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Netherlands

…Just not THEM…

June 3rd, 2006 | By: Mike | 61 Comments »

Reader Rami(^5) gave me this idea. Let’s say that we are all sucked into the Bizarro universe and the Netherlands crash out at the first hurdle. What then do you do? Who do you support?

More importantly though who, under any circumstances, must NOT win the World Cup. Who would you least like to see win the World Cup?

For me…it’s a three way tie between Portugal, Argentina and Germany. I still wince at the memory of Maniche’s goal in Euro 2004, the Argentines are just plain cheaters and the Germans well…I can’t exactly pinpoint it but I just really really don’t want them to do well(I’m also the least worried about them.)

Tags: Argentina, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal

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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 61 comments.

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By Jan | June 4th, 2006 at 10:07 am

Rami, it’s interesting though. Holland had injuries/not available players before 74 (Israel, Hulshof), 78 (Cruyff, Van Hanegem), 88 (v Basten) and 98 (van Nistelrooy). This gives v Basten the oportunity to do something rash. How bout Robben – Van – Kuyt up front, and v Persie left midfield or even center… Hopefully Vaart left, Landzaat right. And v Persie becomes the big man. Could happen…

Posted from Australia

By Rami | June 4th, 2006 at 10:11 am

Well jan trust me .. thats the best we’ve seen out of van bommel so far. If u consider him today to have been invisible, he would haven been considered not on the pitch against cameroon.

Need to release anger… I’d like to take it out on the aussies so much now!!

Posted from Russian Federation

By Jan | June 4th, 2006 at 10:11 am

Rami, take 10 deep breaths, drink two glasses of water and feel the love abound in the universe. And say this mantra 33 times:
It’s just a game, it’s just a game, it’s just a game… (33x)

Posted from Australia

By Daniel | June 4th, 2006 at 10:12 am

vBommel and Robben playing on the left together didn’t seem to click at all..

But, overall I thought Holland played pretty well though..
It could have easily been 4-1.

Robben + vNistelrooy + vBommel all had shots cleared of the line. vPersie almost broke the right goal post in two, plus had a couple of very near misses..

Maybe we are purging ourselves of all of the bad luck, now? when the result doesn’t really matter at all?

By Rami | June 4th, 2006 at 10:15 am

Thats as lucky as they can ever get in one match, the aussies…

Posted from Russian Federation

By Chakan | June 4th, 2006 at 10:21 am

:/ did anyone thought i said anything bad? my comment was deleted

Posted from Brazil

By Jan | June 4th, 2006 at 10:22 am

@Daniel
That’s a good way to see it. Yeah…

Posted from Australia

By Daniel | June 4th, 2006 at 10:25 am

hey, let’s wish our Young Oranje better luck in their Euro Final against Ukraine! It kicks off in about 1.5 hours I think.

ow, and I meant Robben and vBommel did play well together on the right not the left.

By Chakan | June 4th, 2006 at 10:25 am

oh i c it was not added, as i dont see any reason what so ever, it was a good point and the history shows it :/ lata.

Posted from Brazil

By jimmy | June 4th, 2006 at 10:41 am

Well i only hope that Sneijder or Van Der Vaart will be able to play against Serbia, otherwise it will be difficult to beat them. anyway, after watching Landzaat and Maduro for the first time (in these last 2 games) i really can’t understand why Van Basten chose them over Davids…
And what Jan said about playing Van Persie in the midfield sounded very interesting (if both Sneidjer and VdVaart are out)

By Martin | June 4th, 2006 at 11:21 am

Jan, I like your style mate…..

It’s only a game.

True but when it comes this time every 4 years it sometimes does not seem like this.

Overall, the Dutch have more quality players than my boys but the result was 1-1 (Good for me considering we played last 30 minutes with 10 men).

I did not consider this a dirty game, just very physical. That’s the way we play. The only bad challenge was the sending off. I hope you guys view it this way too.

The one thing I was a little unhappy about was the diving…the blatant diving. I have been watching Dutch soccer for about 20 years and this is not usually part of their game.

Anyway, good luck to the Dutch in the WC. If my boys don’t win (and they surely won’t) then I do hope the Dutch get their deserved WC victory.

By alaa | June 4th, 2006 at 12:09 pm

plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, don’t say that cocu and sneijder are injured, whats wrong the best three midfielders we have are injured now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By alaa | June 4th, 2006 at 12:09 pm

plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, don’t say that cocu and sneijder are injured, whats wrong the best three midfielders we have are injured now!!!!!

By Syrian | June 4th, 2006 at 2:19 pm

noooooooo cocu and sneijder are injured!!!!!

Posted from Canada

By ranjit | June 4th, 2006 at 7:45 pm

i am a long time/suffering fan of the dutch team. as an indian citizen living in the usa, there is very little dutch about me or the way i live, still one feels elated when they win because they do it style and hopeless after a loss, because they lose so badly. a fan once lamented that you never knew which dutch team was going to show up. another felt they did not want to win. and a third pointed to the infighting between the dutch and surinam players. the cameras caught a glimpse of davitz and van der saar going at each other after holland beat argentina in the 1998world cup match. imagine if they’d lost! the dutch have been absent from both world and euro tornaments. it’s not the same if they’re absent and heartbreaking if they underperform. a few injuries here and there are not going to matter. let’s hope van basten has this sorted out and we get to see them play all seven games. those fortunate enough to watch the 1974 cup must have had the month of their lives. i’m hoping for the same for all of us starting next week.

Posted from United States

By ranjit | June 4th, 2006 at 9:15 pm

all,

yup, just a game this thing, just a game! one that also happens to be a religion for so many!

its good to have more than one dog in this fight. as for me, like one other, if/once holland lose, i will turn down sound, adjust the tv, turn orange to yellow (i am assuming yellow is brazil)and support the nearest bottle of whisky. then again, this ain’t no cricket match!

a far-fetched question: what if sepp blatter allowed barcelona to field its first eleven this year as say the 33rd team. then, which national team minus those club players could beat them on a good or bad day? and the winner is…?

thrilled to have found this site — just trying to kill time till friday.

Posted from United States

By Marco | June 4th, 2006 at 11:58 pm

i would not want brazil, england, spain or germany to win the world cup. And how can u say argentina is cheaters .. Geramny is the only cheaters at the World cup … all 3 WC titles they have were won coz they fixed games

Posted from Australia

By MRXXPERFECT | June 5th, 2006 at 3:13 am

ENGLAND ENGLAND ENGLAND ALL THE WAY. HA HA HA

Posted from United Kingdom

By eowu | June 5th, 2006 at 11:10 am

in case oranje is out i really hope an african team wins!

ghana
ivory coast

(the others are probably out in the first round)

ps. unfortunately i dont see this happen…

Posted from Netherlands

By eowu | June 5th, 2006 at 11:13 am

i would not like to see the usual suspects (br, it, ar, ger) win…

Posted from Netherlands

By sphinx | June 5th, 2006 at 2:10 pm

Germans, Argies .. Cheaters
England..Speakers too loud
Italy….Sleeper to watch
French, Spain.. Under-achievers
Brasil…True believers not for this time.
If no Orange I shall go for Portugals.

Posted from Myanmar

By laoyao | June 5th, 2006 at 3:42 pm

Germany, Germany, Germany.

Fortunately they are so weak now. I am waiting to see Oranje knock them out in Quaterfinal.

Posted from United States

By Pedro P | June 6th, 2006 at 5:11 am

Hello Mike. I understand very well your reasons against Portugal. But you DO know, if both our teams get out of groups, there’s a strong chance we meet again. To be honest, NED is the team I’d prefer Portugal to meet…

There’s a lot of people in Portugal with the same views on Italy, for example. It’s the team I dislike the most (althoug, must say have nothing against the country).

Goose: I’d very much like to know just why you find Portugal wankers and cheaters. After all, if there’s a team in these 32 that resembles The Netherlands the most – and no matter what anybody says, I find it currently stronger – that team is Portugal. Same formation, same style, better technique, worse discipline.

Wankers and cheaters…? Portugal’s not Italy, my friend… We don’t base our play in fouling and stopping the game, every other minute…

Posted from Netherlands

By Jan | June 6th, 2006 at 5:56 pm

I’m not against Portugal. Great players, good swing, I also like that mediterrenean (what a word?!!!!) vibe they have. Nothing wrong with that! I’d like Holland to play Portugal. This time,no van Gaal though…

Posted from Australia

By Pedro P | June 7th, 2006 at 5:22 am

Hi Jan. Thanks Mediterranean vibe… Go to Lisbon and check it out yourself, dude… You’ll see how paradise can be so, so close (well, not to Australia)…