Fenomenal Oscar: European Cup 1966 1967 Ajax Amsterdan Liverpool

Monday, February 21, 2011

European Cup 1966 1967 Ajax Amsterdan Liverpool

Second round, First leg
Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam
December 7, 1966
Attendance: 65,000

It was Liverpool's 13th game in Europe, and it was to be an unlucky one. Ajax had not played in Europeen competition since 1961, and they had performed without much success in theirthree seasons in Europe. Their recent record, though, suggested that they were a team to watch. They were unbeaten in the Dutch league, and had scored 57 goals in 14 games. Although it would be a few more seasons before they fully matured, they gave more than a hint, against Liverpool, of what was to corne.
What nobody could possibly hâve reckoned with was the fog. Added to that was a 19-year-old prodigy called Johan Cruyff. The fog was the first obstacle. It descended thick and swirling on Amsterdam, and totally engulfed the Olympic Stadium. While inspecting the pitch, the Italien referee, Antonio Sbardella, announced that if he could see from one goal to the other then the game would go ahead. On that basis, the match should hâve been called off, but the UEFA officiai overruled the referee, announcing that if it was possible to see from the half-way line to the goal, then the game would take place. Unfortunately for Liverpool, the UEFA rule stood, even though the game kicked off with few of the 64,000 crowd able to see much of the play. Even the journalists sitting in the stand confessed that they actually viewed little of the action.

Ajax, who also had to cope with the conditions, gave Liverpool a roasting. It was one of the Red's worst defeats in years. The absence of Gordon Milne certainly left a gap in their defence, but Liverpool had few excuses. The man who destroyed them was Johan Cruyff. It was Europe's first taste of Cruyff, and he was at his most lethal. There were other stars for Ajax as well: Klaas Nuninga, Wim Suurbier, Henk Groot, Sjaak Swart ail guided by their shrewd manager, Rinus Michels. Thèse were players who would soon be inter-nationally famous.
Ironically, Ajax were said to hâve been in awe of Liverpool before the game, considering it an honour to be facing the English champions. If the Dutchmen were nervous, however, it did not last long. In the third minute, Liverpool went a goal behind, and in the 16th minute, Cruyff made it 2-0. By half-time, Nuninga had added two more and Liverpool were on their way out of Europe. The Dutch forwards were as Sharp as any Liverpool had encountered, though few were able to appreciate their display in the dense fog. Bill Shankly claimed that he walked half-way across the pitch during
the match to ask Ron Yeats what the score was.
In the 77th minute, Ajax scored a fifth goal, and on the stroke of full time, Chris Lawler hit a consolation goal for the Reds which meant that they now needed to win only 4-0 at Anfleld to get through to the next round. In 12 previous Europeen games, Liverpool had conceded only 10 goals. That was until they met Cruyff.

Ajax: Bals, Suurbier, Pronk, Soetekouw, Van Duivenbode, Groot, Mul/er, Swart, Cruyff, Nuninga, De Wolf.

Liverpool: Lawrence, Lawler, Graham, Smith, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, StJohn, Strong, Thompson.

Scorers: Wolf (3), Cruyff (16), Nuninga (38, 42), Groot (77); Lawler (90).