Dutch Dreams
Kris Fernandes (kris@insidesoccer.ca)
is a Toronto based soccer & futsal writer for Inside Soccer Magazine. Deeply immersed in soccer fandom and culture, he has been actively involved in spreading the love of the beautiful game in a uniquely Canadian way for a decade through media coverage, administration and coaching. He covered the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany and the 2008 UEFA European Championships from Austria/Switzerland for both CBC Sports Online and ISM.
As expected, the vibe was definitely bumping in Cape Town when the Dutch beat Uruguay the other night. The anticipation for kickoff grew with every step towards the stadium and along the way hordes of fans as far as the eye could see were cheering for Holland, completely decked in the mandatory orange clothing that you will find at any tournament they are in. One innovative group of college girls set up their jam on a balcony on top of a pizza place along the vastly popular fanwalk by placing orange couches and chilled out, waving and cheering to those down below.
Naturally, many were supporting Holland merely because they despise the way Uruguay eliminated Ghana in the quarter-finals. A young couple bounced around the fanwalk; one painted with the word GOING, the other saying DUTCH. Both featured a black star with a white hand in the middle of it. The husband, gleefully drunk, said that it was to signify Suarez’s handball on the ‘Black Stars’.
“Those South Americans are cheating bastards!” he yelled out.
Hundreds of people eventually dripped out into local bars knowing tickets were scarce for the match. Some were clinging to one last glimmer of hope by scribbling stuff like ‘1 TICKET WANTED PLEASE!” or “Give me ticket, I buy drinks, Deal?” onto sheets of paper. They were going to dig deep as the going rate outside the stadium ranged between $250-$800 depending on the location (Categories 1-4 with 1 being the priciest).
My big brother Steve flew in from Toronto to join me in a World Cup adventure and was attending his 1st ever World Cup match, his third ever pro soccer game.
He had just left his cozy position as a downtown executive to embark on a fantastic voyage he would never forget and this game definitely did not disappoint. He loved the experience the first time he sat in the south stands at BMO Field with the boys from USector, but was truly blown out of the water by the sounds, flavours, action, and intensity that a live World Cup match experience brought to the table.
“It’s pretty special to be able to say I was 1 of 60,000 to be here, to see this, to be a part of history. Incredible.
For every Uruguayan fan in the stands there were about 100 Dutch supporters inside the stadium. Despite team preference, a lot people -myself included – really enjoyed bopping to Uruguay’s jovial national anthem – it sounds like something out of Fantasia.
Like fellow Canadian Cory Hart, I had to put on my sunglasses at night so I could actually watch Holland as they were rocking the brightest jerseys I’ve ever seen in my life.
As the singing starts – unfortunately cut out short after random vuvuzela tooting – I carried on my tradition of searching for Canadian flags in the stadium. I found two on this night, one of which was right beside a couple of soccer teammates from good ‘ol Saskatoon that placed a huge banner reading KORMISH McWILLIAM, with a big red maple leaf in between. I’m pretty darn sure we met them afterwards at a restaurant when I noticed one guy wearing a vintage 1996 Canada soccer jersey.
The noise inside the acoustically perfect Green Point – though I still can’t believe $750 million was spent on it – hit fever pitch when Van Bronkhorst scored that sizzling golazo just under 20 minutes in. Personally, it’s my vote for goal of the tournament, the stuff you dream about in the schoolyard.
‘The Oranjes’ fell off the tree after Robben scored Holland’s 3rd final goal fans went wild and trickled down the aisles behind the Dutch goal to form a massive conga line – first one I’ve seen in four years. It’s one of those things you watch soccer fans do and can’t help but stupidly grin ear to ear and enjoy.
Not sure if people watching on TV saw, but soon after Uruguay pulled back that late goal, an anxious video crew dashed onto the middle of the pitch, thinking the game had ended. A couple of irate Uruguayan substitutes yanked them off and gave them more than a few choice words.
When the final whistle did blow, the conga line had filled the bottom row the whole section didn’t leave the stadium for at least 30 minutes as they celebrated with a handful of players who did a congratulatory lap around the field to show their appreciation.
Drinks were definitely flowing at the world class waterfront area which is only about a 5 minute march from the stadium. A pint here at a bar/restaurant in South Africa typically costs between $1.50-$3.00CAN at most, which is cheap for foreigners. Even inebriated, there was no way these brightly orange clad fans were going to get hit by any vehicles on the way back home.
Hopefully by the time they hit Johannesburg on Sunday, they’ll have recovered from this hangover. If their team can jump that final hurdle to deliver the first World Cup title in the nation’s history, they’ll gladly deal with the mother to end all hangovers come Monday.
