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Matchday 2. What we have learned

June 9th, 2008 | By: Jan | 44 Comments »

Sorry. A tad late, but I watch most games when they’re repeated in the evening. I am getting a tad older, you see…

Anyway… What have we learned today?

1. Pieter Vink is a courageous man, awarding a penalty after 2 minutes against the host nation.

2. Croatia can play ball but Austria is no England.

3. Host nations don’t always get what they deserve (Euro2000 anyone?)

4. Football is a game played with 22 players and a ball and at the end, the Germans win.

5. Don Leo hasn’t perfected his thunder speech in Polish

6. Germany is allowed to score off side goals, Poland is disallowed an off side goal that wasn’t one

7. Italian press is cocky

8. Germany needs a lot of chances to score

9. Croatia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Turkey can be had. Portugal is a different kettle of fish and so is Germany. But…we can handle them too.

10. It’s time the tournament really began! BRING IT ON!

Tags: Bouma, de Cler, Euro 2008, Gio, Melchiot, Oranje, Van Basten

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 44 comments.

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By Ramy | June 9th, 2008 at 3:41 pm

So……

did anyone enjoy, the “LET’S DESTROY ITALY” game?

FANTASTIC!!!!!

Posted from Canada

By ejb | June 9th, 2008 at 3:43 pm

3-1 jan? HA!

By Brian | June 9th, 2008 at 3:44 pm

Brilliant, brilliant stuff. Now onto France.

By Ramy | June 9th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

VAN BRONCKHORST was amazing. I still cant believe what just happened… Everything snapped into place. It is too good to be true.

Posted from Canada

By Dr. Z | June 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

Wowwwwwwwww….this is the Netherlands that I’ve enjoyed watching since I was 10…. A school of soccer, not just a team

Posted from United States

By Dr. Z | June 9th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

Wowwwwwwwww….this is the Netherlands that I’ve enjoyed watching since I was 10…. A school of soccer, not just a team

Posted from United States

By Carlos | June 9th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

Ha ha ha …There I was with 70 Dutchies at Vino Vino in Singapore….cautious start but after the first goal it was fantastic as the ItItalians had to open up…and we could have had 5, but they could have had 2

Guess who are favourites for the title !!!!

Posted from Singapore

By Abdel-Qader | June 9th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

first reply .. form a long-ago-Oranje-fan .. (i used to say .. holland .. is heart breaker for there fans) now it’s .. ego breaker for italian fans … long life full of cups .. ORANJE

By Rob | June 9th, 2008 at 4:08 pm

Van Bronckhorst MOTM.
De Jong was fantastic. I take back some of the bad things I said about Kuyt and Mathijsen too – they both did great. Everyone except Ooijer had a fantastic match.

Posted from Japan

By Bob | June 9th, 2008 at 4:10 pm

i was actually surprised to see boulha play so well! and to think van basten nearly left him out! engelaar was perfect! he shouldnt have risked van persie since we wer winning. hunter wud have made it 4-0 at least!
ORANJE TO GO ALL THE WAY!

By Bruce | June 9th, 2008 at 4:12 pm

HUP HOLLLLLLLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m in Amsterdam right now, and the town is going nuts. Ik hou van Oranje!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted from Belgium

By richard | June 9th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

I saw the first half but not the second–but clearly just about everybody played well. Kuyt showed his class, I thought–had a great game. So did most of the team! Glad Van Persie and others got some action as well. Let’s next put a beatdown on the French.

Posted from United States

By alaa | June 9th, 2008 at 4:17 pm

@jan
come on you’re our blog captain, don’t sleep tonight please:), give us all what the dutch papers say, and all the reactions, man i am extremely happy, i don’t know how to describe my feelings, other than the victory, we taught these stupid italians how you play soccer even if we have robben androbin out. oh godddddddddddddddddddd, afellay stole my heart with that shot on the bar, he is good:), all of the guys were wonderful today:)

Posted from United States

By ayl | June 9th, 2008 at 4:24 pm

WOW… what a beautiful game!! I payed $15 to have the Euro’s streamed to my house by broadband… and to think that i was questioning whether it would be worth it!?!?! I’d pay that twice over just to see the first half alone. Beautiful game, great work from everyone on the park. Glad that Van Bronckhorst got a goal that he deserved so much.. i’m on such a high right now!

By hawe | June 9th, 2008 at 4:30 pm

Great performance!!! I can’t name man of the match, can you?

… Now, I want to believe!

Posted from Indonesia

By Dr. Z | June 9th, 2008 at 4:33 pm

My man of the match is Vander Sar

Posted from United States

By Miguel Rosado | June 9th, 2008 at 4:33 pm

UNBELIEVABLE!!!. What a great game from the Netherlands. The whole team played a great game and they were very focused. This team is hungry they want to show the world what they are capable of. Everyone is talking about Portugal, France or Italy and they left Holland behind but after this game they showed the world how good they are. Maginificent display!!!.
I had never seen Engelaar and I was really impressed by him.
Holland has to keep like this, they have to keep focused and not be confident. It was a great game but we’re not through yet. Afellay and Persie also did well when they came in, Edwin and Gio were incredible!!! Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Ruud and Engelaar everyone!!!.

I was also happy to see Marco enjoying our goals, last WC he didn’t scream when we scored today he was very expressive.

HUP HOLLAND HUP!!!!.

By goose | June 9th, 2008 at 4:41 pm

YES YES YES

AMAZING!!!!!

im still drunk of joy!! one of the best games ive seen them play in ages

Gio-boula-Sneijder-vdSar-Kuijt were GREAT, the rest played decent

2nd goal was a classic

but remember my friends, its not done yet!! but what a hell of a start!!

HOLLAND HOLLAND HOLLAND

Posted from Netherlands

By Michel-Olivier | June 9th, 2008 at 4:42 pm

My man of the match is # 8 ollie engelaar aka the lighthouse because he keep the midfield in check.

Posted from United States

By ferenc | June 9th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

i’m so so happy that i cannot write anything… no words for this. fantastic oranje.

Posted from Hungary

By goose | June 9th, 2008 at 4:44 pm

@ferenc; congrets my friend..wasnt bad eh??

Posted from Netherlands

By Arminius | June 9th, 2008 at 4:47 pm

Congratulations, Holland ! Sublime performance !

We have seen a new top favourite today!

Hope to meet you in the final

Greets fromn Germany

By Micheal | June 9th, 2008 at 4:55 pm

Wow. Did not expect that at all. Van der Sar MOTM. Good to see Van Persie come on and get a little time in to prep for France.

By 10brook | June 9th, 2008 at 5:11 pm

Out of this world. When I first saw the starters walk out, I was amazed. Boulah, de Jong, NO Heitenga. Ollie did as was asked – great holding. kuyt had two great touches that resulted in goals – marco seemed to have placed him perfectly in a role similar to liverpool. vdv and sneijder played as the dominant midfielders they are…the Italians looked old and shell-shocked. Oranje sharp as their kits on HD…here’s to them keeping this level!

Posted from United States

By bunchapooha | June 9th, 2008 at 9:29 pm

TOTAL FOOTBALL.

Eindelijk weer mooi positie spel.

Droomscenario:
Roemenie door, Rusland of Griekenland in de kwarfinales, Zweden of Roemenie in de halve en natuurlijk als laatst die Duitsers ff een pak op hun broek geven (of toch die Portugezen?).