Soccer is sometimes much more than just a sport. The scene that was experienced in the round of 16 of the Netherlands Cup left much more than the round pass that got the Ajax by thrashing 9-0 at Excelsior Maasluis, an amateur team that experienced a historic day. The result went into the background and the cameras focused on the personal story of David Plank who returned to step on a playing field after overcoming a difficult moment in his life.
It was the 89th minute of the game and the coach Dogan Crow made the decision to send one of the promises of the visiting team to the field. Luivienno Statia knew this was no ordinary substitution and headed to midfield to make the substitution. In parallel, the footballers came to make a hall of honor for the young man who was going to enter for a special reason: The striker, diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his fibula, returned to the pitch after intense treatment.
Almost a year after receiving the bad news, David Plank is going through a great personal moment in terms of his health and the medical staff of the humble institution gave the green light so that he can add a few minutes against the biggest club in the Netherlands. In parallel with chemotherapy, the 20-year-old fulfilled his dream of stepping onto the pitch at the Stadium Johan Cruyff located in amsterdam.
Once the game was over, the protagonist of the day stopped in front of the microphones to express his feelings. “I am very happy to have played again, even if it was only for a short time. It was an unforgettable moment, perhaps one of the best of my life. We had already made four changes and I thought I was not going to enter. Fortunately, the technician did not forget me. Now I realize this gesture “David stated with an indelible smile on his face.
And he added about his short-term goals: “In the next period I will train hard, in the gym and on the field. I’ve been working to get back every day. I hope to get more minutes as soon as possible so I don’t have to see myself on the bench”.
The person in charge of opening the duel was Nicolás Tagliafico, nine minutes into the first half. Later, Danilo Pereira scored four goals Mohamed Daramy scored a brace and added to the scoreboard Youri Regeer Y Kristian Hlynsson to accumulate the final 9-0 that gave Ajax the pass to the quarterfinals.
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