Steven Berghuis gets into the studio of ESPN praise for his assist against PEC Zwolle (2-0 win). The Ajax attacker, who played number ten in the absence of Davy Klaassen, made room on the left flank after half an hour with a long sprint and was able to serve Sébastien Haller. According to Kenneth Perez, Berghuis shows that he is aware of his status in Amsterdam.
Berghuis first received the ball in the axis of the field and played to the left, where Dusan Tadic was standing. Berghuis then pulled a long sprint to the left around Tadic from the middle, who gave him the ball back. Then followed the assist to Haller. “It’s a bit of a dirty run, a run you don’t want to make fast,” says Arnold Bruggink.
Berghuis’ running action at Ajax’s opening goal.
“He can actually very easily stay in the middle, that would have been the easiest for him,” continues the former attacker. “But then nothing happens. But he decides to make forty meters extra and come outside. That’s why PEC really has to defend. I think it’s beautifully done. So simple, but so effective.” Perez is also impressed by the running action.
“Had he done this at Feyenoord?” Perez asks Bruggink. “I honestly don’t think so,” said the latter. Perez: “That’s the realization, and that’s good, of his new status at a club where he has to do some things that he normally wouldn’t do. He is also not included in free kicks. very good that he realizes: I have to do extra things to get the status I had at Feyenoord again. He won’t get that so quickly at Ajax, but I don’t think he would have done this (the running action, ed.) at Feyenoord. Then he had asked for the ball in the middle. Here he is walking for someone else, which was not actually his role at Feyenoord.”