Jong Ajax vs Jong PSV Match Recap - Oct 17, 2025

Last-Gasp Steur Equalizer Breathes Life into Jong Ajax as Jong PSV’s Title Hopes Stutter in Amsterdam Draw

The lights at Sportcomplex De Toekomst had all but dimmed on Jong Ajax’s ambitions when the seconds trickled past the 90th minute, with a superior Jong PSV poised to snatch all three points and further cement their burgeoning title credentials. Then, from the shadows, emerged Sean Steur—a name not yet etched into the annals of Dutch football, but on this October night he became the hero, salvaging a 2-2 draw that means as much for Jong Ajax’s battered confidence as it does for Jong PSV’s frustrated pursuit of consistency.

There is a clarity to the struggle of these two reserve sides. For Jong Ajax, the season thus far has been unforgiving, the storied youth academy mired near the Eerste Divisie’s basement—19th place with a mere 6 points from 10 matches, a tally that tells a story of promise unfulfilled. For Jong PSV, by contrast, the first ten matches had offered plenty of hope: third in the table, 20 points, and, until tonight, a tangible sense that the future may soon press into the present.

Yet the 90 minutes in Amsterdam offered neither side the catharsis they craved. Instead, it was a contest marked by momentum swings and the tenacity of youth, played at a frantic tempo befitting two teams whose chief currency is potential.

Jong PSV, seeking to impose their pedigree, struck first. In the 22nd minute it was Tai Abed Kassus, brimming with the confidence of recent form, who pounced in the area—his finish a just reward for a sharp PSV build-up. The goal marked Kassus’s fourth strike in five matches, a testament to the forward’s growing importance in Jong PSV’s attacking calculus.

Trailing at halftime, Jong Ajax’s response was measured but determined. Emerging for the second period with renewed intent, it was Emre Ünüvar who delivered the equalizer in the 54th minute—his goal, crafted from a weaving Ajax move, restoring parity and jolting the home crowd to life. For Ünüvar, this was a third goal in his last five outings, the young midfielder continuing to be a rare bright spot in an otherwise dim campaign.

But as has so often proven the case this season, Jong Ajax’s joy was short-lived. Jong PSV, undeterred, pressed forward, and with the urgency of a team not content to share, found reward in the 77th minute. Robin van Duiven latched onto a clever through ball and made no mistake, sliding his effort beyond the Ajax keeper. At 2-1, Jong PSV could almost taste the victory that would reclaim the ground lost in consecutive draws and a chaotic five-goal defeat to Cambuur.

Football, however, is seldom scripted, and Jong Ajax—despite their struggles—retained one final act. As the match ticked into added time, they summoned reserves of resilience too often lacking in recent weeks. The ball fell invitingly to Sean Steur—his timing impeccable, his composure unshaken—and with a deft finish, he leveled the score. The eruption of relief among players and supporters alike suggested more than just a point gained; perhaps, at last, a turning point.

The final whistle signaled frustration as much as relief for both sides. For Jong PSV, the draw extends their unbeaten run to three but leaves them ruing dropped points against a side anchored near the foot of the table. Their return of three draws and a loss from the last five matches now invites scrutiny, especially with promotion rivals refusing to relent.

Jong Ajax’s plight, meanwhile, is one of survival and slow rebuilding. Tonight’s point, hard-earned and dramatically secured, will not erase the scars of September’s string of defeats—a run that included losses to Waalwijk, Willem II, VVV Venlo, and ADO Den Haag. Yet, with back-to-back draws, there are at least faint signs of resolve within a young squad tasked with upholding one of football’s most celebrated traditions.

In the broader context, the head-to-head history between these Jong sides has often tilted in unpredictable directions, the nature of youth football ensuring fluctuating fortunes as players graduate to the senior squads. Tonight’s draw underscores that parity—each side reflecting, in turns, both promise and growing pains.

As the Eerste Divisie table tightens, Jong PSV must rediscover the authority that propelled their swift start, lest their promotion chase falter before the autumn leaves fall. For Jong Ajax, every point now carries the weight of significance. What they lack in league standing they are beginning to reclaim in spirit; Steur’s dramatic intervention could, in time, prove to be more than just a night’s reprieve.

October’s chill has settled over Amsterdam, but tonight, at De Toekomst, Jong Ajax and Jong PSV served a timely reminder that the future—uncertain, thrilling, and endlessly renewable—remains the greatest prize of all.