AN ORANGE VIRUS
At first, Netherlands football team was not a favorite team. Surely, they were very painful by this predicate. Because in these resents 20 years of constellation of the International football, they never absence as a favorite team, but just now they were coming for Euro Cup 2008, as an ‘Underdog’.
Now, that prediction is turning over 180 degrees. After they won against the world Champion, Italy, 3-0 and last night they humiliated the great team, France, 4-1, immediately they are becoming the favorite team towards final. It’s not only that, the disciples of Marco van Basten are also getting much appreciating as team who shows as such modern football.
There was proper reason why the Orange Team was not a favorite team at first. In the arena of Euro football, there were not many Netherlands players, who were giving much hope. Somehow, few of them are considered as great players, like Ruud van Nistelrooy, Edwin van der Sar. Or below of their class, we can consider as such players like Robin van Persie, Kyut and Sneijder.
Moreover, their two strong players, Clarence Seedorf from AC Milan and Mark van Bommel from Baayern Muenchen, rejected to be with them. Press assumed that their absence is a failure of Van Basten to engage in some diplomacy with some potential players.
Other problem for Orange Team, some other potentials players are getting injury and they are not in good form in each of their club. Because of injury, Ryan Babel from Liverpool should be total rest in this tournament. Arjen Robben is suddenly injury and he is very easy to get injury in his performance with his club. Meanwhile, Robin van Persie is not total cure from his injury.
Against Italy, Netherlands must be ready to swallow bitter tablet of loser. What a pessimistic all fans Netherlands football, even people in their own country. But as we know, all prediction was mistake 100%. Precisely, Orange Team did not give any chance for Italian players to improve their strategy. The way of Orange Team to play was putting Italian Team as if an old machine that could not work anymore. And their game against France last night was real fantastic. They were making France Players like the amateur players.
La nottata più nera, it was the dark night for ”Squadra Azzurra”, that is written in the magazine of La Gazzetta dello Sport. And it was the bitterness night for France in the whole of the football history, seeing the vine celebration of thousands oranges. Netherlands have already dived Italy and France into night without hope. In other contrary, night without hope of Italian and France is the full moon night for Netherlands.
For long time, Netherlands had never won against Italy. The last time, they won against Italy, 2-1, in the world cup 1978 in Argentine. Imagine, for 30 years they must waited. Just now, in the Euro Cup 2008, Orange Team could get the fruit of their waiting.
Well, “Let’s hope that Netherlands will continue to spread their virus,” that is the comment of Terry Butcher, former England player who is now becoming an assistant of Scotland football coach. Indeed, for long time public is eager to see the beautiful and effective football as we could see in the performance of Orange Team in this week.
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