Oranje - the colour of victory!

If this World Cup has taught us anything, it is that ‘impossible is nothing!’ To have beaten the invincible Brazilians, who had the best team composition in the tournament against overwhelming odds, the Dutch deserve all the praise in the world. A football nation which is always high on promise, but known to fail at the final hurdle, this might be the perfect time for L’Oranjes to shed their tag of ‘chokers’ and claim the biggest prize in football, which they deserve for their rich history. When Robinho opened the scoring for Brazil, many thought it was inevitable that the Samba Kings would romp home in style. The Dutch didn’t succumb to the pressure and stuck to their game plan and made the best use of the opportunities that came their way, with a bit of luck, and created an upset that ranks highly with some of the best seen this year like Barca-Inter and Manchester United-Bayern Munich.

The current side is a highly transformed team that is different from the ones that we’ve observed through history. Bert van Marwijk has got his basics right by fielding a side that is pragmatic in its approach. The dynamic coach has been intelligent to recognise that the philosophy of ‘Total Football’ is not applicable to the modern day game. This approach, which has attracted severe criticism from all circles is what made van Marwijk’s side the underdogs and took the pressure off them.

Yesterday’s man of the match Wesley Sneijder, as predicted by many before this tournament, has lived up to his reputation by his trademark creative play. Another player who was a key part of the major upset was Arjen Robben. The best way to describe him is that he is a phenomenon. After hunting down Manchester United during the last UCL with a stunning volley, he has come to haunt the Brazilians, with a mix of magic and unprofessional diving and provoking his opponents. Diving is a disgrace, but Felipe Melo dug his own grave by getting his emotions get the better of him. Being patient is a vital aspect of modern day football. The Brazilians got everything right except that. It’s amazing how thin the line is between winning and losing, considering that the men in green and yellow showed their Samba class.

L’Oranjes face Uruguay in the semis, an opponent whose strengths and weaknesses are similar to that of the Dutch. But without Luis Suarez and Diego Lugano, their firepower and defense will be weak. Will the Dutch go on to paint Africa orange? It’s up to them to ‘write their future’, and create history.