Nick Against the World (69 Viewers)
- Thread starter IncuboRossonero
- Start date
I originally wrote this in Dutch for another website but I figured I'd make a translation of it after yesterday's match against Milan. Kind of a hasty job but I hope you'll like it anyway:
UTRECHT SHINES AGAIN
Utrecht lies at the heart of the Netherlands and is the fourth largest city after Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Contrary to those three, Utrecht often struggles to find its own identity, its pride and its sorrow. Football used to be the answer, and football is the answer again now. After the nation was taken by storm by the Swan of Utrecht, Marco van Basten, in April 1982, Utrecht can now pride itself in two new young players from their streets who already form the core of one of the nation's top clubs: PSV Eindhoven. Ibrahim "Ibi" Afellay and Ismaïl "Isi" Aissati are tearing apart defenses of any club that finds itself unlucky enough to be in their way. They flamed AZ Alkmaar and AFC Ajax and beat AC Milan but they've barely even started.
Ibrahim Afellay and Ismaïl Aissati
Utrecht, with about half a million inhabitants, is a city of two worlds. Its historic city centre is a place of architectural, historical and financial wealth but many of the suburbs are residences of the poor. Ironically, it is in the poor neighbourhoods where the city's wealth in football grows.
Utrecht's city centre
Both Afellay and Aissati know what it's like to grow up in this troubled city. Football was never played on grass; always on small squares or even streets if traffic allowed for it but their remarkable talents would soon take them far away from concrete.
After joining local amateur club USV Elinkwijk, like Marco van Basten once did, their future started to look brighter and brighter and it wasn't long until both Ajax and PSV started to notice the two midfielders. Contrary to to all logic and expectation; the Eindhovenaren beat the Amsterdammers to signing young talents and Afellay and Aissati would now find themselves travelling to the PSV grounds in the Southern city of Eindhoven by train every single day.
Fans in Eindhoven have been known to wait on the platform for the Intercity service from Utrecht Central to arrive, hoping to get an autograph from their heroes.
Having known each other since the age of six and, according to their own words, feeling "more like brothers than friends", they are likely to continue to improve under the excellent guidance of Guus Hiddink and support on the pitch by the experience and routine of Philip Cocu and Timmy Simons.
Critics argue their positions (midfield players) are already well covered in the national team, but national coach Marco van Basten disagreed, being quoted as saying with a smile: "For boys like that, you make room."
And boys like that, we all know, go far. Very, very far.
By Erik
UTRECHT SHINES AGAIN
Utrecht lies at the heart of the Netherlands and is the fourth largest city after Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. Contrary to those three, Utrecht often struggles to find its own identity, its pride and its sorrow. Football used to be the answer, and football is the answer again now. After the nation was taken by storm by the Swan of Utrecht, Marco van Basten, in April 1982, Utrecht can now pride itself in two new young players from their streets who already form the core of one of the nation's top clubs: PSV Eindhoven. Ibrahim "Ibi" Afellay and Ismaïl "Isi" Aissati are tearing apart defenses of any club that finds itself unlucky enough to be in their way. They flamed AZ Alkmaar and AFC Ajax and beat AC Milan but they've barely even started.
Ibrahim Afellay and Ismaïl Aissati
Utrecht, with about half a million inhabitants, is a city of two worlds. Its historic city centre is a place of architectural, historical and financial wealth but many of the suburbs are residences of the poor. Ironically, it is in the poor neighbourhoods where the city's wealth in football grows.
Utrecht's city centre
Both Afellay and Aissati know what it's like to grow up in this troubled city. Football was never played on grass; always on small squares or even streets if traffic allowed for it but their remarkable talents would soon take them far away from concrete.
After joining local amateur club USV Elinkwijk, like Marco van Basten once did, their future started to look brighter and brighter and it wasn't long until both Ajax and PSV started to notice the two midfielders. Contrary to to all logic and expectation; the Eindhovenaren beat the Amsterdammers to signing young talents and Afellay and Aissati would now find themselves travelling to the PSV grounds in the Southern city of Eindhoven by train every single day.
Fans in Eindhoven have been known to wait on the platform for the Intercity service from Utrecht Central to arrive, hoping to get an autograph from their heroes.
Having known each other since the age of six and, according to their own words, feeling "more like brothers than friends", they are likely to continue to improve under the excellent guidance of Guus Hiddink and support on the pitch by the experience and routine of Philip Cocu and Timmy Simons.
Critics argue their positions (midfield players) are already well covered in the national team, but national coach Marco van Basten disagreed, being quoted as saying with a smile: "For boys like that, you make room."
And boys like that, we all know, go far. Very, very far.
By Erik
Matter of time unless they choose to play for Morocco, which they could do considering they have double nationality through their parents. However, that seems unlikely given that both of them have already played for the Dutch U-21 squad.
EDIT: That's assuming you can still switch as long as you've never played an official match for the "real" National Team... But I'm not very updated on that stuff...
EDIT: That's assuming you can still switch as long as you've never played an official match for the "real" National Team... But I'm not very updated on that stuff...
