IT COULD have ended almost poetically. In the last moments of a second half between the veterans that utterly outshone the current players in the first, Dennis Bergkamp had a good chance to score. Earlier, to his own frustration, he had untypically sliced a chance wide. But now he struck hard and true with his right foot only for the Ajax keeper, Stanley Menzo, to make a resilient save.

The first period was sheer anti-climax, not what you would have expected at the inauguration of this grandiose stadium. The team put out initially had a mere scattering of first-choice players. The irony came when the second half, between the so-called legends of the teams took place, two of France’s World Cup heroes, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, being gainfully employed.

Ajax opened the scoring thanks to a goal capably scored by their lively striker, Klaas Jan Huntelaar from a left-wing cross by Edgar Manucharyan.

The second period was altogether more enjoyable and impressive. Arsenal’s team included not only Bergkamp but the likes of Marc Overmars, David Seaman and Emmanuel Petit. As for Ajax, they eventually brought on a true legend in Johan Cruyff and another in Marco van Basten, who forced a save from Alex Manninger. Henry scored after capably controlling a cross. Nwankwo Kanu got what turned out to be the winner with a deflected shot that rolled through Menzo’s arms.

But there was much to be savoured. Now Bergkamp leaves, Arsenal can only hope and pray that the young Czech Tomas Rosicky, not on show yesterday, can succeed him as the brains of the outfit. Memories flowed of a wonderful goal Bergkamp scored at Newcastle with almost incredible finesse; and of the winner he got for Holland against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup when controlling a long left-flank cross with cool ease, he rolled the ball inside, then fired past Carlos Roa.

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