AMSTERDAM (REUTERS) - Ajax Amsterdam coach Erik ten Hag described their semi-final exit from the Champions League as "very cruel" after the Dutch side were undone by Lucas Moura's 96th minute strike for Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday (May 8).
"Football can be very beautiful and it can be very cruel. We have had to experience that today," said Ten Hag, whose young side appeared to be heading for a final showdown with Liverpool on June 1 in Madrid until Moura's last-gasp strike shattered their dreams.
Having lost the first leg in London 1-0, Tottenham secured their place in the final thanks to a hat-trick from Moura which completed a 3-2 win on the night. With the encounter ending 3-3 on aggregate, Spurs emerged triumphant on the away goals rule.
The result ended Ajax's long, and barely plausible, ride through three preliminary rounds, starting in July, to the last four of the competition.
During that incredible run, they had knocked out holders Real Madrid and Juventus and on Wednesday were seconds away from a place in the final - until it all ended in heartache.
"Overall we had a fantastic Champions League campaign, we were one second away from the final and for that our team deserves a very big compliment, I'm very proud of my players," said Ten Hag.
Â
Â
Â
But the coach admitted that they let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers having been 3-0 ahead on aggregate with 45 minutes left to play.
"If you're 2-0 up, you have to make sure you win the game, and we failed to do that. In the first phase after halftime we lost our grip on the game, they played a more opportunistic game," he said.
"But after the score was level at 2-2 we dominated again and we created chances.
"It's very bitter that none of those went in, and that they scored a very fortunate goal in the last seconds, maybe even past what should have the last second."
Defender Daley Blind described the defeat as "a dream that had burst" while teenaged captain Matthijs de Ligt called it "a nightmare".
"What am I supposed to say? It's terrible. We were so close. This is a dream that has burst apart," said Blind.
De Ligt added: "It's a nightmare, like a dream that went bad.
"We played well in the first half, we had it all our way. We didn't keep up the same pressure in the second half.
"We gave silly goals away. We were so close to the final … and then the ball goes in. Unbelievable."
Everton drop to fifth after Liverpool's 2-0 win against Hull City at Anfield, but Baines still feels the Toffees are in good shape at the start of the new year.
Everton vs Swansea: Instant Reaction | Easy in the end for
Trust in players crucial: Nazri. Singapore assistant coach Nazri Nasir with the Lions squad during training at Jalan Besar Stadium on Monday. He says his short stint as caretaker coach was a good
Trust in players crucial: Nazri : He will assist new Lions h
Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa admits sending spy to Derby
Qatar's Abdulaziz Hatim scored with a stunning late strike as the 2022 World Cup hosts upset Son Heung-min's South Korea 1-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Asian Cup for the first time on Friday.
UPDATE 1-Soccer-Hatem wonder strike secures Qatar upset of
Delighted Jurgen Klopp Tells Gamers To Keep Centered Jurgen Klopp refused to get carried away with the rising expectation that Liverpool can elevate the league title for the primary time in 29 years saying his gamers should keep focussed after they thrashed Arsenal 5-1 on Saturday.
Football: Delighted Klopp tells players to stay focused
May 4 (Reuters) - Edinson Cavani missed a stoppage-time penalty as Paris St Germain continued their stuttering end to the season with a 1-1 Ligue 1 draw at home to Nice, with Neymar notching his 50th goal for the club. The visitors took the lead early in the second half through Ignatius Ganago
Football. Home football; Transfers; PSG take charge with 2-0 win at United, Pogba sent off. first leg match and had talisman Paul Pogba sent off late in the game on Tuesday.
Champions League: PSG take charge with 2-0 win at United
Manchester City retain English Premier League title. Man City win 4-1 on final day to finish one point ahead of Liverpool and win their sixth PL title.
Apr 20, 2016 · B arcelona bounced back from their worst run of La Liga defeats for 13 years in emphatic fashion as Luis Suarez scored four in an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna on Wednesday. Ivan Rakitic, Lionel Messi, Marc Bartra and Neymar were also on target as Barca reasserted their control on the Spanish title race.
Barça celebrates the 2018/19 LaLiga title at Camp Nou - YouTube
Football: Kedah-bound national defender Shakir Hamzah enjoying a new lease of life national defender Shakir Hamzah could have easily turned out to be one of those talented footballers who
Football: Kedah-bound national defender Shakir Hamzah
Gianni Infantino was re-elected as president of the football governing body FIFA for a four-year term until 2023. The 49-year-old Swiss national was elected by acclamation as the sole candidate at
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen