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Three more arrows from the Hunter's bow
÷y Berend Scholten
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Klaas Jan Huntelaar in action against De Graafschap
(¿AFP)
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AFC Ajax coach Adrie Koster said that Klaas Jan Huntelaar
"really is a phenomenon" after a hat-trick on Sunday took his
total to over 100 Eredivisie goals.
'Huntelaar phenomenon'
The 24-year-old Netherlands striker went into Sunday's game against De
Graafschap - where he spent part of the 2002/03 season on loan - needing
just one goal to bring up his century in the Dutch top flight. In the
event, 'The Hunter' did even more, scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 win to
take his league total to 102 in 136 league games and become the first
Ajax player since Marco van Basten scored 31 in 1986/87 to register more
than 30 times in a season. It left Koster in raptures. "Once more
he scored three goals," he said. "After 32 matches his total
is already 32. That is special. Yes, he really is a phenomenon."
De Graafschap coach Jan de Jonge could only agree, adding: "I cannot
say anything else except that we lost mainly because of the Huntelaar
phenomenon."
Personal best
De Graafschap were on the receiving end of a similarly remarkable performance
on the first day of the season, when former PSV Eindhoven trainee Huntelaar
struck four times in an 8-1 home defeat. The striker is now on the way
to surpassing his best ever haul having scored 33 league goals in 2005/06,
17 for SC Heerenveen and 16 more after joining Ajax in the winter.
Groot milestone
With two games to go, the Dutch international - who has registered six
goals in eleven appearances for the Oranje - has surely left it too late
to break Henk Groot's 1960/61 record of 41 league goals, but Johan Cruyff's
1966/67 total of 33, Ruud Geels' 1976/77 haul of 34 and even Van Basten's
1985/86 high of 37 goals - second only to Groot's record - could be within
his grasp. However, individual titles were of little concern to the down-to-earth
striker as he reflected on his side's position of second in the table,
five points adrift of reigning champions PSV. "I'd rather have the
Dutch title," he said of his scoring record.
Euro2008.uefa.com,
7 April 2008
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