Fútbolita

When Oranje reached the WC final it was decided they were to get a special welcome back tour trough Amsterdam no matter the outcome of the match. Well, we all know the outcome….

Since football is about winning I was kinda sceptic about celebrating a second place…. boy, was I wrong. Somebody described this celebration tour as the ultimate medicine. It kills the pain and enables you go on with your life. And that is exactly how I felt, watching all these people (about 700,000!!) honour their World Cup heroes.

For most of them it’s time for a nice holiday, for John Heitinga & Wesley Sneijder it’s wedding time!! Both of them are getting married later this week.

Sad and subdued at the beginning of the day, after all this orange madness the players were (slightly) drunk and definitely delighted. After the boat tour trough the canals they walked to the Museumplein where even more people were waiting for them. After a brief speech by captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst Armin van Buuren got on stage and made sure the players and the audience had a good time. Thanks guys for an amazing World Cup, and good luck for the upcoming season. We will be back in Euro 2012!

Photos via Telegraaf & AD.

In retrospect of my mood, the sunny days have come to an end. As I am typing this piece rains comes pouring down…. This might sound like a tacky poetical line, but it is actually true. It seems as though the weather has adjusted itself to the national mood, with rising temperature throughout the tournament and a solid splash to wash away the tears on the day after.

What could have been… I am still very proud of these guys!

Losing has never been one of my hobbies…. losing a final is even worse. But what hurts most is reading the international papers today. To see the harsh words journalists use to describe Oranje is heart breaking. Off course I watched the final trough orange shades, but I didn’t see “Dirty Dutch turn beautiful game into a bloodbath” like the Daily Mail allegedly did.

I personally saw two teams that first & foremost didn’t want to lose. That resulted in a very disappointing first half and experienced players miss out on open chances. Throughout the game it became clear to me this was one of those ‘whoever scores first, wins’ matches. In the end Spain got the goal, and the Cup. For that I congratulate them! Christina (aka Spanish Futbolita) congratulations, you’ve won the battle of the Futbolitas!

I would be surprised if Stekelenburg stays at Ajax after his outstanding performance this tournament. Photos via AD

It would be easy to criticise some of the ref’s decisions, but I’m not that kind of a looser. He clearly made some mistakes, but they levelled out over the whole 120 minutes. I mean, he should’ve sent off De Jong for his ridiculous challenge on Xabi Alonse but Spain were lucky in the last minutes when Webb forgot to give Oranje a corner after Sneijder’s deflected free kick. Surely, the ref is not the reason Spain became World Champions, Iniesta is. But Howard, was it necessary to give all those 14 (!!) yellow cards? I didn’t expect this tight grip from an English referee.

Well, all has been said I guess. A magnificent journey has come to an end. I really enjoyed this World Cup and following it together with all you Futbolitas was truly amazing. I hope you all enjoyed this World Cup as well!

With the World Cup coming to an end, I am off to cheer for our cycling ‘Oranjemannen’ competing in the Tour de France.

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita.

Wow, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally come, Oranje & Spain in the final!!

For decades Oranje are known as the the bridesmaids of international football. Always trying their best, playing beautiful football and always ending up second best…. Always going home with our bags full of compliments and a gazillion new admirers, but missing out on the jackpot…..

But that has got to stop right now! This year everything is different. With Bert van Marwijk we have a manager that has changed the Dutch game plan and made his team play ugly football. With an unfamiliar form of efficiency Oranje have won all of their matches during the qualifying stages and in the tournament as well!

Sunday July 11^th the World Cup final will take place in the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. At 20:30 Holland and Spain will commence the ultimate battle for the World Cup. Since everything there is to say about Oranje has already been said at least 3 times let me just stick to some things I think are important.

Eleven reasons why Oranje will go home with the golden Cup this year:

1. Because Oranje is finally able to win matches the ugly way.
2. Because Van Bommel and Robben learned to play German style Bayern Munchen.
3. Because Robin van Persie is gonna have his Fernando Torres-moment this final.
4. Because we already know what’s it like to loose a World Cup final (1974 & 1978).
5. Because, if things do not work out for us, our opponents just make an own goal.
6. Because Soccer Stadium is our home stadium with all the orange seats.
7. Because ‘Orange is the colour of insanity’
8. Because we already beat the best, in the quarter final.
9. Because Spain need about 56 tici-tacas to score one goal.
10. Because orange is the new black, red is soooooo 2008.
11. Because…. just because we can!

Back home in Holland due to the ‘Oranjekoorts’ the temperature has risen to an unbelievable peek of 35 degrees. Summer is on in full swing and the good weather gives us the opportunity to go out on the streets and watch the match together. There is absolutely no way to escape the football mania these days, wether you go to a supermarket, put on the telly or just look out the window, Oranje all over the place.

Well, enough of this, time for some action. Hup Holland Hup, laat de leeuw niet in z’n hempie staan!! (haha, I wonder what google translate will make of this….)

I leave you with a sneak preview of the very near future…. (hopefully, we’ll see & may the best team win….)

Wow, this is soooo good. Oranje are trough to the final of the World Cup 2010! In an attractive match they beat Uruguay with 3-2 and  so they got their ticket for Soccer City on Sunday. Apart from some nail-biting moments in the last minutes I was confident throughout the whole match Oranje would come out on top. Some highlights:

Just 90 minutes between these guys and a WC final! Stony faces in the Dutch line up before the match against Uruguay, this image makes me feel so proud of my team!

After a slightly nervous start our captain took matters into his own hands. With a magnificent long distance shot left-back  Giovanni van Bronckhorst showed Oranje the way to the final. Gio will play his 106th and last international match this Sunday, so he is blessed to have a World Cup final as his goodbye! I think this goal can compete for best goal of the tournament.

After Forlan equalised with one of his trademark shots I got a little bit nervous. But after Sneijder somehow put the ball in the back of the net it was Robben’s turn to demonstrate that the Dutch are good with their heads. His header put Oranje in a rather safe 3-1 lead and demoralised Uruguay. In the dying seconds Uruguay it ain’t over till it’s really over, they scored 3-2 with a nice free kick.

Royal Oranje supporting football Oranje. Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and his wife Princess Maxima (born in Argentina) made a promise after the first WC match to come over for the semi final, so here they are. Both were cheering very enthusiasticly during the game and the players were happy to be photographed with Princess Maxima after the match. ( All photos via AD)

After the match loads of people went out onto the streets to celebrate the victory. The last time Oranje reached a WC final was back in 1978 and we’ve never won the World Cup so this is a big deal in Holland! Even though it was just a normal Tuesday, people stayed out late so I don’t think a lot of work will be done today.

Excited to see who will be our opponent on Sunday!

After the epic match last Friday, in which Oranje beat Brazil, the national euphoria has settled down a bit. Everyone realises that it is very important for the team to focus on the upcoming match and not to think of it too lightly. We all know what happens when you think of your opponent too lightly.

I think this photo says all there is to say about Holland-Brazil. Photo: Der Spiegel

Coach Bert van Marwijk still has the luxury of choosing his starting eleven out of 23 fit players. For the upcoming match there is a minor setback, with Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel out due to suspension. Van der Wiel will probably be replaced by Khalid Boulahrouz, for de positon in midfield Van Marwijk has several options to choose from. Depending on his game plan he can select De Zeeuw, Schaars, Affelay or Van der Vaart. Apart from these two positions Oranje will probably start with the usual suspects.

Not a lot of people would have predicted that Uruguay would be able to reach the semi final. Uruguay is a little country in South America and most of the time they are overshadowed by their big neighbours Argentina or Brazil. But they didn’t reach the semi final for no reason, the manager has put together a strong team and with Forlan they have an absolute world class player. Uruguay make sure they have more than enough people behind the ball and the first thing they do when they get the ball in their possession is to find Forlan. With Suarez and Lugano out, I think he is the one to watch!

Photo: Der Spiegel

If you’ve looked closely at some of the Oranje players during the last matches you might have noticed that they have some very nice haircuts. It’s not like the haircuts are anything weird or adventurous, it’s just that the guys look pretty stylish. That’s because they brought their very own hairstylist Hanni Hanna to South Africa. He comes over to the hotel when the players have some time off and sets up his own hair salon. One by one the players come round so Hanni Hanna can freshen up their do, after some finishing touches with wax & gel they’re good to go.

Hanni Hanna working his magic during this World Cup. Photos and article: Telegraaf.

The hairstylist was quoted to saying the players like their hair to look good because of the billions of people watching them on tv. And we all know that when you feel good about yourself you automatically think you are capable of almost everything. Hopefully that includes winning the match against Uruguay and reaching the final!

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita

Wow!! The outcome of yesterday’s match has left me without words. There’s absolutely no way to describe how I feel, I cannot tell you how proud I am right now. Words that come to mind are ecstatic, euphoric and relieved, but it’s more than that. Oranje did the unthinkable, they beat Brazil in the quarter final of a World Cup.

Photo: Telegraaf

And how! Not by playing beautiful football or because the ref made a mistake. They beat the Brazilians at their own game, showing pure passion! In the first half Oranje played poorly, partly because of nerves and they were lucky not to fall in behind too far. Stekelenburg showed his skills with a magnificent save right before half time.

Then coach Van Marwijk used some of his half time magic tricks. Again, I don’t no what he did and how, but it worked! The Dutch players got back on the pitch looking determined and focused. Brazil looked like they we’re already planning their pre-final preparations and the new and improved orange game plan took them by surprise. In the second half Oranje played like true lions and they fought for every inch of the pitch. Robben showed that he’s no ‘one trick pony’ and Sneijder was the decisive man even though he didn’t reach his normal level. But it feels wrong to name only them, Oranje showed that they know the true meaning of the word ‘team’. Besides the result, that’s what I am most proud of.

The Oranje architect: Bert van Marwijk amidst his players. Photo via AD

After the match Holland showed all signs of a very happy country. People are over the moon with this result. The WC 1998 trauma I told you about earlier is washed away with this result. The second of July 2010 is a day that will be remembered for a long time. Seeing Brazilian children cry because of the outcome did make me feel sad, but I’m just too happy to think about it for a long time. Now it is key for the players to stay focused and prepare for the semi final against Uruguay. Back home in Holland the ‘Oranjekoorts’ is on in full force.

Where’s Wally: Somewhere in this orange sea you can find me with my orange Futbolita shirt Photo: ED

Signing off,

A very happy Dutch Futbolita

Friday at 4 pm the first quarter final of this World Cup will start, starring two of the best teams in the world. At the Nelson Mandelabaai Stadium in Port Elizabeth Holland and Brazil will fight for a very precious place in the semi final. Without a doubt this (with the clash between Germany and Argentina as a good runner up) is the most exciting match of this World Cup sofar.

Oh boy, this upcoming match brings back memories…. The last time Oranje reached the quarter finals in a World Cup was back in 1998. In France we beat Argentina in the quarters and in the semi final we were up against….. tatatata….Brazil! Up until this day there are Dutch people frustrated about the outcome of that match. After 90 minutes the score was levelled at 1-1 and at the end of extra time there was still no winner so penalties had to bring the decision.

Just a few minutes ago I saw a re-play of the last minutes of that match, showing that Holland should have had a penalty kick because of a foul against Van Hooijdonk, he got booked for protesting instead. Oranje lost that semi final after some dramatic penalties…. The fact that this match is subject to discussion these days shows that it is still a sore subject for Dutch people.

Two men that played that match back in 1998 are Frank de Boer and Philip Cocu, they are Holland’s assistant managers at the moment. They have told that they brought their 1998 experience with them and they use it to motivate today’s players to seize the opportunity.

So hopefully yesterday’s drama can affect tomorrows outcome….

The day before the match Oranje was in full force at the last training. Coach Van Marwijk is happy to tell that all his 23 men are able to play on Friday. The calf injury Van der Vaart suffered earlier this week is healed sufficiently and Robben is ready to play an entire match. So no problems at all in the personal department for Oranje. Brazil on the other hand, seem to have some problems in that area, specifically in the midfield positions.

After Monday’s match against Slovakia there was a bit of consternation about Van Persie’s substitution. He showed his dismay while walking off the pitch and journalists claimed he told the coach to substitute Sneijder instead. Although I was afraid this behaviour would be disruptive, the way the team handled this situation was brilliant. They told the journalists to stop blabbing about things that are not important. They just ooze confidence, focus and sheer willpower. The only thing they think about is how to continue on their road to lifting that Cup after the final….

Photos: AD / Telegraaf / Volkskrant.

Out of respect for the kind of determination they demonstrate I will not even think for one moment about the possibility that……well you know what I mean. Friday at four two of the best teams in the world will battle it out. For the first time this tournament Oranje is the underdog, with Brazilian people all over the place saying that Holland can’t hold a candle to them. There’s nothing to say about who is better, stronger, faster of whatever. This is a World Cup and everything depends on the moment. I’m just hoping this is gonna be OUR moment!!

Signing off,

Your very excited Oranje Futbolita

When I left home this afternoon to go and watch Oranje with friends, I actually felt nervous. It had something to do with 22 guys in Durban, South Africa. I was sure Slovakia was not good enough to beat Oranje on their own, but a mistake is easily made…. One weak moment is all it takes for a concentrated and motivated team to score, and feared Slovakia for their defensive game plan, making it hard for Oranje to get a goal in. The starting line up made me lift my eyebrows a few inches…. Robben was to start. This seemed like quite a risk for the ever so cautious coach Van Marwijk. A hamstring injury is one of the most difficult injuries to get back from, and with Robben’s history I was very scared for his physique.

Dutch line up: Stekelburg; Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst; De Jong, Van Bommel; Robben, Sneijder, Kuyt, Van Persie. Photos AFP, REUTERS, AP, EPA & ANP via AD.

But I needn’t have bothered. Holland simply cruised trough to the quarter finals in automatic mode. They controlled the game for 90 minutes and with a single spark from Arjen Robben they got the lead early on in the match. With the 1-0 lead they changed back into first gear and calmly let the minutes go by. Even though they didn’t play to the best of their ability, it was an eternaining match. Van Persie got a few chances and Kuyt showed why Van Marwijk hasn’t lost faith in him.

In the second half goalkeeper Maarten Stekelburg got the possibility to take the limelight. The Slovak players pressed and produced a few decent shoats on target. Stekelenburg showed that there is no truth in all these stories about all the Dutch quality being in the attacking possitions. With Slovakia playing all or nothing Holland got the opportunity to counter attack. After a quick and clever taken freekick by Van Bronckhorst Kuyt kept a clear view and put Sneijder in front of an open goal, 2-0! In the last second (literally!) Slovakia got a very disputable penalty and showed that the only way to score a goal against Holland this WC is from the penalty spot.

Dutch media have recently discoverd that it is possible for women to be interested in football. A beer brand had the luminous idea of making the ‘Dutchydress’, so that women could support Oranje and look good as well. I think you all know how that story ended.  In the past few days I have read three articles about surveys among women about which player is the the best looking. The first one stated that Dutch women liked Dirk Kuyt the best, something I can hardly believe. The other one named Van der Vaart as the favourite, with Sneijder and Afellay as runners up. What’s the opinion of Futbolitas over here about the level of man candy in the orange squad?

Up until now Oranje has worked their way succesfully trough four games without showing any signs of the normal style of total football. All the matches were uncharactericly sober and pragmatic, but with with four wins out of four matches, what’s there to worry about? I think Holland hasn’t showed their true colours yet, they have been holding back, waiting for the moment it really counts. As I am writing this the match between Brazil and Chile is coming to an end. The quarter final loads of people over here have been talking about for a few days already is now a fact. Friday will be the day of the quarter final between Holland and Brazil….

I’m sooo excited, I just can’t hide it!!

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita

HOLLAND  – SLOVAKIA

Monday June 28 Holland will take on Slovakia at the Durban Stadium, starting at 4 pm. The country is kind of divided into two camps: the enthusiastic ‘we just have to come and pick up the Cup‘ vs the cautious ‘we’re not there yet‘ people. The first group is already celebrating the World Cup thinking  Holland-Slovakia is gonna be a walk over. The second group is more realistic I think. They say you have to take it one game at a time, focus on Slovakia 100 %.

Since I am camping in the cautious camp let’s focus on Slovakia. Slovakia are playing the role of ‘underdog’ with flying colours, putting all the pressure on the oranje players. Slovakia might be a low profile team, they are not to be underestimated. They didn’t make the last sixteen for nothing, they are a solid team on a unique mission. They are the odd one out in the list of names in the last 16 and have nothing to lose. Oranje on the other hand will be welcomed back home with scorn and critique if they get sent home by Slovakia.

In the physical department all is looking quite nicely. Apart from Van der Vaart everyone will be fit to play against Slovakia. VdV left training on Sunday due to a calf injury and probably wont be able to play on Monday. I’ve got a feeling this might be not as bad as you would think at first. In the last matches VdV and Sneijder seemed to struggle as they both like to play the same style of football. They want to be in the same spot and ask for the ball at the same moments. Maybe Sneijder will reach his normal level with Van der Vaart on the bench and Elia and Robben on the flanks. As they are natural wingers they should be able to make room for Sneijder and produce some decent crosses for Robin van Persie to net.

ORANJEKOORTS

With the World Cup gearing up towards the decisive moments, Holland is getting more and more excited. Everyday more people are starting to believe it is possible for Oranje to become world champion this year. People are frantically searching for match tickets and extra airplanes are chartered to fly them to South Africa. The millions of Oranjefans that are not able to watch their team in real life find all sorts of ways to watch the match tomorrow. Since the match will start at 4 pm many of us are still at work. Some of them try to find a way to get a day off, others watch the match together with their colleagues. People try to outrun their neighbours with the orange decoration and you cannot put the telly on without watching football or at least someone talking about football. Hats, wigs, all kinds of t-shirts and even orange cars and bikes can be seen everywhere. This state of national orange mania is in Holland referred to as ‘Oranjekoorts’ which means so much as Orange fever.

Well, I am actually quite nervous for this game! To be honest that’s a first, I never for a moment thought that we would be going home after three matches. So for me, the tournament just got started for real! I hope we get a good result and I think we are able to do so.  So get me some of that Oranjekoorts and see you at the quarter final!

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita

Photos: VdV & Sneijder via AD / others from flickr.

That’s it! I’m gonna declare a new era. From today on Oranje is the new black. No more boring and ugly football matches, done with the players acting like civil servants who are just waiting for their next break. This group stage was just a warm up to get used to the circumstances but in the knock out stage Oranje will rise and shine!

Starting with Monday’s game against Slovakia Oranje is back in serious business. Back to those days that Oranje meant total football, beautiful tic-tac play and passionate players.

Dutch line up for Cameroon – Holland

In yesterday’s match against Cameroon we did get to see a few glimpses of the new and improved Oranje. Although it wasn’t meant to show already the players couldn’t hold back any more. While they obviously tried to play a boring match there were some moments …. To name only a few:

• Mark van Bommel sneaked in some sharp-as-a-knife passes right trough the middle of the field to put RvP in scoring position. Robin seemed quite gutted he wasn’t allowed to finish it, that would have been to obvious.
• Giovanni van Bronckhorst showed that it is possible to give a decent cross pass with the Jabulani, he dropped the ball right behind the defense line. Again Robin van Persie could have scored, but he decided against it.
• Dirk Kuijt nearly made a mistake by scoring after a beautiful combination with Khalid Boulahrouz, but he managed to get the ball just wide.
• Rafael van der Vaart even had the presence of mind to cause a penalty by handling the ball foolishly after a free kick. That way other teams might be tricked into thinking it is possible to score against Holland.
• An then came Arjen Robben….. the moment a whole nation had been waiting for.  He directly showed some magic with a magnificent move, but new better then to score right away so he made sure to hit the post. Huntelaar couldn’t do anything else but to tap in the ball.

After the match Robben was on the verge of tears because of his comeback.

After 90 minutes the players left with their job done. They won 2-1 in yet another no too exciting match. Another win, nine points after three matches and winner of group E. But more importantly they fooled the rest of the world by making everyone believe that Oranje can not play a decent game of football this tournament. Please don’t tell them I gave the show away…

Match Statistics: Cameroon – Holland 1-2

Robin van Persie ‘36

Samuel Eto’o (p) ‘65

Klaas Jan Huntelaar ‘83

Next match: Holland vs Slovakia on Monday June 28 at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. With all those European favorites already on their flight home I urge all you French and Italian futbolitas to get on board the Dutch team! Follow the latest trend in fashion, get yourself a nice orange outfit and support the Dutch!

These football fashionistas already picked up on the new trend.

Photos: AFP & AP via AD.nl

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita

This Thursday Holland will meet Cameroon in their last match of the group stage at the Green Point Stadium in Cape town. With Oranje already in possession of a ticket to the next round and Cameroon in a hopeless  position at the bottom of group E I don’t have high hopes for this match. Watching Hollands first two matches it seems our new strategy is to win the ugly way.  Hopefully Cameroon wants to play attractive football, that way Oranje gets the space they need to give away a real show. One reason to win this match is that the winner of group E gets to play the next two matches (if…, off course) at sea level, which is thought to be an advantage.

Since the match won’t exactly be a feast for your eyes, here are some photos to kill the time.

Van Marwijk is expected not to make many changes to his original starting line up. The eleven that started against Japan will probably be on the pitch against Cameroon as well. Possible changes: Boulahrouz for Van der Wiel (2) and Afellay for Van der Vaart(23). Elia is said to have problems with his ankle, so he won’t be able to play 90 minutes. Players with one yellow card (Van der Wiel, De Jong & Van Persie) will probably be spared in order to prevent them from getting a second one.

Wesley Sneijder was voted Man of the match after the previous two matches although the real man of the match was Mark van Bommel on both occasions. While Sneijder received a little African drum from Fifa, Van Bommel made sure he got his own present. At the end of both matches Van Bommel nicked an official ball so that both of his sons could have their own WC 2010 football. But hey Mark, you got a daughter as well, does she get tonight’s Jabulani?

A lot has been said about the ball, loads of players seem to be having a problem controlling the Jabulani. Especially in stadiums at high altitude you can see players foolishly losing ball possession or kicking in the air as if their timing is off. In this picture John Heitinga shows it is possible to head the ball full force.

On the day before the match Oranje visited Robben Island. Van Marwijk said the players all thanked him for skipping training and giving them the opportunity to visit the place, they were all very impressed. Talk of the town back in Holland is our very own Arjen Robben . Will he make an appearance during this match or will he save his magic for the knock out stage? I think Robben is one of those players that doesn’t need rhythm, he will be sharp and ready the moment the team needs him to be. A player that still needs to retrieve him ‘oompf’ is Robin van Persie,  hopefully he will score once or twice today and get his confidence back.

With the possibility of jinxing anything I am gonna say Oranje will be group winner after tonight. That means they will be up against the number two in group F, after today’s four o’clock matches we will know who we’re up against. Italy, Slovakia and New Zealand are in the running for second place, with Paraguay likely to become group winner.

Photos: Telegraaf / AD / Flickr

Group E: Holland – Cameroon at Green Point stadium in Cape Town, kick off at 20:30.

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita

After a few chilly days in Johannesburg this Saturday afternoon it was quite warm and humid and it showed in the way the players moved around the pitch. Almost reluctant to do one step too many the game was very slow and to be honest effectively boring at some point. Oranje got the upper hand during the first half but was not able to create a decent chance to take the lead.

I am dying to know what Bert van Marwijk does to these guys during half time. He must have a secret trick, speech or threat because just like last match the magic happened early on in the second half. I don’t know what he does to them, but it does the trick! Ten minutes into the second half Wesley Sneijder put Holland up front with a powerful shot that almost blew Japanese goalkeeper Kawashima away.

After that short but successful revival the match sunk back to it’s original steady pace. Later on Ibrahim Afellay showed he is an intelligent player but he couldn’t get the ball past the Japanese goalkeeper. The Japanese players looked as though they would be happy to return to the dressing room with one point. The best way for them to achieve their goal seemed to be by doing hardly anything but nag and whine. These last two matches Oranje was not able to play the type of football they are known for. ‘We are playing to win,’ said Holland coach Bert van Marwijk. ‘If we play beautiful football too that is fine but as I told the team when I became coach two years ago, we have to be prepared to win ugly games too. So from now on Holland is going to specialise in winning ugly games. If you want to see gallery play just watch Germany vs. Australia.

These Dutch fans are very confident Photo: AD

Even though the match itself was not very entertaining to watch, Oranje beat Japan today and bagged another three important points. So now we top group E with a total of six points. Because Denmark won their match against Cameroon this evening we are already certain we reached the knock out fase! This does not come as a surprise to Oranjefans, in their dreams Holland is allready holding the World Cup. Most of them took the group stage kind of for granted. Seeing other great teams struggle we now realise it doesn’t come easy…

From now on it will be interesting to speculate who will be our first opponent in the 1/8 finals. If we happen to meet a strong team all our good spirits might go down the drain. Since a couple of strong contenders messed up in the first matches some interesting matches are possible. What do you think? Which country do you want for your team in the first knock out match? Personally I don’t mind, to become World champion you have to be able to beat them all.

After a safe and sober victory on Monday, Japan is Holland’s next opponent. Tonight,  Oranje and Japan will meet in Durban Stadium at half past one. Both teams have three points at the moment, so this match will decide who will come first in the group. In September 2009 they played a friendly against each other. In Enschede Holland beat Japan with 3-0.

The Dutch fans left Johannesburg for Durban on Wednesday. They have crossed the country like an impressive 6 km long orange ribbon. Some of them came by car or camper all the way from Holland, that’s like 20.000 kilometres! Others came by plane to South Africa and together they stay on so-called Oranje campsites during the tournament.

Japan surprised a lot of people earlier this week by winning their first match against Cameroon. The Japanese goal was scored by Keisuke Honda. He is nog stranger to Dutch people, because he has played for Dutch Eredivisie club VVV Venlo. We all know exactly what he is capable of and (hopefully) how to stop him.

Monday we got off to the best start coach Bert van Marwijk could have wished for. Three points but no gallery play and no (inter)national euphoria. During Euro 2008 we shocked everyone by smashing Italy and France in the group stage in the most beautifull way possible. Everyone was talking about us as if we’d allready won the tournament. Then came Guus Hiddink with Russia….. we lost and got knocked out in the quarter final…

Photos via AD

The big question for next match is who will be in the starting line up. Will Van Marwijk reward Elia for the way he fullfilled his role on Monday or will he stick with Van der Vaart to give him confidence? Is Elia ready to start with the big boys or is he at his best as a supersub? Would anyone notice if we’d field assistent manager Frank de Boer instead of Giovanni van Bronckhorst? Will Robin van Persie bring his -much needed- outstanding scoring skills or is he still at war with the Jabulani?

There’s so many questions and Bert is still not available to answer them. So you’ll have to do with my crystal ball…. With Robben still out I’d go for Elia from the start as he is a natural winger. He’s quick, has loads of confidence and with his depth he will create the space needed for Sneijder to shine. That way he must be able to give at least a couple of passes that will enable Robin van Persie to score. Here’s my guess for who will be singing the Wilhelmus on Saturday: Stekelenburg; Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijssen, Van Bronckhorst; De Jong, Van Bommel; Kuyt, Sneijder, Elia; Van Persie.

I hope you all have a good time watching your countries play the next matches. May the best team win ! (Looking into my crystal ball I happen to see a lot of orange…. )
Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita

Well, maybe I’ve missed my calling, maybe I should consider a career as a mentalist. Like I told you this morning substitute Eljero Elia made our day! With a couple of dazzling moves right from the start he surprised the Danish players and made the Dutch fans jump for joy. Later on Ibrahim Afellay showed he is one to watch as well. This gives great perspectives for the rest of the tournament.

Holland celebrate their first goal                                                  Photo: AFP

To be fair, we got a little help from our (Danish) friends… It took not one, but two Danish players to put the ball in the back of the net. The Danish players were probably still with their minds in the locker room, because right after the break Robin van Persie’s cross pass was promoted to goal by Poulsen and Agger. After this first own goal of the tournament Holland got the confidence and space to play their own game. They showed some good combination’s and Kuyt doubled the lead after a brilliant pass by Sneijder  Elia.

Holland won their first match today with 2-0. I’d like to know what you think, are you impressed by the way they played today? Who do you think was man of the match and what are the chances of this team becoming World Champion this year?

One down, six to go!

Signing off,

Your Dutch Futbolita.

After three days of watching other matches, it’s time for the Dutch squad to begin their World Cup adventure for real.  Tomorrow they take on Denmark at the Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg, starting at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. This is the moment to tune in and watch Oranje on their road to WC victory! Looking at the stadium I just know this is gonna be good, with all the orange seats we couldn’t have a better start. You would almost think it was built especially for us…

Oranje during training today at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg  Photo: ANP via AD

Even though coach Bert van Marwijk hasn’t officially told which players will start the game, I did everything to find out who will be in the starting eleven. Since Bert wasn’t around to answer his phone, this is the moment to find out if have a gift for telepathy.  The moment the French referee Stephane Lannoy will start the game, this will be our team: Stekelenburg;  Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijssen, Van Bronckhorst; De Jong, Van Bommel; Kuijt, Sneijder, Van der Vaart & Van Persie. Let me introduce these players to you with a few words:

• Maarten Stekelenburg – The  goalie from Ajax Amsterdam is ready to show the world that he is worthy to fill in the gap Edwin van der Sar left.
• Gregory van der Wiel – This young defender is feared for his offensive input. Was given the Johan Cruijff price for being best Dutch talent this season.
• John Heitinga – Shows at Everton he is a central defender you can rely on, looks the part as well.
• Joris Mathijssen – Plays for HSV in the Bundesliga, this defender is like a German car; solid and reliable.
• Giovanni van Bronckhorst – Our lovely looking captain has been part of the team since 1996! This will be his last tournament, he retires from professional football after this WC.
• Nigel de Jong – Beast from the Blues, this midfielder from Manchester City is feared for his aggressive tackles. (always on the ball, off course…)
• Mark van Bommel -  Bundesliga-Meister as captain of Bayern Munchen and married to the daughter of coach Van Marwijk.
• Dirk Kuijt – Hardworking is his middle name, you won’t catch him doing nothing during the game.
• Wesley Sneijder – Won the treble with Internazionale this season, scored the most beautiful goal in the European Championship in 2008.
• Rafael van der Vaart – After a Dutch invasion in Madrid, currently he is the only Oranje player wearing the prestigious white shirt, and with reason!
• Robin van Persie – This Gunner was forced to hold fire last season due to a serious injury. Showed in the friedlies he hasn’t lost his skills though.

With Arjen Robben still out after suffering a hamstring injury last week, it is Kuijt’s chance to show he is good enough to play alongside three of the best attacking players around. Be sure to pay special attention to substitutes Elia and Afellay the moment they enter the pitch, these youngsters are eager to show the world what they’re worth. Hopefully the match will be fun to watch for all oranjefans and neutral supporters, I expect fireworks from VdV, RvP and Sneijder. Denmark’s coach M. Olsen says that their biggest star Nicklas Bendtner is not fit enough to play tomorrow, he will probably be replaced by Tomasson. The only minor problem is that Olsen is very familiar with the Dutch football and almost half of the Danish team play for Dutch clubs, so I expect them to have an excellent strategy.

I am confident the three points are ours after 90 minutes, Hup Holland Hup!

Signing off,

Your Dutch Fútbolita

Personally I don’t like these last few days until kick off, I just want it to begin!  All this news about injured players makes me nervous and I’m fed up with the friendly matches. Journalists don’t have anything new to talk about so they make up little things to fuss about and create problems that are not worth mentioning.

Fortunately there are also good things happening over here. Holland is looking more and more orange every day. People are putting up orange flags and banners and big video screens are being set up so people can watch the match together. Discussion topics between my friends go from which shop has the best orange t-shirts and how Robben is doing to where we are gonna watch the matches. Hollands first match will be played on Monday early in the afternoon, so we are thinking of watching it all together at university. So when Oranje start their World Cup adventure we will be ready, bring on the ‘oranjekoorts’!

If you want to know how some of our players spend their time when they’re not on the field check out this video below. It shows Ryan Babel and Eljero Elia playing a game of Pro Evolution Soccer in their hotel room.

On the Robben issue: his recovery seems to be going rather well. Without any setbacks he will join the other guys this weekend! He is not ready to play against Denmark on Monday, but hopefully he will be able to play as soon as we need him.

Signing off,

Your Dutch Fútbolita

Zizou and amigos played out to a nice 3-3 draw in last night’s “Match of the Stars” to help Haiti. And don’t you agree that it’s tres bien to see Rui Costa, Luis Figo and Edgar David’s Mask on the field again?! Daaaamn, feels like old times. Anyway forty international football stars from across the world joined UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) to play that match against Benfica All Stars. This is the match which Kaka played on behalf of Greaseano cuz’ their Bromance is going out of hand and bros don’t let bros down. Anyway, once again it’s amazing how futbol has transcended all boundaries and reached out to those in need!

“By coming to the stadium people have done a great thing. I am very happy we can do something to help,” said Zizou. Added Louis Van Gaal, who was in charge of the All-Star squad : “This is a very good cause, that’s why there are so many players here. Football is with the people of Haiti.”

van Nistelrooy has switched sides from Madrid to Hamburg (a pity, since we hear he’s one of our dear amiga’s favourite interviewees!) .Granted, he did look a little zoned out at his own presentation but it was all done for the Oranje.

There’s a lot riding on Nistelrooy’s quest to join the national team and only first-team football will give him that chance, seeing that Madrid are very content with Higuain and Benzema. He will remain at Hamburg until his contract ends in 2011. And as the Dutch say… veel succes!

Do not fear, Robinho is not pulling a R.Carlos and getting married again. Instead of showing him looking all gloomy on the bench, we decided that a smiling-and-spoilt Robinho would be the better option for your precious eyes.

Anyway, A Douche has declared that he wants to take a pay cut, return to Santos and play regular football again. He’s looking at a Beckham/Milan deal where Oil City continues to pay his wages while he parties at the Catwalk club in Rio. Ah cara, sei lá…! Sao Paulo better be ready for the return of Robinho and his entourage.

via AP, Globo