Netherlands – Mexico in Thailand
We have already discussed the World Cup in Brazil in advance on this blog, especially about the chances of the Orange and how we experience the spectacle here in Thailand. Now that the Netherlands has now reached the quarter finals, I thought it would be nice to draw up an interim balance. I will come back to the last match against Mexico.
Orange mood
Of course we experience the tournament differently here in Thailand than in the Netherlands. You hardly notice anything of the Orange fever. A match day for the Netherlands runs like a normal day here and not like in the Netherlands, where shops and houses are decorated orange and the staff walk around in orange clothing. The only orange I see here in Pattaya are the T-shirts of the staff at Megabreak Poolhall but they wear it every day without any special meaning.
TV NL Asia
Four years ago we had to make do with images of the World Cup in South Africa via Thai television, so also with Thai commentary, previews and reviews, but that has improved 100%, at least for many of us in Thailand. A new site has recently been launched, TV-NL Asia, on which all Belgian, Dutch and German TV channels can be viewed. Through this site we can now see the matches with Dutch commentary and also enjoy a lot of before and after talk (if you like that). It is also free because the site is still in a trial period and they will later come up with an offer for a subscription. Great class!
Mega break
I have seen most matches so far in Megabreak, where we watch with a number of mainly English friends while enjoying a drink. I have not seen all the matches because the time difference with Brazil is 11 hours, which means that the matches start at 11 pm and 3 am Thai time. I have dropped a few of the latter category. I wisely refrained from commenting on England's matches, but my prediction that they would not qualify has come true.
I just watched the matches of the Dutch national team at home. Yes, I could have gone to a Dutch bar, but I prefer to experience such a competition on my own. Nice to watch and enjoy without feedback from others. Four years ago I watched a few with Dutch people together, but that was not really to my liking.
Netherlands-Mexico
I also saw the Netherlands-Mexico at home and after the euphoria of the qualification, expectations were high. But that turned out differently. Mexico led 1-0 and I didn't give a penny more for the Dutch chances. I had made up my mind that if they did indeed lose, I wouldn't want to see a World Cup match again. And that also turned out differently because with two goals in the last 5 minutes we were suddenly winner and quarter-finalist. Time for a big drink!
Praise and criticism
Back in Megabreak, of course, praise for the Netherlands, but also quite a bit of criticism about the decoration of a penalty by Arjan Robben. An Englishman said in his best Thai: "lucky, make," and I couldn't blame him. My American friend George put it this way on Facebook: “The Academy Award for Best Performance in the World Cup goes to Arjen Robben, for flying through the air in anguish after being tapped on the foot. That was a bogus penalty, maybe to make up for the earlier non-calls”.Another comment from my good friend Scott:maybe Mr Robben will be back in Brazil for the Olympics in 2016 winning a gold medal in diving"
rebuttal
My reply was as follows: The whole of the Netherlands is happy with this victory and the other achievements of the Dutch national team. We have now been in the final three times and lost three while the whole world loves our football. Now that we've come this far at this World Cup, we're going for the title and if it can't be done with beautiful football, then less pleasing to the eye, as long as we win!
The penalty that Arjan decorated was indeed - in my opinion - wrongly given. The Portuguese referee knows Robben from Bayern so he should have known better. Moreover, in a match that ended so spectacularly, as a referee (I myself was a referee at amateur level for 20 years) you don't give a penalty kick in the very last seconds. That's not in the spirit of the game. Proença – like the Mexicans – must be sent home.
Perspective
Nevertheless, I am happy with what he has done and I am now giving the Netherlands a decent chance, all the more so because the other major football countries are not particularly outstanding either. If the Dutch national team gets even further, I will organize a big party for all my friends here before the final. Four years ago I did the same for the unfortunately lost final against Spain. I had 40 people over, it was a party, but ended in a drama for us Dutch people.
Who knows, this time it will be different and better, the Netherlands deserves the World Championship one day, don't they?!
Hi Gringo,
there is more to the world than just Megabreak………take for example a bar on North Pattaya Road, where the NL flag hangs and where the ceiling is painted orange and where the staff (including the owner) wear orange. Then there is a restaurant in Jomtien where there are not only orange tablecloths, but also orange streamers and balloons. Even the owner's car is decorated with orange...so, there is definitely a fever.
As for Robben's tumble: he got 2 tackles in a row in the penalty area and I think it was right that a penalty followed. The time in the game doesn't matter at all, as you claim!!
It's about time Mr Robben, actor and professional diver gets a yellow card for his diving performance, I don't understand that referee, he is widely known for his schwalbes and yet they still fall for it
If we win the World Cup, everything will be forgiven and forgotten: the penalties rightly and wrongly given, the penalties rightly or wrongly not given, the red and yellow cards given and not given.
The books will say: Worldcup 2014: The Netherlands, and the whole world will turn orange.
Not a bad idea for Thailand.
So Robben has admitted that he made a fake dive….decorated penalty. With that, he has suddenly become a great threat to the Dutch national team. Is he going to get yellow for the first "yes" violation.
A Thai would never do that 🙂
That's a misunderstanding Ocean Eng. He apologized for a schwalbe in the first half. The kicking down in stoppage time was 100% a penalty kick. Very stupid of the defender of Mexico. Robben does have another problem on Twitter. He showed his armpit hairs at Jack van Gelder and that is of course not possible and not allowed from Twitterend Netherlands. That should all be shaved.
LOL. I was wrong. Thanks for the correction. Now on to the final. And schwalbes against the Germans are of course allowed. After all, they invented it. 🙂
Dear Gringo, every tournament shows that the English are not that smart when it comes to football. Even worse are the subsequent comments. Also @ Alois. Diving, So nothing happened in the first half or did you have another match up? there is no such thing as a pure penalty, there were even 2 in 1 second! The foul was so hard and bad that Hector Moreno, who doesn't know him from his AZ time under Louis! that the best man has broken his tibia!!!! I don't hear anyone about that, how blind can you be in your comments! Furthermore, the Netherlands has clearly not received 2 penalties, it is now a good thing. Is it allowed? I come to a conclusion, I have only seen 2 good referees this World Cup and the rest was a drama. Fortunately, Kuipers was among the best, flute perfect. Unfortunately no final for him because the real Orange now goes full for it and it finally turns out to be good. We will see!
I'll be in Udon Thani next weekend. Is there a nice area around here where football is watched?
As far as Robben is concerned he should have had at least another penalty plus 3 free kicks. If you get a knee, which resulted in the penalty, you go down, even a child knows that. On the other side in the first half he was beaten with 2 Mexicans 'pushed' to the turf, a pure penalty, but the referee himself admitted that he was 'doubting' because Arjen used the turf too often as a place to lie down. But throughout the match, Arjen Robben was made impossible to play. mowed down at a distance of 2 meters from the penalty box, the referee turned and ran after the Mexicans while Robben sat with his hands up on the ground. These are all events in which
the above story is not a letter written.
The Netherlands may well deserve it
But semi-final Belgium Netherlands
And you won't get any further, will you 5555
Yes, it is not difficult if you go to watch football in an English-oriented pool center and you do not see an orange fever.5555. Go to a Dutch bar, it will undoubtedly be different there. LOL
Hopefully we Belgians can ensure that the Netherlands does not have to lose a fourth final . Do we just have to get past Argentina
Belgium ever played a World Cup final dear Patrick?