2 players

After the game Jeff invited Chris and Dylan back to de Toekomst with the team to celebrate the league championship. Chris and Dylan hung out with Jeffery and his teammates and were asked to go outside to the training fields at the famous academy to play some pick-up. They didn't have to be asked twice.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the 2 young Americans learned almost as much in that pick up game with the Ajax players as they did in any of the training sessions during their experience in Europe, lending to the theory that the game itself is the best teacher. The time spent with the Ajax players allowed Chris and Dylan to add another experience at the professional level in Europe.

The Ajax experience continued on Sunday when Chris and Dylan joined Jeffrey, his father, and his cousin Olaf, at the Amsterdam ArenA (yes, 2 capital 'A's) to watch the first team of Ajax play Gronigen. The Ajax ArenA is one of the worlds newest stadiums and it was an incredible atmosphere. Dutch fans love their football ? with a passion. The game should not have been as close as it was and while Gronigen defended for most of the first half, Ajax could not score. Ajax fans are fanatical about their team but when they do not play to their potential
the fans let them know with loud, shrill whistling. Ajax eventually did score and the party started again until Gronigen equalized in a much more exciting second half of play. The stadium erupted towards the end of regulation when Ajax scored the game winner and the game ended 2:1.

Seeing Ajax win at the ArenA was a perfect ending to a phenomenal 10 days in Europe for Dylan Mencia and Chris Lavery.

1. Two Players earn their shot in Europe
2. First session at GBA
3. Training at Bayern Munich
4. Meeting Oliver Kahn
5. Training at 1860 Munich
6. Two days at Ajax of Amsterdam

:: TWO DAYS AT AJAX of AMSTERDAM

On Saturday Chris and Dylan left Belgium for Holland where they would spend the last 2 days of their trip getting an interesting look at the youth academy at Ajax.

In 2001 YPT wrote an article about 10 year old Jeffery Dekker, a youth professional at Ajax of Amsterdam. By 10am Saturday, Chris and Dylan were just north of Amsterdam to see Jeffrey, now 13, and his team, the Ajax 'D1', play in league match against the D1 youth team from first division Volendam. In Europe, the domestic leagues, including the youth professional leagues, are not decided by playoffs, but by points. Jeffrey's team had clinched the league 2 weeks prior when the second place team lost and left them with no chance of catching Ajax.