By CAITLIN MURRAY
It looks like Aron Johannsson can have a bad club game, after all.
The young U.S. National Team striker has been enjoying a breakout season with AZ Alkmaar, but his team was ousted Thursday from the Dutch Cup after Johannsson missed a crucial penalty kick early in a 1-0 loss. Ajax’s Lasse Schone scored the eventual game-winner on a spectacular free kick in the 48th minute.
After 33 minutes, Ajax defender Joel Veltman was shown a red card and sent off, giving AZ the man advantage and a penalty kick. But Johannsson failed to convert as his attempt to the low corner was stopped in a lunging save by goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer.
Johannsson had missed a penalty last week against PEC Zwolle, but AZ still came out with the win, 2-1. Johannsson sits at 25 goals this season, just short of Jozy Altidore’s single-season record of 31 for a USMNT player overseas.
See video of the red card and the penalty kick after the jump: