Cup. FC Den Haag and Ajax reached the final and at first it looked like easy win for Ajax. But the underdog almost made a sensation – until the 83rd minute the result was 2-1 Den Haag. Bosman opened for Ajax in the 11th minute, but the team from the Dutch capital equalized just before half-time – Boere in the 43rd minute. Then Morley made it 2-1 in the 66th and only in the 83rd minute Bosman scored his second goal, driving the final to overtime. Ajax’s class prevailed there – van Basten scored two goals in the 104th and 106th minute and the favourites won 4-2.
It would have been great if FC Den Haag won against the odds, but the odds were so much against them – they had very little to really oppose to the great Ajax squad.
Ajax won the Cup, so they still had trophy at hand – although losing the championship is not something club and fans enjoy. Marco van Basten is missing in this picture, but no matter – the second great Ajax team was already made, played exciting football and winning. And Cruijff was still forcing his way – Spitz Cohn was officially the coach, but it was Cruijff coaching in reality. No coaching diploma, no problem… by now, everybody swallowed the sham, protesting did not work and he was accepted however grudgingly. As long as he was making magic, no problem. Cruijff’s squad was in a way deeper than PSV Eindhoven’s: two veterans – Arnold Muhren and Ronald Spelbos provided cool wisdom to their generally young teammates and there were also youngsters who guaranteed the future, for they were going to be the backbone of Ajax in the 1990s – Danny Blind, for example. Retirements and transfers were not going to affect greatly this team – Cruijff’s vision guaranteed smooth transitions and long term success (Arnold Muhren was the direct link with the great Ajax of the 1970s here and Rijkard and Blind were the link between this squad and the next great Ajax in 1995 – three great generations met and influenced each other during Cruijff’s reign at the helm).
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