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Anthony McIntyre ⚽ Growing up at a time when televised soccer had nowhere like the omnipresence that it has today, it was a treat to watch the names we caught glimpses of in the papers or could hear about on radio.

Football icons strutting their stuff, were the spur to tune in when possible to teams like Ajax or Feyenoord. A cure for the craving animated by the  almost irresistible lure that oozed out from Dutch soccer. A fetish for the type of panache on offer from the Netherlands was not contained to a few isolated individuals a la stalking. It had become
something of a social phenomenon. When Ajax branded totaalvoetbal, in the 1970s the soccer community roared as one to greet the arrival of total football. 

When players like Johan Cruyff could grace a football park with his vision, intelligence and skills, evading tackles from uncompromising defenders and midfielders alike, whom they drifted past effortlessly and ethereally, it was just easy to fall in love with the Oranje. I followed them in the 1974 World Cup, watching as many games as possible in one of the two on A Wing, Crumlin Road Prison. I didn't follow them in 1978, opting for Argentina. Not politically correct but . . . yet when they hit the woodwork in the last minute of extra time, and almost deprived Mario Kampas and co of what they deserved, I could have fallen off my chair and onto the floor of a Cage 11 Nissan hut.  

That was the second final the Netherlands lost, the first to West Germany four years earlier. They claimed the European championship in 1988, remembered for a dazzling goal by Marco Van Basten in the final against the USSR. By the time their third World Cup final appearance came around the team had long since abandoned the philosophy of Cruyff. There was more of the mean spirit of Frank Rijkaard who was sent off in the 1990 World Cup clash with Germany, having ungraciously spat on Rudi Voller. By 2010 the team was all brawn and no brain. The beautiful game for them had become the brutal game. It was so good to see the Spanish emerge as tournament winners. Any other outcome would have been a travesty. 

This time around, while no longer the team of old, this Dutch side has a lot of talented players. They exhibit flashes of past brilliance and seem cool under pressure. Certain to proceed to the knock out stages of the competition, they have not yet been up against quality opposition. France last night merely flattered  to deceive. Apart from a period of sustained pressure in the second half when they tried to walk the ball into the net, the French look anything but potential champions of Europe. 

Yet while France have not improved on their opening foray against Austria, the Dutch have upped their game. Far off total football, it is better football. If both European greats continue as they are then the Oranje rather than Les Bleues will progress further. 

⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.

Oranje

Anthony McIntyre ⚽ Growing up at a time when televised soccer had nowhere like the omnipresence that it has today, it was a treat to watch the names we caught glimpses of in the papers or could hear about on radio.

Football icons strutting their stuff, were the spur to tune in when possible to teams like Ajax or Feyenoord. A cure for the craving animated by the  almost irresistible lure that oozed out from Dutch soccer. A fetish for the type of panache on offer from the Netherlands was not contained to a few isolated individuals a la stalking. It had become
something of a social phenomenon. When Ajax branded totaalvoetbal, in the 1970s the soccer community roared as one to greet the arrival of total football. 

When players like Johan Cruyff could grace a football park with his vision, intelligence and skills, evading tackles from uncompromising defenders and midfielders alike, whom they drifted past effortlessly and ethereally, it was just easy to fall in love with the Oranje. I followed them in the 1974 World Cup, watching as many games as possible in one of the two on A Wing, Crumlin Road Prison. I didn't follow them in 1978, opting for Argentina. Not politically correct but . . . yet when they hit the woodwork in the last minute of extra time, and almost deprived Mario Kampas and co of what they deserved, I could have fallen off my chair and onto the floor of a Cage 11 Nissan hut.  

That was the second final the Netherlands lost, the first to West Germany four years earlier. They claimed the European championship in 1988, remembered for a dazzling goal by Marco Van Basten in the final against the USSR. By the time their third World Cup final appearance came around the team had long since abandoned the philosophy of Cruyff. There was more of the mean spirit of Frank Rijkaard who was sent off in the 1990 World Cup clash with Germany, having ungraciously spat on Rudi Voller. By 2010 the team was all brawn and no brain. The beautiful game for them had become the brutal game. It was so good to see the Spanish emerge as tournament winners. Any other outcome would have been a travesty. 

This time around, while no longer the team of old, this Dutch side has a lot of talented players. They exhibit flashes of past brilliance and seem cool under pressure. Certain to proceed to the knock out stages of the competition, they have not yet been up against quality opposition. France last night merely flattered  to deceive. Apart from a period of sustained pressure in the second half when they tried to walk the ball into the net, the French look anything but potential champions of Europe. 

Yet while France have not improved on their opening foray against Austria, the Dutch have upped their game. Far off total football, it is better football. If both European greats continue as they are then the Oranje rather than Les Bleues will progress further. 

⏩Follow on Twitter @AnthonyMcIntyre.

Anthony McIntyre EURO 2024 Netherlands national soccer team Soccer

1 comment:

  1. Ramon the Wolf4:51 PM, June 22, 2024

    Spain look the strongest team. But early days.

    Wonder how the French players feel about playing in the final with an effectively National Front prime minister cheering them on from the stands?

    ReplyDelete

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