Thursday 17-04-03 19:40

EMERTON READY FOR FINAL THIS TIME

Brett Emerton is already looking forward to this year’s Amstel Cup final, after Feyenoord bought their ticket with a hard-fought one-nil victory over Ajax Wednesday. ‘It’s fantastic. I had a yellow card from an earlier game so I was a bit edgy. In the back of my mind I knew I couldn’t afford to do anything stupid. I didn’t and now I can at last play for Feyenoord in a final,’ said the Rotterdam-based Aussie.

After the disappointment of a missed UEFA Cup final last season due to suspension, Emerton is delighted to have the 1 June date at the Kuip with FC Utrecht in his diary. It’s the first time the Rotterdammers have battled through to the final in eight cup campaigns. ‘This is a great competition, which I very much want to win. We are favourites, but Utrecht have a good team. So it’ll be tough on 1 June.’ The slaying of Ajax in the cup can also give Feyenoord a mental advantage in the race for second spot in the Eredivisie too. ‘Maybe it does in a way,’ confirmed Emerton. ‘We were the better team today and Ajax also have a tough game in the Champions League. The pressure is on them, they have everything to lose.’ Feyenoord are also looking for maximum reward at the end of the season, which means that cup and league go hand in hand. ‘I wouldn’t want to choose. I want to be second and win the cup. That why there’s no big party now, because there’s another important game on the fixture list Sunday.’