obedience for Caesar Altidore and have warmed the feet of the usurperer ICEMAN aka Kevin Bacon 2.0
I Banish all to the WALL. In the name of King Clint Dempsey, do not return
well, if you guys up above find the AZ-Ajax game exciting then I bet you love to watch paint dry. This is awful, boring as hell and verging on pathetic. But I will say that the crowd background noise is kind of cool. I like those the drums pounding. Anyway, gonna cut my losses. Over and out.
Advocatt throwing up the white flag?
Johannsson and Berguis subbed off despite being their best attacking threat.
Head scratching.
AZ is pushing hard to get another goal, but losing that man advantage really turned this game on its head.
The other Johannson gets red carded and Ajax scores a golazo on the free kick.
Train wreck for AZ.
Between Europa, League and Cup matches Aron has to have played the most minutes of any US player this season by a good amount. Soccerway has him at 3500 minutes so far.
And since AZ doesn’t have the benefit of a deep bench, they get hit hard when their starters have to play in nearly every match.
Aron scores, but looks like the flag went up.
Yeah Bereens was just off side. AZ movement has been great so far, I think they’ll find a break through.
The front line is moving so well together. I expect they’ll score 10 minutes or so into the second half.
That was abhorrent refereeing. Absolutely nothing there on the second yellow card. And even in the first card he got, it seemed to me he had gotten inside position on the ball and the foul should have been on the AZ player. You really can’t get any more unlucky than that guy did. Sent off by two cards that shouldn’t have been given, in the space of a minute. You hate to see referees influence games in that manner.
I agree but, you put an elbow out like that, when the team looks to have a break you’re giving the ref something to call. I way the players came together in both made it look worse then it was. No doubt seemed harsh.
What a save. Brilliant goalkeeping by Vermeer. Robbed Johannsson.
Aron has the PK stopped
Good save, but ArJo neither hit that hard enough nor placed it well enough.
He was perfect for so long, but has missed the last 2
Looked like he wanted to put a sure fire shot on frame in a decent spot there. Hope it doesn’t hurt his confidence too much.
Vermeer did so well to get over on that.
That… is not going to help Ajax. Brilliant for AZ though.
Ajax get a man sent off, PK coming for AZ
ArJo with a cheeky touch in the box. He’s creative, folks.
AZ looking pretty dangerous so far
What channel is the game on?
So Bacon gets his very own “Soccer Thursday: Your Running Commentary” playing in the Dutch League but Jozy yesterday playing against Liverpool in the Premier League gets nothing? Hmmm.
considering the entertainment factor of each game, i’d say that’s about right.
Did you enjoy yesterday’s game?
Because I think most people have effectively turned from neutrality to outright hostility in regards to having to watch Sunderland.
I can undertand it. Jozzy has not scored ast all this season and Johannsson has scored more than 15 goals. While I understasnd they play in different leqfues, it seems Jozzy has regressed while Aron is burning.
Joe S
You could just read the thread from any of the last ten matches Jozy has played, they are sadly all about the same at this point.
“the Cheese Farmers”
Lol. I was not aware of that.