Holland goes hup and out!

Oh well, it was good while it lasted. The general consensus in our house was that the Russians were the better team. It could have been different, but then that's the stuff of football. The Dutch scored one goal, giving us an extra half hour for the equaliser, but it was the second half of extra time that clinched it. Maybe the Russians can go all the way. It's not a foregone conclusion who may yet win the final game.

The Dutch did OK on the whole, but were not quite on top form tonight. It's hup and out and back home. They can be pleased the got to qualify, to get ten goals in the tournament, and to colour the place orange! Bravo!

Hup! Holland! Hup! (Part 2)

The Euro 2008 shindig is hotting up. Turkey giving the Croats some pain. The French are out. Tonight it is Holland, as the footballing world call the Netherlands, probably because there are fewer syllables in it. The Dutch have done very well indeed. Nine goals - nine points. That's a winning formula. I shouldn't speak to soon. The opposition is Russian. Not a team to be underestimated. They will have "chances" no doubt.

Watching on television I will have to hope the commentators don't gabble too much. When they say something or give an opinion, the complete opposite happens next. John Motson is a prime example - indubitably!

One thing they haven't mastered yet is the pronunciation of the Dutch surnames of the players. My wife winces at the speech patterns. She tries it out on me. "Say Guus", she'll go. I try my best non-Sun attempt.

The sting in the tail in all this is that the coach of the Russian team is Guus Hiddink, described as a coaching genius. Van Basten will need all the wily skills to promote cohesion in the newly-found family friendly Dutch team. Wow!

I've got my Amstel bier cooling down and am ready to go.

Hup Holland hup!

Voorwaarts voor de Nederlanders. Het was een geweldige wedstrijd, vol oranje geest en vastberaden heid. Geen probleem dat Engeland niet van de partij is, het Nederlandse team zorgt voor alle nodige opwinding. Ik had nooit gedacht dat een Europacup zo geslaagd kon zijn. Het helpt natuurlijk, dat ik een Nederlandse vrouw heb....

Vanavond is ons huis oranje!