Ajax are through to face PEC Zwolle in the KNVB Cup final after a 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar at the AFAS Stadion.

schone ajaAjax had the better chances of the opening half hour with Lasse Schone firing over from the edge of the box before Daley Blind was denied one on one with Alvarado Esteban.

Then on 33 minutes AZ Alkmaar were awarded a penalty when Joel Veltman was harshly adjudged to have pulled down Roy Beerens by referee Pol van Boekel. Veltman was shown his second yellow within a minute, and Ajax were down to ten men, but Kenneth Vermeer kept out Aron Johannsson’s spot kick.

Three minutes into the second half, Van Boekel had another red card out, and once again it was a poor decision as Mattias Johansson was shown his second yellow for supposedly tripping Lesley de Sa. However replays showed that there was very little contact between the players.

The resulting free kick led to the only goal of the game with Lasse Schone expertly curling the ball into the top corner to give Ajax the 1-0 lead.

AZ pushed for an equaliser but Vermeer was in brilliant form on his recall to the starting eleven, and in front of the watching Louis van Gaal, he brilliantly kept out Johann Gudmundsson’s goal bound volley.

Ajax will now meet PEC Zwolle on April 20th for the KNVB Cup trophy.




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