The Alkmaar outfit recorded a hard fought 2-2 stalemate against Ajax Amsterdam in their opening game of the 2012/13 season, and the former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Feyenoord-c39258 coach expressed satisfaction at his side’s showing.
AZ Alkmaar head coach, Gertjan Verbeek, has expressed his satisfaction over his side’s performance in the 2-2 stalemate against Ajax Amsterdam at Amsterdam Arena on Sunday, August 12.
The Dutch tactician insisted that his side wanted to put pressure on the reigning Eredivisie champions right from the start of the match, but they failed to do it in the opening 45 minutes of the game.
“We wanted to put Ajax under pressure. We failed in the first-half, but managed to do it after the half-time break. It worked brilliantly for us. We scored twice in quick succession. Ajax afterwards played beautiful football, and
mounted immense pressure on us. Eventually they scored, and the game ended level on terms”, Verbeek was quoted as saying to Voetbal International.
Frank de Boer, the Amsterdammers head coach, was not pleased following the stalemate against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/AZ-c38571, and revealed that his side’s lack of concentration at the start of the second-half cost them two crucial points.
“We played well in the opening half, and gave almost nothing away. But I don’t know what happened in the second-half. Altidore scored twice. Whether it was lack of concentration or laziness, it should not have happened”, the former
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604 player said while talking to journalists.
The Amsterdam giants commenced proceedings at home brightly, and took the lead in the ninth minute through Gregory van der Wiel. The highly-rated right-back made a brilliant run down the right flank before firing an explosive strike
from 25 yards that found the top left corner of the net.
De Joden continued to assert their authority after taking the lead, but failed to create any clear cut goalscoring opportunity in the remaining action of the opening half.
After the half-time break, AZ resumed action aggressively, and struck twice within five minutes of play to take charge of the game with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Toby-Alderweireld-c35183 to go one
on one with the goalkeeper, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Kenneth-Vermeer-c20618, before neatly hitting the left corner of the net in the 48th minute. The American ace scored his second only two minutes later when he fired into the roof of the net Maarten Martens’ ball inside the box.
Nonetheless, Kolbeinn Sigthorsson managed to secure a point for his side when he restored parity in the 83rd minute with a tremendous strike to seal the game 2-2.
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