The Netherlands v Brazil ... nailbiting in Orange...

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I’m interrupting your Singaporean Tour transmission because something veeeeery important is happening in the Netherlands today.

Well, to be exact the action will be taking place in a brand new stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, but most of a nation back here will be sitting on the edges of their seats nervously in anticipation as they await the result of a duel of the sporting kind.

Just in case  you have been out of range of radio, television or computers  in the last 2 weeks… the Football World Cup is currently taking place in South Africa.

By “Football”  I mean the Football that European’s, Asians, South American’s play… the game that’s bizarrely called “Soccer” in the other remaining  places that play this game.

The Group rounds kicked off on the 11th of June, eight groups of four teams each, played each team in their own group, the three points for a win, two points for a draw and zero points for a loss were tallied and the two teams with the highest points in the group go though to the next round.

The two teams with the lowest points in the group, go home.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

So, by this method, 32 teams become 16…. and then the Elimination Round begins…

New Zealand ( the “Kiwi” section of “Kiwidutch”), have been in the qualifying 32 teams of this World Cup… since Rugby (the “All Blacks”) is by far the biggest Sport in New Zealand, and Football, the poor relation, nothing at all was expected of New Zealand’s team, (the “All Whites”).

Amazingly, instead of fulfilling the predictions that  the All Whites would be the proverbial New Zealand Lamb to the slaughter, (and pass the mint sauce), they held all of their opponents in the Group stage to a Draw… including Italy, who were the defending World Cup Champions, and who  finished last in the final Group score.

New Zealand may have gone home already, but they went home with their heads held high and feeling like winners. Good on Ya Kiwi’s .. I was cheering you on all the way!

Now that the All Whites are out, I can feel free to take my Kiwi cap off and replace it with one of Dutch colours LOL (Dual nationality has it’s tricky moments I’ll admit).

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

So.. back to explaining the workings of the World Cup…

The winner of one Group, play the runner’s-ups of the next Group, and since it’s  Elimination from now on in, the winner of this match goes forward and the looser goes home.  And in this manner, 16 teams got whittled down to 8.

Still with me? Good. So…  This is where we pick up the story in the Netherlands. Eight teams are now in the Quarter-Finals.

The Dutch have made it to the Quarter-Finals.. that’s good news.  Our next opponent is Brazil.. that’s not quite so good news.

Actually the Dutch have beaten Brazil several times before,  both teams have star players in top form… both teams have been playing well, although, Brazil was held to a nil-nil draw with Portugal in their Group round, whereas the Dutch cruised though their group with three wins.

Brazil however have a big “Name”  in the football world to live up to…  and have won the World Cup more times than any other nation. This  means that more often than not they are able to put the right cards on the table (or rather balls in the back of the net) when it matters most.

That said, they meet one of the most on-form Dutch teams ever in the history of the World Cup, so when today the referee blows the whistle at 16.00 Dutch Time, it will be a battle of the titans, a match of closely matched equals,  and a nail biting ninety minute duel  of skill on a football pitch.

There can only be one winner… in these Elimination rounds,  8 will become 4… Will we go on? Will we go home?  Only time will tell.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

In the meantime,  since the first game on June 11th, Football Fever has hit the Netherlands and houses, neighbourhoods, workplaces and shops are all decked out in the Dutch national colour of Orange.

Why Orange? Well, the British have a Royal house of Windsor… the Dutch have a Royal house of Orange… only in Dutch it’s spelled “Orangje”  and pronounced ” Oh rung ya”.

The other popular war cries of the football pitch are “Hup Holland Hup!”  .. that’s pretty much translated as “Go Holland Go!” and “Orangje Boven!”  …literally” Orange on top” and the colours of the Dutch flag are Red, White and Blue, and the national symbol is a Lion… so we are not short of some very distinctive colours and icons  to celebrate with.

Traditionally the more upmarket the neighbourhood, the less decoration you will see in the streets… our Little Mr. was inconsolable that there is not a single orange flag in our street ( that may change if we get though the next round mind you) so Himself has strung orange flags the length of our living room, and several kids in the street have made beautiful kid drawings and  taped their home made posters of support to the inside of their  living room windows…

That said, if you REALLY want  to see the party get started, then you have to know that certain streets in certain neighbourhoods  show decidedly less restraint in showing their support…  and should not disappoint.

first, some “regular” support…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

..a boldercar full of football books and magazines…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

… Balconies…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

This flag has an added stork..(the symbol of  The Hague)…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

But honestly… this is nothing… lets get serious about showing our support !… this is more like it...

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

This Turkish run take-away is supporting too…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

.. although they seem more than a little confused… Shoarma is an Egyptian specialty, popular in the Netherlands, and a Kabap is a Kabab…   but the mystery sets in because ” kapsalon” means “hairdresser” and clearly multi-tasking the two would not be a terribly bright idea…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

um… cheeky support with sauce?

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Get your sunglasses out…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

All that’s left now, is to sit on the edge of my seat at 16.00 and become a bag of nerves, whilst we see if our team come out winners or losers …  So unless you are logging in at your computer from Brazil, I  hope that you too will do your part and cheer loudly with me… Hup Holland Hup !!!… Orangje Boven !!!….