It's a dream!

Monday 9 June 2008

Anyone will have a wet dream about the way a football match can develop, but the way Holland brushed Italy off the pitch in the Stade de Suisse tonight was orgasmic for anyone with an orange heart.

Going into the match against the reigning World Champions burdened by rumors of a shaky defense and - again - internal bickering, expectations weren't very high among the Dutch fans.

But how much bigger can a surprise be?

After opening minutes in which the Italians gave hints that they were the ones who were crowned as Best of the World two years ago it was a clock work of Dutch precision ever after.

And make no mistake.

All the reporters who will tell you that Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal was offside are wrong: it was not.

Christian Panucci may have been behind the touch line, but the rule book states that that does not put him out of play.

It was Panucci, being pushed behind the touch line by his goal keeper Buffon who played Van Nistelrooy on side.

Strange perhaps, but that's what the rule book says.

The goal stunned everybody and lit the game.

All of a sudden the Dutch found the best of their skills and could have been up 4-0 at half time.

It was only 2-0 thanks to an amazing effort by Feyenoord-veteran Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Having cleared on his own line, Van Bronckhorst burst down the left to take a pass from Rafael van der Vaart and swing in a deep cross.

Dirk Kuyt headed it meticulously into the area and Sneijder connected with a fine volley to crash the ball past Gianluigi Buffon at the near post.

2-0!

One had to see it in print to believe it.

After that there were few questions left, and those remaining were answered by an outstanding Edwin van der Sar and those defending in front of him.

Van der Sar's clearest answer came when he denied Andrea Pirlo, stopping the Italians cracking free kick and then urged his team mates forward to see Man of the Match Van Bronckhorst's head be at the end of yet another cutting counter attack to make it 3-0.

The Italians were reduced to zombies, standing K.O. and lucky that efforts of substitutes Ibrahim Affelay and Robin van Persie did not make the verdict anymore harsh.

Even more impressing perhaps the reactions of the Dutch players afterwards.

In stead of euphoria most of them said that it was a great victory which would have them celebrate for the rest of the evening, but as Wesley Sneijder put it: "This only gets us three points and there are six more to gain. The road to the final is now paved a bit."

Whatever he said: Dutch fans were already lifting the trophy in an orange clad Bern.

And rightly so.

It's not every day you beat the World Champions 3-0.