A duel of masters

The masters of attack versus the masters of defence, the orange spears against the blue shields, this was a match-up worthy of a final, and both teams demonstrated their pedigree. The match ended with a seemingly one-sided score of 3-0, but the scoreline alone does not reveal the true nature of how close it was, and what it could have been, how the match could have gone either way.

You cannot say the Oranje were lucky, because luck alone cannot account for their 2nd goal, nor their 3rd goal. You cannot say Italy were unlucky, because they had their fair share of escapes, such as Gattuso's foul which could have warranted a 2nd yellow card. In the end, you can only say that the team that converted their chances deserved to win. And after 30 years, the Dutch finally manage to overcome Italy. This will be a night they will not forget.

As I have mentioned in passing in a previous entry, I am rooting for Holland and Spain, and to a lesser extent, Portugal. Therefore, I am delighted that Holland has won, and won by 3 goals. This match is the best so far for this Euro, and it has sparked life into Group C, since the French could only draw with Romania. The next match of the Oranje, against the French, will probably decide who wins the group. Benzema against van de Sar is one match-up you would not want to miss.

As for this first match, one thing that I found interesting was the reversal of roles in the second half. The 2 goals scored by the Oranje in the first half meant that Italy had to come out of their defensive shell in the second, and we were treated to a precious display of offensive defence by the Italians, who are renowned masters of defence. On the other hand, the Dutch, who are famous for their brand of attacking football, were made to defend their lead, a feat they accomplished magnificently, albeit not without a few scares. Still, while the Italians displayed their quality with a superb display of concentrated pressure in their opponents' half for most of the second half, reducing the Dutch to mainly counterattacks, their toil bore no fruit. This was due largely to the heroics of the Dutch veteran, Edwin van de Sar. His saves started the counterattacks that led to both the 2nd and the 3rd goals, and while the Dutch No. 10, Snejder is also a good contender for the Man of the Match, van der Sar would be my Man of the Match, because the Italians were good for at least 2 goals, but they were kept at bay by this tall, slender giant.

The reversal of roles also let us see that this Dutch team is stronger, not just physically, but also mentally. In the past, they had a tendency to self-destruct (recall the 2-3 defeat at the hands of the Czechs, when Holland had actually led 2-0), but this time, despite the significant and at times seemingly overwhelming pressure by Italy, the Dutch managed to soak up the pressure and counterattack swiftly and decisively, as shown by their 2nd and 3rd goals. All the goals were good ones, but the 2nd one is a contender for Goal of the tournament. It started from a quick counterattack, and the pinpoint cross/pass and the final volley by Snedjer were all sublime.

Still, with van Basten, a legendary Dutch forward during his time in the Dutch team, in charge, it is unlikely that they will rest on their laurels. They will gain a confidence boost from this victory, but van Basten will spur them on, and hopefully they will win their next match against the French.

Animo!, Oranje! (^-^)/

『We won and are on top now, that's positive but we have to improve our performance.』
~Marco van Basten~