This is the place to discuss Ajax' Pre-Season and Friendly games, opponents, etc.

NOTE: There is a new forum for this topic on Ajax USA. Please post future comments here: http://www.ajax-usa.com/discuss/pre...ndly-games.html

Ajax Netwerk reports that Ajax will once again go to Portugal in January (just like last season) for a training camp and two friendly games. Opponents, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf and Ajax Netwerk, will be German Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg (Ajax also played them last year, beating them by 2-0) and Danish top side, Brøndby. Ajax.nl has not confirmed this yet, but it's probably true.

A report just appeared on Ajax Netwerk saying that the opponent in the second winter break friendly in Faro, Portugal, will be Aberdeen FC from Scotland. According to Ajax Netwerk, the date is not certain yet.

Earlier on, Ajax.nl reported that Ajax will play VfL Wolfsburg (Germany) on the 15th and an as of yet unknown second opponent on the 18th.

Conclusion: Ajax vs Aberdeen FC on January 18?

It seems so, especially since Ajax Netwerk's source is http://www.afc.co.uk/, the official Aberdeen FC website. However, we will not update the Ajax USA matches page accordingly before it is confirmed by one of the sources we consider reliable and 'official'.

This upcoming Wednesday, Real Madrid will play a specially selected World Team at the Bernanbeu Stadium, to celebrate its centenary. Two Ajacieden are invited to play for the World Team: Cristian Chivu and Hatem Trabelsi. Of course, there have been a lot of rumors about Chivu possibly discussing his future contract with Real, etcetera.

However, it seems like both playes will not be released by Ajax, since they are both recovering from injuries. Ronald Koeman, after the home game against psv (2-4): "It seems more logical to me that he [Chivu, ed.] stays here to recover from his injury."

feienerd's Korean star Song was also invited, but also had to turn down because of an injury.

The players invited for the World Team (in brackets their club/nationality):

Goalkeepers: Pablo Cavallero (Celta de Vigo/Argentina), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich/Germany).

Defenders: Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich/France), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan/Italy), Paolo Maldini (AC Milan/Italy), Christian Chivu (Ajax/Romania), Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax/Tunisia), Nourredine Naybet (Deportivo La Coruna/Morocco).

Midfielders: Rubén Baraja (Valencia/Spain), Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich/Germany), Kaka (Sao Paulo/Brazil), Hidetoshi Nakata (AC Parma/Japan), Pablo Aimar (Valencia/Argentina), Marc Wilmots (Schalke '04/Belgium), Andrés D'Alessandro (River Plate/Argentina), Murat Yakin (FC Basel/Switzerland), Cha Du Ri (Bayer 04 Leverkusen/South-Korea).

Forwards: Rivaldo (AC Milan/Brazil), Fernando Torres (Atlético Madrid/Spain), Roy Makaay (Deportivo La Coruna/The Netherlands), Joaquin (Real Betis Sevilla/Spain), Miroslav Klose (1. FC Kaiserslautern/Germany), Pedja Mijatovic (Levante/Yugoslavija), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus/Italy), Samuel Eto'o (Real Mallorca/Cameroon).

I say: of course they don't go. Gimme a break. The Ajax players are exhausted (you could tell against p$v today) and the injured ones in particular need rest. We shouldn't let them go for this nonsense.

Confirmation in today's issue of De Telegraaf: Chivu and Trabelsi are not going to Madrid for Wednesday's centennial game. Reportedly, Leo Beenhakker, former coach of Real Madrid, will attend the game.

Confirmed by several websites, including the official Aberdeen FC website:

Saturday, 18 January: Aberdeen FC vs Ajax

To be played here:

http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/EU...ewsId=8276.html

News Report will appear on Ajax USA soon...

Strange: Ajax' winter break friendlies were just published on the Ajax page of NOS Teletekst:

http://teletekst.nos.nl/cgi-bin/tt/nos/page/t/o/m/660

It says that the game at amateur side De Zuidvogels will be played on 12 January (Ajax.nl announced Saturday the 11th). Also, the friendly against German side VfL Wolfsburg (on the 15th) is not there, but it was officially announced by Ajax.nl.

According to NOS Teletekst, Ajax will be in Portugal from 15 to 23 January, which is strange, as it would mean that they play their first game (against Wolfsburg) on the day of arrival.

I'll assume that Ajax.nl announced the correct info and that the announcements on NOS Teletekst are incorrect. If Ajax.nl announces any changes, we will update the Ajax USA matches page accordingly. On that page you'll always find the official info, as confirmed by Ajax.nl. We don't add any unconfirmed info to our matches page - so it's reliable.

http://www.ajax-usa.com/ajax/matches/02-03/index.html

I was happy to read that both Wesley Sneijder and Stefano Seedorf will be travelling to Portugal for training.With rumours about Jan van Halst leaving , Pipo seemingly buried, and a schedule which hopefully will be every bit as busy in the second half of the year as it was in the first,it makes sense that these two talented midfield options get a thorough going-over from the coaches at Ajax-1 level.

Newspaper Het Parool announced that two of Ajax's old-timers - Aron Winter and Jan van Halst - will not travel to Portugal, now that Stefano Seedorf and Wesley Sneijder are added to the squad. This once again underscores that they will drop out for the second season's half, and that their careers at Ajax are over.

The article also says that John O'Brien, Maarten Stekelenburg, Victor Sikora and Rafaël van der Vaart are still injured and will not go to Portugal either. Which surprises (and disappoints) me, to be honest. I'm not surprised that Stekelenburg and Sikora are still injured, but I had better hopes for Van der Vaart and - particularly - John O'Brien. I thought he was ready to rock, and was going to return to action in the friendly games.

Apparently not.

I still remember the moment when he sustained the injury, at RBC Roosendaal. It did not look too serious, but by now it's become clear that he's dealing with a very persistent, very nasty and -all in all- very serious injury here. Let's hope this one won't haunt him from now on...

I think Van der Vaart and maybe O'Brien and Sikora will travel to Portugal. The article says they will not be there tomorrow when Ajax start their training at the Arena and they (probably) won't play in the first friendly against amateur club Zuidvogels on saturday but I'm almost sure they will join the squad that travels to Portugal next wednesday even if they're not 100% fit.

You're right. My fault.

But then still: I really thought John O'Brien and Van der Vaart would be fit and ready and that Koeman could start with a clean sheet (fit group). But we're still right in the middle of the same old story: still injured, will they make it?

That sucks. Didn't expect that.

Especially in O'Brien's case it's absolutely crucial that he can join the squad within one week. He's been out for so long that he really needs a good month of preperation.

It's already the second time that he's been out for almost half a year with an achilles tendon injury. I don't know if it's the same achilles tendon as a couple of years ago otherwise it could be chronic and very serious. I have heard of career-threatening achilles tendon injuries before.

Maybe I am jumping to conclusions to soon and that it's just a coincidence that it's more or less the same injury. Come on Johno, we need a decent leftback in the remainder of the season, get fit.

Happy to see that JOB was at least on the pitch for the resumption of traing;albeit confined to light running. Koeman said that seeing Rafi-gol confined to training at a lower level ,and with a swollen leg, was a disappointment.Ajax.nl has nice reports in both dutch en english. Interesting about Jan van Halst, I must say.

Imagine my surprise when I read an item on Ajax Netwerk reporting that Portugese Football periodical A Bola(sounds like a deadly jungle virus) is reporting that Ajax will play Benfica on 22 January. I hope that this is pure rubbish,I didn't see it elsewhere, and not an example of Ajax gubbing for more $$. Ajax has so many open dates in the second half, he said in words dripping with sarcasm.

Quote:

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Originally posted by TattooQ
Imagine my surprise when I read an item on Ajax Netwerk reporting that Portugese Football periodical A Bola(sounds like a deadly jungle virus) is reporting that Ajax will play Benfica on 22 January. I hope that this is pure rubbish,I didn't see it elsewhere, and not an example of Ajax gubbing for more $$. Ajax has so many open dates in the second half, he said in words dripping with sarcasm.

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