Eran Zahavi signed on Sunday in the game between PSV and Ajax (1-1) for the opening goal from a free kick. Pierre van Hooijdonk, who as a player was also a gifted free kick runner, is very pleased with the goal of the Israeli striker, who also scored from a free kick in the Europa League match with Olympiacos last Thursday (2-1 victory). The former striker places in the program Studio Football of the NOS however, there are questions about the composition of the wall of Ajax.
“The wall itself was good. But if there are five men in the wall and you start counting from the left, the third man at Ajax was the largest. That was Haller. The ball never really goes over that. Because when the ball goes over him, he spins next to or on the post. He’s about the other two, mostly. The tallest people should be there, ”explains Van Hooijdonk. He cites the 2002 UEFA Cup final with Feyenoord against Borussia Dortmund to endorse this.
Jan Koller and Tomas Rosicky are in the red circle, ahead of the opening goal during the 2002 UEFA Cup final between Feyenoord and Borussia Dortmund (3-2).
“I myself had the experience in the UEFA Cup final with Jan Koller, who was in the same spot as Haller. Next to that stood Rosicky, who was forty centimeters shorter and did not jump ”, the former striker indicates. The wall of Ajax, seen from left to right, consisted of Jurriën Timer, Dusan Tadic, Sébastien Haller, Edson Álvarez and Ryan Gravenberch. The two leftmost players in the wall are the smallest in this case. Van Hooijdonk is supported by fellow analyst Theo Janssen. “A ball always goes with a curve, that’s why those two are the most important people in the wall.”
“I think it’s a basic rule, especially if there is one man behind the ball”, Van Hooijdonk continues. “Then it is even easier. If there is a left and right leg, you don’t know well. But if you have a specialist with the opponent, you should never do this. I really liked this free kick because the speed made the difference. You also saw that against Olympiacos, he kicks them hard. Stekelenburg does one thing right: he doesn’t gamble. You have to clap here as a goalkeeper and say: ‘Great free kick, Zahavi’. ”