Jorrel Hato feels most comfortable as a left central defender. The seventeen-year-old super talent confirms this on Saturday after Ajax – AZ (0-0). Hato started as a left back in that game, but was transferred to the center after half an hour. If it is up to him, he will also stay there in the coming duels.
Hato started on Saturday as the leftmost defender, in the position he held in each of his starting appearances until then. At halftime, however, Owen Wijndal came into the team, so that Edson Álvarez moved to midfield and Hato took over his place in the center. The latter clearly expresses his preferred position afterwards. “Left central.”
However, Hato has no trouble switching. “It’s not that difficult. I’m used to playing in both positions.” Hato was also used alternately as a left back and left central defender in Jong Ajax. Remarkably enough, he played more on the wing than in the center: nine to four. In Ajax 1, the duel with AZ thus became Hato’s first performance as center defender.
Leaving aside his personal preferences, Hato thought that Ajax forgot to reward itself against the Alkmaarders. “I think if you look at the game image, we did pretty well. We also created some really big chances. So I think that’s why we didn’t finish our chances,” said the teenager. Due to Saturday’s loss of points with three games to go, Ajax is five points behind number two PSV. That makes Champions League football seem like a utopia. “That’s a pity if you don’t make it in the end,” Hato also acknowledges.
| No. | Team | m | W | G | v | +/- | Pnt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feyenoord | 30 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 45 | 73 |
| 2 | PSV | 31 | 21 | 5 | 5 | 47 | 68 |
| 3 | Ajax | 31 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 47 | 63 |
| 4 | AZ | 31 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 27 | 61 |
| 5 | Sparta Rotterdam | 31 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 53 |
| 6 | FC Twente | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 52 |
| 7 | FC Utrecht | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 48 |
| 8 | RKC Waalwijk | 31 | 11 | 8 | 12 | -3 | 41 |
| 9 | SC Heerenveen | 31 | 11 | 8 | 12 | -8 | 41 |
| 10 | NEC | 31 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 38 |
| 11 | Go Ahead Eagles | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | -8 | 36 |
| 12 | Fortuna Sittard | 30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | -21 | 32 |
| 13 | Vitesse | 30 | 7 | 10 | 13 | -12 | 31 |
| 14 | FC Volendam | 31 | 8 | 6 | 17 | -28 | 30 |
| 15 | FC Emmen | 30 | 6 | 10 | 14 | -22 | 28 |
| 16 | Excelsior | 30 | 8 | 4 | 18 | -39 | 28 |
| 17 | Fc Groningen | 30 | 4 | 5 | 21 | -32 | 17 |
| 18 | SC Cambuur | 31 | 4 | 4 | 23 | -42 | 16 |