Dutch Football - Euro 2008 - Holland never lose on June 21st

"The intellectualisation
of football has
always foundered
on a simple problem-
-the players. Doing
all your most
rewarding thinking
with your feet seems
to dull the philo-
sophical impulse.
Unless, of course,
you are Dutch.
According to legend,
Europeans played
a moronic, muscular
version of the world's
game, until Holland
proclaimed its vision
of total football in the
1974 World Cup,
and enlightenment
dawned."

From:
Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football

Holland never lose on June 21st

Thursday, 19 June 2008

The longest day of the year is a good day for Dutch football.

Of the five times the Netherlands played a game on June 21st - all at big tournaments - they never once lost.

Three victories and two draws are the comforting results on this day.

Holland play Russia in the quarterfinal of the European Championship on Saturday, June 21, in Basel.

All five previous results on this day are:
21 June 1978: WC Argentina: Italy - Netherlands 1-2
21 June 1988: EC Germany: West-Germany - Netherlands 1-2
21 June 1990: WC Italy: Ireland - Netherlands 1-1
21 June 2000: EC Netherlands: France - Netherlands 2-3
21 June 2006: WC Germany: Netherlands - Argentina 0-0