Some consolation for the Dutch fans

What a sad day for Dutch football. I am heart broken!!! Never thought this would happen, but it has.”It’s Now or Never”.I guess it’s “Nevermore. Nevermore.Nevermore.” It’s all over now. The same sad ending after the Euro 2000. A similar fate in the world cup 2006. I decided never to watch the world cup again but I reversed my decision for Zinedine Zidane for one last time. Well, Euro 2008 will be remembered similarly. What a huge disappointment!!! Always,Always,Always.
It’s time for me to go on now, move on from this EURO 2008. It was filled with great surprises, unbelievable moments and comebacks. But the Oranje Army could not win when it mattered the most. A “trench warfare” it was for us, a loss I expected subsequently.
Thank You, Van der Sar, Van Nilsteroy, all the players and Van Basten.
Thank You ,Jan,for a great blog, your commitment to the Dutch cause is without precedent(1321 articles). I came across this blog only during the Euro 08.
I have enjoyed reading your every article, you have a creative wit, and a good sense of humour that makes the reader connecteted and bonded with the authour( …”I miss our Orange Angel.” ,”And yes, Jan is a girls name in English, but this Jan is Dutch and has hair on his chest!”…as you would always say). Your passion for the game, and the Oranje…Your blog was a beautiful experience, and I will dearly miss it.
Thank You Thank YOU Thank You!I can’t say it enough, I appreciate all that you have done.
With those final words, I bid you farewell. Until South Africa 2010, I say to all of you , my good friends from all over the globe (Asia, Australia,Europe,Africa,Antartica, Netherlands, Canada and here America), SO LONG!You will be greatly missed.

Posted from  United States

one reason i like the euro is it brings people from all different ethnic backgrounds together just like the WC

Posted from  United States

I have one big concern…who will be Oranje´s new leader now van der Sar is gone?.

Jan, thanks for the reminder that, regardless of the outcome of ANY of these matches, the world continues to be full of immense beauty and immense challenges. As Michel-Oliver states so well, the coming together of fans from the 16 countries participating is a special and important event all on its own. The beauty of people from all of these countries, the multiple languages, the opportunity to know each other and see that ALL human beings are worthy of being known and respected. The life of this tournament which you shared with us, Jan, is so much more important than who wins or loses.

Posted from  United States

i think this: http://youtube.com/watch?v=e1kCtUiMpGc is better consolation for dutch fans (make sure you have sound on too)

Posted from  United States

@Jan:
Am really enjoying Euro2008 at this blog site. Thanks Jan. Oranje’s Euro2008 campaign may be over, but the memories etched deep and cherished. It’s as good as the one game in my life that I will never forget when I was in my teens: when Brazil (Zico, Junior, Socrates, Eder,…) lost to Italy (Cabrini, Dino Zoff, Paulo Rossi) in the 1982 world cup.
It’s more than 16 countries cos the whole world has come to celebrate football, the beauty of the game, the drama. Not just the game, every time the camera focus on the fans, you can feel the graphics of the human spirit, the expression, the joy of celebrating the goals, the agony of defeat, the well wishes, the spectacle.

Also compliments to you how you have handled all those nasty racist postings so far.

Posted from  Singapore

Thank you all for your warm words… It almost embarrasses me a bit

I do all this because I am passionate about football in general and Oranje in particular. I have fun doing it and more than half of that fun is based on the immense response I get from all of you! The blog isn’t me, it’s you, all of you.

So, all I can say is: thank you all for hanging in and allowing me an audience.

And please be assured: this blog won’t go anywhere. There’s Olympic football coming and not much later Bertje will try to qualify for the WC2010. The number of posts will drop a bit, but the love, the fun, the analysis, the wonder, the frustration…that will remain…

So, stick with us, my friends!

I`m also enjoing Euro at this blog. Thank you Jan

Posted from  Russian Federation

@Jan (and all the regulars),

I also only discovered this blog at the end of Euro qualification. I have written quite a bit, some good and some bad.

But without those daily updates this blog would not be so interesting. Jan, you have filled a void that KNVB should have filled years ago. Even if they eventually do, I will not go anywhere. This place is just brilliant, and besides KNVB would not be able to handle my random rants.

I tip my hat to you Jan, Goose, Ferenc, Mario, Rob, Caleb, Lerkot, and many more. Thank you so much, and please keep it coming.

Now that we have Olympics coming up, we need to be on the lookout for some decent defenders for the 2010 campaign.

Thank you finnster01, we will meet here oftenly because I like this page so much.

Michel oliver, i take HUGE exception to ur post and opinions that Euro brings all the races together..nope..euro is only for europeans and world cup is for only those posters whose country has made it to the world cup..
by the way finnster, i ber that sweet soft face of anna( a dutch girl working at a bar here in Madrid) that Holland will enter the 2010 world cup , play Total football in the first two games against Rwanda and Belgium respectively and gets packed off in the last 16 when confronted by a tough team..
so much so for ur total football…the russkies made the big talking, useless sneijder drink vodka, there by sparing us italians of feeding u our mouth watering Aranchini..
mamma mia!! So much so for the promise from Marco about playing Total Football.yesterday, dutch were a Total Flop, a Total wreckage!!

Posted from  Spain

Thanks from all dutch fans from Kazakhstan studying in China, Jan!!!
Best wishes and let’s hope bright WC 2010 waits us ahead!

Posted from  China

Dear Itallian Stallion,
even after clearly having bougth the referee the way only Italians can, you played only to get to penalties. What kind of nonsense is that?

Tonight the football world is a better place because your negative approach to the beautiful game is out of the tournament.

And I am laughing my arse off!!! Told you what would happen the day after I have Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner.

You deserved to lose, and for once the football gods realized that.

@ Italian Stallion
i don’t believe in race it’s against my religion roman catholic. i believe in ethnic groups(culture, language, religion, behavior, tribe, clan, family..).
race + evolution + darwinism = against my religion.

group of death was a huge flop. france, italy, romania, and nederland are out.

Posted from  United States

Shameful Van Basten – if Robben’s groined is questionable why would you play him in a nothing game against Romania. The guys can change the chemistry of the team in seconds and he wasnt available – got to ask yourself why Van Basten and what if ??