SHOOTOUTS don’t get much longer, more jaw-dropping, less believable than this.
Ajax qualified for the Europa League after beating Panathinaikos 13-12 on penalties – with 40-year-old keeper Remko Pasveer saving five and scoring one of the THIRTY-FOUR spot-kicks.
Liverpool legend Jordan Henderson netted in the 25-MINUTE shootout.
And in another twist, the ex-England midfielder even had the chance to hit the winning penalty.
He later explained the rather generous reason he handed it over for Anton Gaaei to convert.
The drama had begun to spiral from the 89th minute of normal time.
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Brazilian winger Tete sneaked a second-leg winner for the Greek visitors.
That levelled the third-qualifying round tie at 1-1 – sending it into extra time, which finished goalless, with little sign of what was to come.
Up stepped Pasveer to become the surprise hero – in a manner he could never have dreamed of when starting his senior career 20 years ago.
The Dutch stopper has been labelled a Jimmy Bullard look-alike since British fans noticed him playing against Liverpool two seasons ago.
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Bullard, 45, was a cult performer for Wigan and Fulham before co-hosting Sky Sports’ Soccer AM and starring on Celebrity Masterchef.
But it was Pasveer who was cooking in Amsterdam on Thursday night.
He launched the shootout by thwarting the very first kick – from Argentinian winger Daniel Mancini.
The two sides were then locked at 4-4 when it went to sudden death.
Pasveer tucked in Ajax’s 11th shootout penalty to level at 8-8 as tension soared – incredibly with much more to follow.
And ironically it was a Dutchman who fluffed the last Panathinaikos effort to leave the scores at 12-12.
Ex-Netherlands midfielder Tonny Vilhena, 29 couldn’t repeat his success from the spot for the Greek giants earlier in the shootout.
And that enabled Gaaei to win it for Ajax by making it two out of two for himself from the spot.
But even that added a flourish to the saga – as Henderson was the man designated to take the penalty.
The former Three Lions’ anchorman, 34, told Ziggo Sport: “After Brian Brobbey missed, Anton Gaaei said to me, ‘if they score now, you can take it, but if they miss, can I take it?’
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“I said, ‘sure, go take the glory’. And he is probably better at penalties anyway. He deserves it, he’s a great lad.”
A straightforward explanation to an evening that had been anything but!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
