Ajax boys await finals call

The Netherlands Under-21 and senior national sides are fighting for the right to field AFC Ajax's youngsters following the Amsterdam club's impressive end to the season.

Indian summer
After a disappointing campaign saw them finish in fourth place, Danny Blind's team came to life in the inaugural Eredivisie play-offs in which the sides finishing second, third, fourth and fifth contested a place alongside title-winners PSV Eindhoven in next season's UEFA Champions League. Having disposed of Feyenoord in the semi-final, Ajax completed a 3-2 aggregate victory against FC Groningen on Wednesday night, thanks to Wesley Sneijder's late strike in a 2-1 away defeat. Sneijder has made a huge impression together with fellow youngsters Urby Emanuelson, Hedwiges Maduro, Ryan Babel, Johnny Heitinga and Klaas Jan Huntelaar.

Tug of love
The form of these players has been a massive bonus for U21 coach Foppe de Haan ahead of the UEFA European U21 Championship in Portugal later this month - and perhaps even for Oranje coach Marco van Basten, who could yet name some of the Ajax starlets in his FIFA World Cup selection. Sneijder, Maduro and Babel have featured in the senior squad on a regular basis, with Emanuelson being called up for the last two matches without making his debut. Meanwhile, with striker Huntelaar enjoying an awesome campaign, it is hard to see him being left out of the party travelling to Germany.

Prodigious striker
The 22-year-old has scored 16 Eredivisie goals for Ajax since arriving from SC Heerenveen in January to take his overall seasonal tally to 33. This achievement has not been lost on Van Basten's adviser Johan Cruyff, who was on the panel that honoured Huntelaar as the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year this week. "Huntelaar is a true goalscorer who has three impressive achievements to his name this season," he said. "First, he has scored the most goals in the league, secondly he has handled his mid-season transfer from Heerenveen very well, and then he has dragged his new club out of trouble."

Van Basten wary
Van Basten has refused to reveal whether Huntelaar figures in his World Cup plans ahead of his squad announcement on 15 May, but he let his guard down unexpectedly during a special children's press conference held in Noordwijk to give a major clue as to his intentions. Asked how many goals he thought Huntelaar would score at the World Cup, Van Basten answered: "Twelve." His inquisitor then pressed the point, asking whether that reply meant Huntelaar would be included for the finals. "I would think so," said the coach.

Bigger fish
That may be a blow for De Haan, for whom Huntelaar has scored 14 goals in 17 games, including two in the qualifying play-off against Slovenia. Roy Makaay and Arnold Bruggink's joint record of 15 strikes for the U21s is Huntelaar's for the taking - but Van Basten could decide he has bigger fish to fry.