Ryan Gravenberch shook off all negativity on Friday evening by blasting Ajax to another late victory with a rock hard long shot. The nineteen-year-old midfielder admits after his heroic role against SC Cambuur (2-3) that the criticism has not left him cold. “I’ve heard enough that I don’t have such a good shot,” Gravenberch laughs for the camera at ESPN†
Gravenberch is not doing well this season. The midfielder’s only goal this season came in August. “If I’m honest, I had it for a while,” said the ten-time the Dutch international, who is now not in Louis van Gaal’s pre-selection. “Of course an Ajax midfielder also has to score goals, so it’s nice that I can take one today.” And that was not just a goal, as Gravenberch is shown on a TV screen. “I got the ball from Steven (Berghuis) and I didn’t think,” said the youngster. “Well, he’s good at it.”
Ryan Gravenberch has proven himself ??
“I’ve heard enough that I don’t have such a good shot…”#camaja pic.twitter.com/dnTyoWJxml
— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) March 11, 2022
In the absence of the sick Edson Álvarez, Gravenberch played as a defensive midfielder. “I also like the left side, but if Álvarez is not there I have to fill that position, and today it went well,” he says. “You also get a lot of balls in that spot. My preference? I played on the left all my childhood, so I prefer that.”
At halftime Ajax was comfortably ahead 0-2, but completely relinquished control and let Cambuur come back to 2-2. “We dominated the first half, but in the second half we came out of the dressing room very badly. Then they suddenly make 1-2, then you know that the audience will stand behind it and that it will be very difficult,” said Gravenberch, who looking for an explanation. “What’s in it? Maybe a little focus, I think. Of course it shouldn’t happen. I think we have a meeting tomorrow before training. But that we win in the end with 2-3, that’s the most important. Last week and this week it was a bit of drama, but we did win twice.”