thanks philip for inadvertently making my econs 's' paper much more bearable by telling me that makaay scored a hat-trick in bayern munich's 4-0 rout of ajax just before the paper started! it's been a long while since they showed any hint of brilliance against one of the noted european teams. suddenly things are looking much better for bayern and germany (after that 1-1 draw with brazil). excellent.

man i have vivid memories of makaay's hat-trick against bayern two years ago, the morning just hours before my e math prelim paper. he totally screwed me up then, being only the second player to put three past oliver kahn (the first being michael owen in germany's disgraceful 5-1 loss to england).

well i DO like the way he's making amends for that, though. go number ten!
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Roy hammers hat-trick at the right end



29.09.2004
In a couple of short seasons, Roy Makaay has put the Bayern loyalists through a roller-coaster of the emotions, from profound depression to total rapture. Almost exactly two years ago, at the same time and in the same competition, the Dutch ace fired his single previous hat-trick at the Olympic stadium, only for the "wrong" team.

Back then, Munich's Champions League dream came crashing down in a 3-2 defeat to La Coruna, but on Tuesday evening the Netherlands hitman almost single handedly returned the 2001 winners to centre stage in the European game. "He blew us away with La Coruna then, and he did it to his fellow countrymen tonight," Uli Hoeneß said with a grin afterwards, "and that's why we bought him. "

Makaay set a rousing Champions League evening in motion after 28 minutes. "Owen Hargreaves delivered a long ball, and I had the half second or so you need to let off a shot. I wondered what I should do, lob or shoot. Then I decided for the latter, and I reckon it was the right idea," the player said, describing a sensational 20 metre thunderbolt in typically dry fashion.

"That was a really acrobatic display. The way he brings down and controls the ball is something I've never seen in my long career," deeply impressed coach Felix Magath said in admiration of the goal-getter's skill.

Magath's Ajax counterpart Ronald Koeman was angry with his defence. "I told my players before the match always to keep a man behind Makaay. If I look at the opener, I have to say none of them was listening to me. " Makaay struck again shortly before and after the break with a header and a penalty to seal his fellow countrymen's defeat, drawing words of the highest praise from the visiting coach. "He's put on a superb demonstration today." Makaay now has 10 goals in 10 Champions League appearances for the Reds.

The 29 year-old would dearly like to apply his deadly finishing skills to the Dutch national cause, but new coach Marco van Basten seems determined to follow his predecessors' practice and relegate the striker to a substitute role. Makaay will be thrilled at turning in such a potent display against Amsterdam, although he insisted afterwards his priorities were his club and his personal goals, "not some third party somewhere else."

Fortunately for Bayern fans everywhere, super striker Makaay now turns out for the "right" team.

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