LFL: AZ ALKMAAR (EL)

Alkmaar proved to be talented opposition but we deserved our win. If this is Europa

League, give me more.

BEFORE

I'm old enough to remember those games against Vasas Budapest and Sporting Lisbon

back in 1973 and it sounds strange to me when I keep hearing that it was all fifty-three

years ago. I'm very happy that we're back in Europe again but I have to say that the

structure of the competition is still a bit of a mystery to me. I'm just looking at it as a

beautiful bonus to what's already a great period for the club and fans. It's looking like there

won't be wholesale changes like there were against Hull last week but there are bound to

be variations from the Arsenal match. Reinildo won't be banned for this game apparently

and that's all to the good. Alkmaar are on a good run, having scored seventeen goals in

their first five league games, and will be tough opposition so with the big crowd and the

floodlit cup-tie atmosphere we're all set for a great evening. I'll be watching the match in

the company of lots of other London Branch members and my match prediction is a 2-1

win for us. I got the team-news on the way over to the venue and there were four changes from last Saturday with Alderete, Hume, Fofana and Isidor coming in for Ballard, Meunier, Angulo and Brobbey, all of whom were on the bench. Ahoka and Tutierov were also among the subs. I got to the bar just after 7.00 and there were already a load of the Faithful present. There was applause in the bar as the team came out to warm up and as we approached kick-off most of us joined in with ‘I Can’t Help falling in Love’. There must have been around a hundred of our fans in the bar as the game started.

THE GAME

In the opening stages Alkmaar showed that they could pass the ball around tidily and they

were awarded a free-kick in the fifth minute but we dealt with it no problem. They soon

won the first corner after a terrible mis-pass put us in danger, though Roefs’ pass out

wasn’t too clever in the first place. We got that one away but they soon won another and

Meerdink headed not far over the bar. It had been a chastening opening ten minutes but

then we won our first corner. Le Fee took it on our left but goalie De Busser punched it and

their defence cleared the danger. There was a roar in the bar just after that when Le Fee got

on the end of a long ball on the right of their box but when he crossed at the second

attempt, Isidor couldn’t quite reach it. Next thing Danso had a hell of a shot from the edge

of the box and De Busser tipped it over. We were really cooking but Alkmaar looked

dangerous on the break and Hume had to make a great tackle in our box to cut out a

threatening probe but he was yellow-carded for a foul not long after that. Anyway, it had

been a very entertaining opening quarter.

We conceded another corner on our right but thankfully it went nowhere. In the twenty-fifth a great low pass from Isidor on our right was met by Le Fee but his shot hit the right post. He must be sick of right posts. Fofana was playing well and was making timely interceptions and passing back when necessary. Just after the half-hour Hume got on the end of a Mukiele pass just outside their box but his low shot went narrowly wide of the left post. We’d certainly had the best of the chances so far. I thought we’d scored in the thirty-eighth when Hume had a couple of low shots from the left of their box but it all ended in a corner that came to nothing. Next thing we had a free-kick that created another corner and then immediately another corner. The pressure was really on Alkmaar and in the bar loud chants were erupting.

There were five minutes to half-time and a goal now would be crucial. In the forty-third we forced another corner and Alkmaar looked on the ropes but they managed to hold firm. We had a couple more goal attempts and then a Le Fee effort hit the side-netting before only one minute of added-time was announced. There was applause in the bar as the whistle went. Alkmaar had replaced the yellow-carded Oufkir with the wonderfully-named Weslley Patati as we kicked off again. They started the second period strongly and had several attempts, the best of which was a low shot from Smit that was narrowly wide of our left post five minutes in. Isidor did something very similar shortly after that but with their right post.

Anyway, the match continued to be very entertaining. We were soon back up their

end and a Mukiele effort rebounded for a throw. We brought on Ballard for Alderete in the

fifty-second and not long after the hour-mark there were cheers in the bar as we saw

Brobbey about to come on. There were a few wolf-whistles too for a glimpse of the

shirtless Meunier. There was much whooping and cheering in the bar when we awarded a

penalty for a foul on Le Fee in the sixty-fourth. Of course he had to take the kick to get

himself back on the horse and he slid the ball into the bottom right corner sending us in the

bar doolally and Enzo’s trademark chant was echoing around the roof. We then made a

triple switch, replacing Isidor, Fofana and Hume with Brobbey, Angulo and Meunier.

Twenty minutes to go and things were looking good though Alkmaar had shown their

danger and might well nick one themselves. Mukiele was booked for a spot of wrestling

but Alkmaar looked to be lucky to escape a second penalty when Mukiele was bodychecked by Chavez as he ran into their box. His face was a picture but the referee

Jeremie Pignard wasn’t having any. The game continued to ebb and flow and we escaped

at our end before storming back and winning a corner at the other. Ten minutes to go and

Alkmaar were putting the pressure on but we were holding out strongly at the back. I

always dread typing that but... In the eighty-fourth there was applause in the bar for Danso

as he went off to be replaced by Rigg. I thought it a bit odd to take a big defender off but in

Le Bris I trust. The bar had gone a bit quiet as a spot of tension hit us all but there was a

chant for Kevin Phillips as his face came on the screen and that got everyone going again.

In the final minute Brobbey powered down the right like an express train but in an ecstasy

of fumbling Angulo’s shot went out for a corner. Alkmaar survived that and a subsequent

corner. Three minutes of added-time were announced and we were still going for a second

before it ended 1-0 to much cheering and everyone on their feet in the bar.