Sensational in defeat

Riporto un articolo davvero bello e azzeccato apparso su ESPNsoccernet.com a firma Ernst Bouwes:

How is it to be Dutch on the Saturday night before the summer starts in 2004? Beautifully terrible.

After the game I went to a small housewarming party and met a football-loving friend who had turned the television off right after Cocu's diabolical backpass had brought the Czechs back to their feet. 'I knew what would happen next. I just did not want to watch it anymore.'

The thrill and excitement did turn Holland vs Czech Republic into a classic, maybe 'the' classic of any international tournament, but for fans of the orange team it was just business as usual. The bi-annual 'from-despair-to-ecstasy-and-back-again' rollercoaster took us for another ride. All that is left is a small hope, that the Germans might fail.

In two World Cup finals in the Seventies, defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory, which was only the start of a continuing series of Holland being involved in 'the best game of the tournament' and still lose, with Euro 88 as a happy exception.

And if it was not the best game, as in Euro 2000, then they performed a lingering suicide against ten-men Italy with two penalty misses during the game and three in the shoot-outs. They just cannot leave without a magnificent bang. For the supporters the question is not 'when will they go out', but 'how'.

How close will glory and defeat be this time? It becomes almost unwatchable.

When Koller almost scored in the first minute it seemed a harbinger of trouble to come. Again the defence looked weak, but this time the midfield came to its rescue.

No doubt the recovered Seedorf played his best ever game in orange, while Davids seemed rejuvinated with his pal around him. For every mistake at the back they made two chances. Robben was sensational in only his sixth international match.

Within twenty minutes the team were in complete command, leading with two goals. The second one was technically not offside, which is arguably one of the flaws of the rule.

However, Holland were one of the first to suffer from this rule at the World Cup '94, when Brazil's Bebeto scored in similar style against them in the quarter-final. (I think it was Brian Clough who said: 'Someone who is not interfering with play, should not be on the pitch.').

Then Philip Cocu performed a re-enactment of another World Cup gem: Brazil vs Italy 1982 when Cerezo put Paolo Rossi clear on goal with an aimless pass in midfield.

From that moment on, chances came and went, some hit the posts, others missed by inches and the goalkeepers pulled off the amount of world-class saves that they would normally have to spread over a year.

It was unbelievable, yet at home we all knew the possible outcome, just like every time Oliver Hardy comes close to a canal.

Everyone knows he will get wet, the only question is what have the scenario writers come up with this time.

As hilarious as that can be, we all expected that in this Aveiro episode the twist would be cruel and, like with Mr Hardy, self-inflicted.

Advocaat took off Robben for tactical reasons. It backfired completely as we all witnessed in horror except of course my friend who had an enjoyable evening far away from the screen. The Dutch still had some chances, but the opponents came closer and closer to the goal.

Tragedy was waiting to unfold. An equalizer and a red card followed, but still the team was looking to attack, although a point had been enough to almost secure a place in the quarter-finals.

Three years ago, the team wasted a 2-0 lead in Portugal in the dying seconds when they went looking for a glorious third goal. The resulting draw effectively ended the chances to go the World Cup. And now again it proved not to be the best option. Smicer scored the winner for the Czechs, with the Dutch defence all over the place.

As ever in football you cannot be exactly sure which mistake led to the downfall of a team, but any orange-clad person will point his finger to the technical staff.

However, come Wednesday we still might savour this game forever for its epics, if the Czechs keep the Germans from winning.

With the Dutch managing to beat Latvia, which might be difficult enough, then the Czech Republic game could be remembered as the emergence of a new generation.

Should it all go pear-shaped, then it goes into Dutch history as the humiliating end of the oldies: Stam, Cocu, Overmars and the de Boers. And it would be good riddance to them.