Ajax dropped two points at home to Excelsior after a controversial late incident did not result in a penalty. The collision between Youri Baas and Excelsior's Irakli Yegoian was not punished by referee Jannick van der Laan, with VAR also choosing not to intervene.
Yegoian was left bleeding from the encounter. "I got a nice kick to my face," the Excelsior player reacted afterwards. "I even had a bit of blood left over from it." The attacker believed it was a one hundred percent penalty, describing Baas's challenge as a very high boot that made contact. He now feels fine.
In the ESPN studio, analyst Danny Koevermans was critical. He stated Ajax got away lightly, as Baas kicked Yegoian in the face despite touching the ball. Koevermans referenced a red card shown to Joey Veerman in the Johan Cruyff Shield for a similar incident. His main criticism was aimed at VAR. "I remain anti-VAR," Koevermans continued. "Get rid of that thing. Then you just have to accept the referee's decision." Nevertheless, he thought the video assistant should have intervened this time, even if it was unfortunate for Ajax.
Not everyone agreed with that strict interpretation. Bram van Polen could accept the referee's call, even though he considered the tackle harsh. The draw means Ajax remain in fourth place in the Eredivisie, with thirteen points from six matches. John van 't Schip's side are three points behind leaders PSV. The latest result, a 2-2 with Excelsior, followed a 5-1 victory over Willem II. The goals against the Rotterdam side came from Julian Brandt and Tolu Arokodare. The full set of results this season shows an Ajax side strong in attack, with nineteen goals scored and seven conceded.
Next up is a home fixture against NEC Nijmegen, who sit tenth, on October 10. Top scorer Julian Brandt has netted three times this season.
The report in full is at Voetbal International
