John Heitinga with Ajax Under 19 to last four in UEFA Youth League | Football

sport">Until the 74th minute there was no cloud in the air for the flagship of the renowned Amsterdam youth academy, which was taken by the hand in the first act by the also 17-year-old Christian Rasmussen. The strong Dane took the 1-0 with a devastating long shot and thus broke the resistance of his compatriots after 38 minutes. Sontje Hansen doubled the score after the break and seemed to give his teammates an easy afternoon.

sport">Before that, it had been the question in sunny Nyon whether the Amsterdammers were the first in the young history of the UEFA Youth League could get through to the last four. Incidentally, Fred Grim did reach the final in 2012, when the tournament was still the NextGen Series was called.

sport">This time, the absences of Ryan Gravenberch, Jurriën Timber, Naci Ünüvar, Devyne Rensch, Kenneth Taylor, Brian Brobbey and Alex Mendez didn’t make that task any easier. The seven key players did not travel with Heitinga to Switzerland, but with Erik ten Hag to Austria, where Ajax 1 is at training camp.

sport">Where Ajax transferred its top talents to the first, Midtjylland put together a number of players who had already made their debut in the first of the Danish top club. Despite this, Ajax was the parent for almost the entire match. Heitinga’s team not only played domineering and brutal, but also remarkably mature for such a collection of young players.

sport">Until halfway through the second half, at least. After Hansen’s missed chances at 3-0, Heitinga saw the nonchalance creeping into the team and screaming more and more clearly audible ‘play football, play football’ across the field. Goalkeeper Reiziger had to be involved to prevent Mads Hansen’s 2-1. But a little later he was – in a comical way – to blame for the connection goal.

sport">The goalkeeper, against Atletico Madrid in the penalty shootout, is still the hero by after one Van Gaaltje to stop and use a penalty as a substitute, let a pass-back ball run under his foot and saw the ball roll over the line (2-1).

sport">A final offensive by the physically strong Danes was imminent, but Ideho made sure that the expected storm never intensified. With a beautiful, watched bow ball, he beat the Midtjylland keeper who was too far in front of his goal and gave the ‘decapitated’ Ajax Under 19 a well-deserved semi-final place. In it the winner of Benfica-Dinamo Zagreb awaits.

–