Kerkez and Beukema disappointingly save AZ against FC Vaduz


Thursday, September 15, 2022 at 8:40 PM• Jonathan van Haaster • Last update: 20:47

AZ booked a difficult victory over FC Vaduz on Thursday evening. The Alkmaarders were unable to make a fist, especially in the first half, but still managed to cross the line: 4-1. After goals from Yusuf Barasi and Anthony Goelzer, both teams went to rest with 1-1. After the break, Vaduz goalkeeper Benjamin Büchel received a red card and Sam Beukema headed in the liberating 2-1 for the moderately playing AZ. Yukinari Sugawara and Dani de Wit then decided the game. With the win, AZ is first in Group E of the Conference League with six points from two games.

Sugawara returned to the basic team of the Alkmaarders. The Japanese was preferred over Pantelis Hatzidiakos. Milos Kerkez started on the bench; Mees de Wit played for him. Barasi took the spot in the striker from Vangelis Pavlidis. Jansen could not rely on the longer injured Jesper Karlsson and Pavlidis. Last week, even more offensive concerns were added, when it turned out that Håkon Evjen is out of circulation for the time being. The winger dropped out against FC Twente after half an hour and is not available for the time being. Iman Griffith of Jong AZ took his place in the selection.

AZ had a difficult opening phase and had not created a great chance after fifteen minutes of play. Nevertheless, the Alkmaarders managed to find a gap in the sixteenth minute and that immediately led to a great opportunity for Barasi. On a pass from Dani de Wit, Barasi passed Büchel. The ball could then be removed from the line by defender Cedric Gasser. AZ continued the better phase. Tijjani Reijnders passed the ball to Barasi, who saw his shot touched by Gabriel Isik and flew into the net behind goalkeeper Büchel: 1-0. Jansen’s men could not enjoy the lead for long. The rising Tunahan Cicek was not stopped, after which the attacker prepared the ball for Goelzer. The Frenchman had a line towards the long corner in the house: 1-1. Reijnders could have made it 2-1 before the break, but the midfielder saw his effort turned by Büchel, who made himself wide.

After the break, AZ came out of the dressing room with new energy and it immediately became threatening via Barasi, but the attempt by the nineteen-year-old striker went wide. Seven minutes after the break, the guests from Liechtenstein could have taken the lead via Franklin Sasere. The Nigerian striker could have scored from a measured cross with the head, had it not been for the fact that Sam Beukema more or less accidentally got in the way. On the other hand, the weakly playing AZ could only counter that with a roller from Van Brederode. Just after an hour of play, AZ got the windfall it was looking for. Odgaard was sent off and knocked down outside the box by Büchel, who had to leave with a red card.

Reijnders’ subsequent free kick was saved by reserve goalkeeper Gion Chande. With twenty minutes to play, Odgaard tried from Vaduz’s sixteen, but Chande had a good save. In the 81st minute there was the liberating goal for AZ. A measured cross from Kerkez, who was then on the field for two minutes, landed on the head of the uncovered Beukema, who headed in with a cool head: 2-1. Sugawara decided the game in injury time with a dry shovel that hit the ropes from the inside of the post: 3-1. On the pass of Kerkez again, Dani de Wit made it 4-1 with a subtle header in injury time.