Telstar have strengthened their squad with the loan signing of defender Ar'Jany Martha. The Curacao international joins from English side Rotherham United for the remainder of the season. The club currently sits 13th in the Eredivisie with three points from three games and a goal difference of minus five.
Ar'Jany Martha is a 22-year-old defender who can also operate on the wings in attack. He came through the youth ranks at Spartaan '20, Sparta Rotterdam and Ajax. At Ajax, he made his professional debut for Jong Ajax and eventually played twelve matches for the first team.
After spells at Belgian side Beerschot and Rotherham United, Martha now returns to the Netherlands on a temporary basis. His versatility offers manager Henk Brugge additional options in defence and midfield. Telstar's squad for this season can be viewed on our own squad page.
Last Sunday, Telstar suffered a 4-0 defeat to Ajax at the BUKO Stadion. After a 0-1 half-time score, second-half goals from Steven Berghuis, Tolu Arokodare and Marcos Leonardo decided the match. Ajax had 57.8% possession and took twelve shots, with nine on target.
Telstar managed ten shots themselves, four of which were on target. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen of Ajax and his Telstar counterpart both made five saves. The full statistics for this match and others are available in our stats section.
After the match, there was commentary on the officiating of referee Dennis Higler. Ajax striker Tolu Arokodare expressed his frustration about the physical play of the Telstar defenders. "It's part of the game, but it's annoying when you don't get those fouls," said the player, in a quote of about 25 words.
On social media, some Ajax supporters voiced similar criticism, comparing the treatment of Arokodare to that of Brian Brobbey in the past. It was also questioned whether this would have consequences for officiating in the coming months.
Ajax manager Míchel Sánchez made several notable changes to his lineup. Youri Baas started on the bench due to transfer rumours, with FC Porto named as an interested party. Dies Janse replaced him in defence.
Youri Regeer was also absent from the squad as a move to Werder Bremen loomed. Jorthy Mokio was given a starting place in midfield. Telstar's lineup under Henk Brugge was in a 3-4-2-1 formation.
Telstar are in 13th place in the Eredivisie after three match rounds. The club has one win and two losses, yielding three points. The goal difference is negative with three goals scored and eight conceded, a difference of minus five. The club trails leaders AZ Alkmaar by nine points.
The next opportunity for points comes this Sunday, September 6th, with a home match against Cambuur. Cambuur currently sit 18th and last in the league. The current standings can always be consulted on our standings page. The match kicks off at 16:45 at the BUKO Stadion.
