Holland never lost on June 21…

Viva Holland! Oranje will be a champion!

Posted from  Russian Federation

@Alexey; im not beeing a snob; its just facts… all our players play at the biggest competitions at the biggest clubs…lots of experience in big games; this is not the case with Russia

but that doenst mean i have no respect for the russian team (though i do think their manager is somewhat overrated!! haha)

i think it will be a fun match to watch

Posted from  Netherlands

goose

It doesn’t matter that your players are more qualify than our. have you seen the yesterday match Germany-Portugal? I think that in general current version of Portugal team is better that Germany, but we’ve already seen who are going to 1/2 final. Because yesterday Germany was a TEAM, there are no single players, just TEAM.
Russia first time for the last 15 years shows us that now we have a TEAM too, so it doesn’t matter who will play, and it doesn’t matter thet Nistelroy could score more than Arshavin just becouse he has a very good and long experience in european top-team. Tommorow’s game gives answers for all question. But if I were you I would not be so confident, that you win.

I hope it would be one of the best games of EURO 08.

Our players should remember 1988 final and they should show to everybody that football in Russia is not dead.

Posted from  Russian Federation

Goose, may be you are a very good person, but you are beeing a snob here. It`s just a fact and no exclamation about respecting our team can help it.
By the way. Vodka is spelt with V. Not with “W”. and we say there`s never too much of it

Posted from  Russian Federation

@Alexey; yes, i am a very good person! haha … funny thing is; Hiddink agrees, just heard him say the same thing on dutch tv, but Guus ofcourse loves the underdog position so he wouldnt say otherwise; dont think you can call somebody a snob cause he thinks hes team is made up of better players

i know football, i know every game is a game on its own …i was just reacting on Vladi’s comment, thats all

Posted from  Netherlands

Besides that, if the Dutch players feel anything like Goose, they might think that victory will come automaticly because they are the better team and they’ll forget to really fight for it with their heart like they did against Italy and France. When you come up against a stronger opponent it makes you fight harder, play better and it keeps you on your toes, fully concentrated. Against Russia this will be less so for the players, they will have to summon this feeling (eagerness to prove themselves and play a great game) all by themselves. This is why Holland always plays badly in qualification.

They might even get frustrated if the scoreline stays 0-0 for a long time and they’ll start making the same mistakes the 1998,2000 and 2002 teams were always making, taking too much risks and losing to a countergoal (like they lost against Romania in the qualification). Frustration doesn’t have a very good effect on their play either.

I hope they understand they’ll have to fight just as hard as before, and not just understand it (and saying it), but really FEELING it. That will elevate their game again.

Posted from  Netherlands

I didn`t call you a snob because you think you think dutch players play better than Russian. I quite agree. Your team is an obviuos favorite. Did you really think I was going to object it? Snobism is not about estimating football skills and abilities. It`s about the way it is demonstrated in your first comment here.

Posted from  Russian Federation

I didn`t call you a snob because you think Dutch players play better than Russians. I quite agree. Your team is an obviuos favorite. Did you really think I was going to object it? Snobism is not about estimating football skills and abilities. It`s about the way it is demonstrated in your first comment here.

Posted from  Russian Federation

That’s also what happened to Engelaar in the second game against France, he lost a part of his will to really fight for it, to prove himself, cause he had already proven himself against Italy, so this feeling was less for him in the game against France. In the game against Italy he was very focused and much quicker because of that, in the game against France you see that if you loose the eagerness to prove yourself and are not like a pitbull when a ball comes near you, it slows you down, and you start making mistakes, loosing duels, etc. In the game against Italy he was much more eager to get the ball or take it away from the opponent, this really speeds up your game.

In the game against Romania ha had to prove himself again and you see him giving a better effort than the game before.

Posted from  Netherlands

It’s gonna be tough against Spain in semis. And if we pass them it’s 100% we gonna take the Cup! This generation deserves it! Holland champion!!!

Posted from  China

I say the Russians have a decent chance of beating us, but we are the favs..we play as a team and indvidually our players are top notch (especially in the attack) playing at some of the biggest clubs. It is going to be an entertaining match for sure and I can’t wait!

Posted from  Netherlands

As JC used to point out (it was Cruyff, wasn’t it?): the ball is round

I think we *can* win, I hope we will and I’m definately looking forward to a nice and entertaining match. I was glad Rusland won, they played much nicer football than the Swedes did.

Marbel, that probably was Cruyf. I am optimistic about the game but anything can happen. Hiddink is a very good manager who has in the past shown that he has the ability to find and exploit weakness in other teams. Never forget how the Italians needed help from the ref to get past the Australians. They became world champions but had an extremely hard time again the Aussies. The Russians are better soccer players than the Australians (Sorry Jan). This is not in the bag yet. It should be doable but yup; the ball is round..

Alexey – I think Goose was replying to Vladi who said “And no way dutch players are better than ours”.
I like Russia and they play nice attacking football, but that statement is just not in line with the facts, so that’s what Goose was replying too. And I like your philosophy on vodka

Posted from  Canada

Thanks Caleb

Posted from  Russian Federation

I want to tip my hat to the russian fans visiting our blog who have engaged in friendly benter without resorting to agressive behaviour and insults like some of the italian, portugese and french fans who have dropped by here in the past to give us their “opinion”. you guys are class and may the best team win tommorow! which, ofcourse, is our oranje right?

Posted from  Canada

Igor, how a person with a Russian name can claim the wrong team to be the best ?

Posted from  Russian Federation

The Dutch have also never lost to a team coached my a fellow Dutchman. I think that’s a good sign too?!

Alaa God has diffrent plan, am sorry !
Legend of June 21 dicontinued
Am feeling so terrible! Cant explain
Have lost all interest in Euro2008
What happened today?? That to against meek opponent like Russia ??
What happened??
Netherlan never attacked in whole game the way they did on group stage!!
Well all is over !!

I’m a Dutch fan, but I got to say Russia was a better side then us.

Defence exposed by Tall Roman Pavluchenko. 4 defenders plus holding midf couldn’t be there to cope with in-form Andrei Arshavin.

Why was Arjen Robben not in 1st XI instead Dirk Kuyt was placed? Why was Van Persie sub in instead of Arjen Robben who have been playing wingers during Chelsea’s time? Shouldn’t a defensive tactics be used? Have Dutch watched the vids of Russia VS Sweden?

I’m utterly sad by today performance. I thought we could do better. But…

Nevertheless, thanks to all Netherland players who brought us to this stage and all the thrilling matches we had.

Hup Hup Oranje Holland!!TotaalVoetbal

Posted from  Singapore

Well, guys, you may have better players, but we have a better team (and, obviously, the coach ). I am really glad that you tied the game in the second half, it just gave us another chance to prove that we are better .
Anyhow, thank you for the great game and for other moments of utter pleasure – your games with France and Italy.

Good job Russian TEAM!!! We won on 21 of June, superstitions didn’t work! Great Game!!! Carry on!!! Keep going!!! Move on Russia!!!

Posted from  Argentina

Oh Man, what a game!!! im a huge Dutch fan and I have to say it was so sad to watch a final score. I think the players got comfortable, just like the fans (like me) did. However, I have to give to the russians, they play nice game and of course they were hungry to score. Unlike dutch. I dono if i can watch the rest of the games.Oh by the way, where the hell was ruben? and why was he not playing?