Chapter 68: Stand firm to the end?

The Cruyff Cup, also known as the Dutch Super Cup, is usually called the prelude of the Eredivisie. It is usually held at the Arena Stadium in Amsterdam a week before the opening game of the Eredivisie.

The game starts at 18:00 in the evening, but the Arena Stadium is crowded with people all afternoon.

Because it is Sunday, almost all fans in Amsterdam either come to the Arena Stadium and the surrounding shopping malls, or stay at home watching the TV, waiting for the arrival of this focus game.

The battle between the league champion and the king of the cup, especially the dragon-tiger battle between PSV Eindhoven and Ajax, naturally attracts the attention of fans. Although many fans feel that Ajax's strength has declined sharply this season, the Arena Stadium is still full.

It's just that the atmosphere is not hot yet, and more Ajax fans are still taking a wait-and-see attitude.

However, when Ye Qiu's team appeared at the Arena Stadium for pre-match warm-up and training, the Ajax fans at the scene still gave a warm round of applause, giving this newly reorganized young team some encouragement and support.

When Gretz led the star-studded PSV Eindhoven out of the player tunnel and came to the stadium for warm-up, almost all the Ajax fans booed wildly. Obviously, they were very unhappy with this strongest competitor of Ajax in recent years, especially combined with the series of provocations by Arnesen and Gretz before the game.

As the host, when PSV Eindhoven walked into the stadium and the players entered the training ground for warm-up, Ye Qiu walked to Gretz in front of the visiting team's coaching bench with a polite and graceful manner, with a kind smile on his face.

"Welcome to the Arena Stadium, Mr. Gretz!" Ye Qiu took the initiative to extend his hand after approaching.

"Thank you!" Gretz's smile was a little stiff, but out of courtesy, he still shook hands with Ye Qiu, which was the most standard courtesy and demeanor. "I'm looking forward to your appearance when you can't laugh later, it must be very interesting!"

The last sentence was a naked provocation and suppression.

Ye Qiu laughed, "I'm not really looking forward to it, because frankly, it's boring when you can't laugh!"

This was obviously implying that you were beaten by me last season and couldn't laugh. Have you forgotten it so quickly?

Ye Qiu doesn't like to talk nonsense, but that doesn't mean he won't fight back.

"I hope you can continue to be so stubborn after the game!" Gretz smiled coldly, ignored him, turned around and looked at the court. This guy really has no demeanor, and he doesn't even want to act at the most basic level.

However, it can be seen from this that he is a straightforward person.

The live TV camera on the sidelines captured the scene of the two head coaches shaking hands and froze it on the live TV screen.

Gretz wore a plain and bleak suit that middle-aged people like, but Ye Qiu was not so serious. He wore a pair of black trousers, but paired with a pure white shirt. The collar had two buttons open, and the cuffs of both hands were casually pulled to the arms. The overall look was very casual and fashionable, which was very suitable for his youth.

"When the young Ajax coach met the mature and stable PSV coach, who would win?" The commentator laughed and joked. He was very eager to see the two of them get angry on the spot, but that was obviously impossible.

Ye Qiu knew that Gretz was not in the mood to deal with him, so he did not stay for long and turned back to the home team coaching seat.

"This is the starting list of PSV!" Roland handed over a piece of paper as soon as he saw Ye Qiu coming.

Ye Qiu took it and looked at it, then glanced at it and handed it back to Roland, who immediately turned and gave it to Bobby Hams.

Goalkeeper Watrus; the back line is Bouma, Nikiforov, Hovland and Oyer, the midfield is Korka, Van Bommel, Vogel and Rommedal, and the two forwards are Bruggink and Kezman.

Strictly speaking, this starting lineup of PSV Eindhoven is not surprising, because this is their strongest main lineup.

Bouma's assist ability is very good on the back line, and Oyer has excellent defensive ability. Van Bommel is the core of the midfield, and Vogel assists from the side. The offensive advancement is more from the two sides and the middle.

In other words, PSV Eindhoven's overall offensive routine is no different from last year, but it has become stronger in some positions.

For example, the combination of Bouma and Korka on the left, Bouma is obviously more offensive than Heintzer last season, and the joining of central defender Hovland has further enhanced the strength of PSV Eindhoven's central defender combination. Now it depends on whether the cooperation between Hovland and Nikiforov is tacit enough.

If we ignore the football knowledge that Ye Qiu had known for more than ten years, in the eyes of everyone at the moment, Ajax's lineup could not catch up with the strength and reputation of PSV Eindhoven's lineup even if ten horses were put on the field.

This is why almost everyone is optimistic about PSV Eindhoven again.

There is a saying that goes, upsets only happen once!

While Ye Qiu got PSV Eindhoven's starting lineup, Gretz also received a list of Ajax's starting lineup from assistant coach Brandts.

Goalkeeper Grimm, the defense is Abidal, Kivu, Lucio and Heitinga, the three midfielders are Keita, Gilberto Silva and Sneijder, and the frontcourt trident It's Robben, Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart.

This is also the strongest lineup configuration of Ajax that Ye Qiu can arrange.

When he saw this list, Gretz's first impression was that Ye Qiu still had to stick to the counterattack tactics of last season. This was evident from the fact that he gave up Brazilian players with stronger offensive abilities on the right. It can be seen from Maicon's choice of Heitinga, who has better defensive ability.

"I was fooled once, and I will never let you get what you want this time!" Gretz turned his head sideways, and Ye Qiu also looked over. Their eyes collided fiercely in mid-air, sparking hot sparks.

For them, this game must be won, it is about honor!

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"This is our first game of the new season, and it is also our first official appearance at Arenal Stadium in front of all the fans after our team's reorganization!"

In the home team's locker room, Ye Qiu pointed to the court outside the locker room door, and there was faint movement from the fans in the stands, "Fifty thousand Ajax fans gathered there, and they all supported us to defeat Opponent, win a victory!”

After listening to the coach's words, all the Ajax players in the locker room were silent and did not speak.

Van der Vaart, Kivu, Heitinga and others have already played against PSV, and after experiencing the Dutch Cup last season, their spirit and courage have also improved a lot, and there will be tension. , but not too nervous.

As for the newly-joined players, Robben is a newborn calf, Gilberto Silva is confident and calm, Ibrahimovic is a man who can't help but be blocked, and Keita has experienced the Champions League and France. Naturally, no one will be too nervous about the baptism of the First League, so this group of Ajax players are relatively calm.

"Many people say that we will lose. The reason they give is that our strength and reputation are far inferior to PSV!"

Ye Qiu walked in the aisle in the middle of the locker room and passed in front of the players, his tone was calm and calm.

"I don't deny that our current strength and reputation are far inferior to theirs, but that's just for now!"

"I want to ask, was Hovland famous two years ago? Was Van Bommel famous in the early years? Bruijink, Kežman, Kolka, Romedal, Nikifo "Rolf, were these players famous when they first debuted? Do they have the achievements and status they have today?"

Some people continued to remain silent, while others shook their heads secretly.

"I tell you, football is fair, with strength and fame, you have to fight hard on the court. Now we are not as good as them, but if we kill them, then they will not be as good as us!"

Ye Qiu's words are very inflammatory, especially for this group of young people who are eager to become famous. Defeating PSV and becoming famous all over the world is definitely tempting enough.

"I have never doubted my vision. I chose you to join Ajax because I am optimistic about your future. I always firmly believe that Ibrahimovic will become the best player on the planet in the next few years. Excellent centers; and I also believe that Van der Vaart, Robben, and Sneijder will become the pillars of the Dutch national team and become famous top stars in European football.”

"I have always believed that, Lucio, you can become the Brazilian national team and the main central defender of Brazil, and Gilberto Silva and Maicon, you will become the most important members of the Brazilian national team."

"Kiv, you have participated in the European Cup, but I think that is just the beginning. You can perform better. Abidal will become the backbone of the French national team's defense, and Keita is bound to make a name for himself in European football. Create a world of your own.”

"Everyone!" Ye Qiu swept through the group of young players one by one. When he said these words, he almost blurted it out. His words were full of unquestionable confidence, making everyone believe it. He said is true.

"I know that you have your own pursuits, and I know even better that for you, Ajax is just a transit point in your life journey and a scenery in your career. In the future, you will have Opportunity to go to a higher level league, to a bigger and broader stage of a wealthy team, to show your strength!”

"But before that, everyone, play every game you play in Ajax and show your strength to the fullest. Only in this way can you have a chance to realize your dreams!"

Everyone was aroused by Ye Qiu's words.

I would like to ask, which professional player does not want to play for a wealthy team?

Which player doesn't want to go to the top league and have his name remembered by fans all over the world?

Are all the players who join Ajax satisfied with Ajax?

"The PSV team outside is the strongest team in the Netherlands. This is a pressure, but it is also a motivation. It is a rare opportunity, because as long as we beat them, it will prove that we With the strength to defeat the strongest team in the Netherlands, who will dare to look down on us from now on? "

"This is not a football game, everyone!" Ye Qiu stood in the position of the head coach and pointed at the players on both sides of the locker room, "This is a war. If we lose, we will lose everything, but if we win, we will get the honor and pride we want!"

The bell in the locker room rang, which was the signal of the referee urging the players to leave the locker room.

After hearing the bell, the players stood up one by one and stood in two rows.

"Let's go, brave Ajax warriors! Go to the court and defeat the opponent. I am invincible!"

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When the players of the two teams lined up in the middle of the Arena Stadium, Ye Qiu sat in the home team coaching seat of the stadium, covering his mouth and watching every move on the court.

With the referee's whistle, Eindhoven took the lead and launched a round of offensive against Ajax.

Brukink and Kezman quickly knocked the ball back after the kick-off, and after a few passes, it came to Van Bommel's feet.

At this time, Korka on the left had already advanced quickly and pressed Ajax's defense, while Bruggink and Kezman were also ready to rush in and respond in the middle.

Van Bommel conquered the fans of Eindhoven in one season and became the core of the team's midfield. After he got the ball, he observed and saw that Ajax defended Korka's left side very tightly, and Sneijder approached him at the first time, so he immediately passed the ball to Vogel.

Vogel had noticed that Romedal raised his hand to ask for the ball and was about to pass it, but Keita suddenly got ahead, kicked after a physical contact, and stumbled at the same time. It was unclear whether Vogel was tripped first or stabbed the ball first.

But there was no doubt that the referee blew the whistle for a foul.

Keita didn't tell, smiled, stretched out his hand to pull Vogel up, and turned back.

Romedal in front had already run out of the gap, but saw that the ball did not come to him. He shook his head helplessly and returned to his side. He was depressed. If the ball had been passed, he could have had many choices.

After the free kick was taken, Van Bommel passed it to Bouma on the left, who passed it to Korka in front.

Korka faced Heitinga, one-on-one?

No, Lucio was behind Heitinga, and Sneijder also retreated to participate in the defense.

With just a glance, Korka noticed that Ajax's defense was still as tight as last season, and it could even be said that it was tighter than last season, because the players became more familiar with Ye Qiu's defense system, and their personal abilities were greatly improved.

Without saying much about anything else, let's just say Heitinga, the improvement is obvious, and Lucio stood there, and the momentum was also full.

Players who like one-on-one are usually very confident in their abilities, so Korka did not hesitate at all. After getting the ball, he made a fake move to shake off Heitinga, then suddenly broke out, accelerated past Heitinga, dribbled the ball to the bottom line, attracted Lucio, and saw that Kivu and Abidal were staring at Brukink and Kezman in the penalty area, so he chose to pass the ball diagonally to the front of the penalty area.

Korka's choice was very smart and wise, and Van Bommel and Vogel were also very aware of the back insertion, but the problem was that there was a wall standing in front of Ajax's penalty area!

Gilberto Silva rushed out of the penalty area steadily, and before everyone else, he kicked the diagonal pass down, and after intercepting the ball, he quickly moved forward.

"Counterattack, Ajax finally found a chance to counterattack!" The commentator shouted loudly.

Gilberto Silva's dribbling speed was not fast enough, and Van Bommel and Vogel quickly caught up behind him.

In order not to be caught up, Gilberto Silva passed the ball to Van der Vaart on the right.

Van der Vaart shook off Bouma, pulled to the middle to get the ball, and used his advantage of his reverse foot to turn sideways and pass it to Ibrahimovic who was retreating to receive the ball. The Swede blocked Hovland with his body. After receiving the pass from Van der Vaart, he took two steps back, suddenly stopped, and used his body to hold Hovland behind him.

Both of them are tall and strong players. This is also the first solid physical contest between them. Hovland can't do anything to Ibrahimovic, but the Swede can't knock Hovland away.

But just when Hovland lost his balance, Ibrahimovic successfully turned around and sent the ball behind Hovland with his left foot. This kick was very fast and decisive. When Hovland reacted and raised his foot to intercept, the ball had already passed him.

Oye's defense is indeed excellent, but his speed and explosiveness are weaknesses.

Before, Robben deliberately kept moving with him on the left. When he saw Ibrahimovic pull Hovland out, he realized that this was an opportunity and deliberately approached Oye. When Ibrahimovic turned around, he suddenly accelerated, using his explosive power and speed advantage to swallow Oye.

Robben quickly cut into the penalty area from the left, met the pass from Ibrahimovic, and got the ball at the front of the penalty area of ​​​​PSV, but Nikiforov also returned to defense at this time.

After Robben got the ball, he made an emergency stop, causing Nikiforov who wanted to follow the emergency stop to lose his center of gravity, and then suddenly accelerated to the left, pushing his fastest speed, like a gust of wind passing Nikiforov.

The Russian central defender is very experienced and knows that his speed is a fatal flaw. He is not as flexible as Robben, especially after entering the penalty area, it is even more impossible to kick. So he chose to get close and use his body to press Robben when Robben just started to speed up, but he failed to do so in the end and Robben still surpassed him.

But this physical contact completely disrupted Robben's dribbling rhythm and pace.

Immediately afterwards, Robben's pace was a bit chaotic after entering the penalty area. After adjusting with small steps, he was almost at the bottom line, and the opponent's goalkeeper Watrous also pulled to the left to block Robben's shooting angle.

After barely kicking, Robben's shot was caught in Watrous's arms, missing a good chance to score.

But this counterattack made all the Ajax fans at the scene cheer, and it also completely sounded the horn of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven's head-on confrontation!

Who said that Ajax must defend when meeting PSV Eindhoven?