Oranje Euro Champs AGAIN!!

Wow, what a match… I just finished watching - delayed in Australia - but it had everything… Goals, great football, rain, balls on posts, missed penalties, red card, passion, spirit and VICTORY!

In the first 20 minutes, Oranje played as if Serbia didn’t exist. Fast-paced positioning-play. Lots of confidence on the ball. No stress or nerves. When Bakkal scored his first ever goal in orange - 1-0 - , I thought the team would thunder right over the poor Serbs who seemed clueless. But no… With the rain pouring down (I expected Foppe to bring Jacques Cousteau on the pitch!!) Oranje started to temporize the game. The pace went down a bit and Oranje allowed Serbia to come back in the game. Daniel de Ridder - who grew into the match and became one of the deciding players - missed a huge opportunity for 2-0… Serbia started to play good and dangerous football and maybe deserved more than they got. Waterman, who played a poor first 60 minutes, was helped by the post when he completely missed a free-kick by the Serbs. The ball hit the post and bounced straight back into his hands…

I was getting worried. Serbia got more opportunities and Babel was almost invisible. Drenthe seemed to be out of steam and Rigters was just tagging along. It was midfield this time - Bakkal, De Ridder, Maduro and a great Donk - who kept the team afloat. From the first seconds in the second half, it seemd Oranje was mentally still in the dressing-rooms. Serbia got a couple of half chances but didn’t do anyhting with it. Then, Oranje woke up. Babel woke up. De Ridder stepped up to the plate and the team started to play tighter and more efficient.

This time, more in counter-attacking mode, Oranje put the pressure back on which resulted in a wonderful second goal. A cross from De Ridder, a step-over (?) by Rigters and a cool and efficient finish by Ryan Babel; 2-0. And then, the game was played. Babel found his second wind, De Ridder didn’t do anything wrong and timid players like Peeters and Zuiverloon started to get a hold on the game. Not long after, Babel was fouled leading to the second yellow card of the Serbian defender who was told to leave the pitch. With 11 against 10, what could go wrong. When an unleashed Babel found Rigters in space, it was easy for the NAC striker to score his fourth goal of the tournament; 3-0.

Not much later, Babel was fouled in the box and awarded a penalty kick. That would mean 4-0, and the fans went berserk. The only good thing the Serbia goalie did in the whole tournament, he did now. He denied Babel his second goal of the match and kept Serbia somewhat alive. The Serbs got their consolation goal, when the Dutch defense was caught snoozing off. The cross got a deflection, but four defenders couldn’t stop the Serbian sub to head the ball behind Waterman; 3-1. With only 10 minutes to go, nobody really cared. Rigters was taken off, replaced by exciting Feyenoord talent Luigi Bruins, and Drenthe - who was totally empty - was replaced by PSV talent Beerens.

In the last phase, it was again De Ridder with a beautiful little trick to set up another goal. Bruins scored a Van Nistelrooy-like tap in after De Ridders fast-paced low cross in.

By then, the party had started already. De Haan needed to keep his tears under wraps and the historical fact was there.

Holland won the European Championship for the second time in a row. And a first for any host country.

And Foppe showed the world that Oranje has a hugely talented pool of young players (don’t forget Emanuelson, Afellay, Aisatti, Menudjahin) and he showed a certain Johan C. and a certain Marco van B. that titles can be won with attractive play in a 4-4-2 formation….