Recently, the 2022-23 European Youth League final came to an end, with Alkmaar from the Netherlands defeating Croatian team Hayduk 5-0 to successfully lift the trophy. In the process of winning the title, Alkmaar successively cut down the youth army of Barca and Real Madrid, and the honor received was full of gold. This team of goblins may have a huge impact on the landscape of European football in the future.
The battle of the championships, the score is very different
In this game, the final score was fixed at 5-0, which was quite disparity. However, in the first half of the game, the two teams actually attacked and defended each other, and both had good scoring opportunities. The turning point came in the 43rd minute when Alkmaar won a penalty and Adai jumped to break the deadlock. Facing Adai's shot, Haiduk goalkeeper Letis even guessed the direction and was only one step away from a successful save.
The two teams continued to play back and forth until the 70th minute, when Poku, who produced a penalty in the first half, cut inside on the left and extended his team's lead with a long-range shot. A few minutes later, he calmly fired a goal from inside the box after completing a match with his teammates, ending the suspense of the game completely.
After that, substitute Meldink scored two goals in a row to lock the final score at an astonishing 5-0. Alkmaar, who was strong all the way, finally lifted the trophy. At the sound of the final whistle, the Alkmaar players in front of the bench rushed to the stadium to celebrate the team's victory. And Haiduk goalkeeper Letis, who conceded five goals in a row, sat on the pitch with his head buried and was reluctant to leave.
The journey to winning the championship and overcoming all difficulties
To win 5-0 in the most crucial final is enough to show the strength of AZ. In fact, from the first game of the season, they have played all the way to big scores. A 5-0 victory in the opening game against Irish side Shamlock Rangers brought the two-legged match to an early end, after which Eintracht Frankfurt conceded five goals in a row in front of them.
Next, there are the young talents of the Western Super League. In the 1/8 final against the powerful Barça U19, Alkmaar won by 3 goals, and the team's 3 goals all occurred in the second half, statistically, Barca had the advantage in the number of shots, attacks and possession, but suffered a crushing defeat. In the quarter-final, facing Real Madrid coached by Arberoa, Alkmaar's possession and shots were still dominant, but they had already scored two goals in 30 minutes to win 4-0 and advance to the last four.
Of course, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Alkmaar, and in the process of qualifying, in the second round of the domestic championship knockout round, AZ Alkmaar drew with Red Star Belgrade over both legs, and finally narrowly escaped through a penalty shootout, and if the away goal rule was still in place, they would have been out at this time. The semi-final against Sporting de Portugal was also a difficult match, but AZ Alkmaar still had the last laugh in the penalty shootout.
It can be seen that along the way, this youth army has experienced many difficult moments, but the players have not been knocked down, but have won every opponent they have encountered. Even in games where the game is not dominant, AZ is able to win, and that's the scariest aspect of the team. Their dominance leads European youth football.
Talent blowout, the future can be expected
This Alkmaar youth army, which won the top in Europe, can be said to have gathered a lot of good hands. Poku, who scored twice and produced penalties in the final, is only 19 years old this year, but he has already played in the Eredivisie for AZMAAR II as early as the 2020-21 season, and he provided one assist in the Eredivisie last season, and he is also a regular player for the Netherlands Under-19 team. Adai, who opened the scoring for the club in the final, is only 17 years old this year and has produced one goal and one assist in the Eredivisie this season.
In addition, Merdinke, who came off the bench to score twice, is already worth 500,000 euros, and in this season's Eredivisie, he has scored nine goals in 16 appearances, which is quite efficient. His father was also a former Alkmaar player, who helped the team reach the last four of the UEFA Cup in 2004-05. The 20-year-old is likely to take over his father's mantle and reap more accolades for Alkmaar.
The three attackers have played well to devastate the team, and many of the Alkmaar youth squad have already played in the professional league. Huss at the back is captain and has made six appearances in the Eredivisie this season, scoring one goal, and has been named League Player of the Year in a single game, as well as 19 appearances in the Eredivisie, all starters. De Jong, wearing the number 10 shirt, has been a central player in the Eredivisie last season with four goals and six assists, and he has scored four goals this season.
Most of the main players of this championship-winning Alkmaar youth team have played a lot in the Eredivisie, and the training of professional leagues has greatly helped their growth. In the Netherlands, some clubs' second teams can participate in the professional league, the reserve teams of established teams such as Ajax and PSV Eindhoven are currently playing in the Eredivisie, and the 12th-ranked Alkmaar II team is the best performing youth team in the Eredivisie. A large number of competitions allow Alkmaar's young people to thrive.
Historically, AZ is not a big club, but it has also won the Eredivisie title and walked out of well-known players such as Hasselbaink and Koopmenas. Now, Alkmaar's youth training has come to fruition again, this time, which goblin will marry into a wealthy family? Let's wait and see!
(Supine Push-ups/Yin Chongzeng)