Thank god for Holland.
I’m no Dutch homer, but it’s impossible not to love a team that goes up 2-0 on the World Cup champion and, instead of packing it in, sends its diminutive left back (Giovanni van Bronckhorst) on a jailbreak run that ends with him scoring--on a header, of all things.
Netherlands 3, Italy 0.
Here are some of the entries from my notebook in this game: Wow. Unbelievable. Holy ----.
Not once in eight games over the past 30 years had the Dutch beaten Italy. Never had Italy given up three goals in a European Championship game. And never will you see a finer pair of team-built counter-attack goals than the ones scored by Holland for their second and third goals. Talk about Showtime in the transition game.
You can be certain there was celebrating in the house of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna, a close friend of Van Bronckhorst from their days together at Glasgow Rangers. (One of Reyna’s sons is named Giovanni after his pal.) If you ever wanted a modern-day clinic in Dutch Total Football, you got one from the Oranje today, and more so from Van Bronckhorst than from any other single player.
It was Gio who, with the score still 1-0 in the first half, cleared Andrea Pirlo’s corner kick off his own goal line, raced down the left side at breakneck speed, met a sweet pass from Rafael van der Vaart and sent a glorious ball over the top to Dirk Kuyt, whose delicate header bounced once before Wesley Sneijder hit a perfect one-time shot near-post to beat Gigi Buffon.
And it was Gio who shot out of a cannon after Pirlo had been denied (again!) on a screaming free kick, Gio who kept running with the ball and found Kuyt, who kept pushing after Buffon’s initial save and hit Gio with the return cross for the first headed goal of Euro 2008.
What more can you say? Is it too early for me to crow a little bit after catching static from some of you guys for picking Holland to go to the final? (O.K., yes, it’s too early. I hear you.)
Three other thoughts:
• Orlando Engelaar and Nigel De Jong were amazing. The Dutch attackers deserve a ton of credit, but midfielders Engelaar and De Jong shut down Pirlo--one of the top players from World Cup ’06--the entire game. Pirlo spun and spun and spun, and in the end did little more than spin his wheels.
• Holland’s first goal was NOT a thing of beauty. Common sense says that Italian defender Christian Panucci should not have been considered active as he lay prostrate beyond the endline after being knocked down by his own keeper Buffon before Holland’s first goal. Panucci did not try to trick anyone by stepping off the field while upright. Simple story: the Dutch’s first goal (by Ruud van Nistelrooy) should not have counted, since (were it not for Panucci) RVN was offside by several yards. That shouldn’t take away from Holland’s victory, but it needs to be said.
• Edwin van der Sar can still bring it. The save that Van der Sar made on Antonio Di Natale in minute 33 was a lot harder than it looked, since VDS was being screened by his own defender, Khalid (the Cannibal) Boulahrouz, who was nutmegged by the shot itself. Had Italy been able to take a 2-1 deficit into halftime (and spark some doubt in the Dutch) this might have been a different game.
Through-balls: Maybe it was the end-to-end nature of the game, but I still feel better about Italy’s chances to survive the Group of Death than those of France or Romania ... It might be fashionable in hindsight to say that this Italy team is too old, but keep in mind, Van Bronckhorst is 33 and Van Nistelrooy is 31 ... Separated at Birth (courtesy SI.com soccer producer Jonah Freedman): Italy’s Roberto Donadoni and Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips ... I wouldn’t be surprised to see several changes in Italy’s lineup against Romania, including the insertion of Daniele De Rossi and Alessandro Del Piero. Antonio Cassano was dangerous in short-term duty on Monday as well.
Can the Italians come back from this? I think they will. Post your own thoughts below...
Irina Shayk
Bar Refaeli
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I think all credit should go to the VanDerVaart-Sniejder partnership in the Dutch attack, simply amazing
Big Chaco
Los Angeles , CA
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Grant! Thanks for keeping a blog...
The Orange were beautiful today, great stuff after the sleeper that preceeded it. Looking forward to your ensuing post with gilt-edged anticipation.
sdChris
Cardiff By The Sea , CA
Total Comments (2)
I am sorry to argue just a little bit. Though Panucci was behind the goalline, the rules state clearly that he is still part of the play. Just stepping outside the lines does not make him outside of play, thus van Nistelroy was not offside. Either way, this was the best football I have seen in many games and Hlland deserved the win by very creative play. Hup Holland Hup
Dutch Reverend
Carrollton , GA
Total Comments (6)
Thanks for the blog Grant! It was beautiful to watch the Orange today, especially after the preceeding sleepers.
I await your ensuing post with gilt-edged anticipation.
sdChris
Cardiff By The Sea , CA
Total Comments (2)
The Dutch showed what real football looks like. Entertaining and exciting. van Nistelroy's goal was not offside even though Panucci was behind the line. Let's get ready for France. Hup Holland Hup.
Dutch Reverend
Carrollton , GA
Total Comments (6)
I have not watched the game but I believe the great Van Basten's team deserved this great win. The first goal was all the way off-side (I cannot even imagine the ranting had Italy scored that goal) but as you wisely wrote it should not detract from beautiful play by the Oranges!
P.S.: Thanks for the blog!
Giuseppe (an Italian, what else?)
giuseppe
Total Comments (17)
I don't really feel sorry for the Italians on the first goal. They fall down and act injured as a first reflex. Glad to see it came back to bite them this time.
motionsuggests
Total Comments (16)
This Azzurri loss is not hard to explain:
1) No Cannavaro - I've never seen Buffon deal w/ so many one-on-ones. The backline was in disarray without him. Holland broke through the middle all day.
2) Donadoni's head-scratching selections - Materazzi has stunk all season. Ambrosini and Gattuso? These past-their-prime mids have under-performed for Milan all season. No DeRossi/no Aquilani/no Cassano = no pace or creativity in midfield (except Pirlo). Except for Pirlo, Italy looked old and slow.
Next game, Panucci needs to start in the middle with Barzagli and Materazzi on bench. Grosso starts. DeRossi and Perrotta start over Ambrosini/Gattuso. Either Aquilani/Cassano start over Camoranesi.
pfunk
Total Comments (72)
NExt lineup for Italy:
Zambrotta Panucci Barzagli Grosso
De Rossi Perrotta
Cassano Pirlo DiNatale
Toni
pfunk
Total Comments (72)
Thank you for the positive blog. I certainly think the Italians will come back, they are always there in the last round, whether they play good soccer or not. Though, as i read somewhere, many of these guys are old, and just like the French during the last World Cup it doesn't always mean that the experience pays off. Nevertheless, i'm proud to be Dutch today and so much enjoyed the game. To be honest, the team delivered far above (at least mine) expectation. I can only imagine it's crazy back there, even though it's a monday evening. Only the first game - but what an entry!
Rodie
Total Comments (1)
yes, total football, attack with all means, jee what a game,
dutch fan,
John Holland
JohnHolland
Total Comments (1)
Grant, you should read the rules again.
The goal was valid. A player behind his own goal line counts as active.
The rules even say that a player stepping behind his own goal line should be punished with a yellow card.
Because it was an 'accident' the referee was fair and didn't punish him. But that does not change the fact that it was a regular goal.
Fans not knowing the rules is bad enough, but you journos?
no_trolling_please
Total Comments (206)
no_trolling_please, maybe you should understand the rules b/c things were not as clear cut as you make them out to be. A player past his goal line is only supposed to count as active if he intentionally goes out of bounds or does so to create an offsides situation. First, Panucci did not step out, he was knocked out (actually clotheslined). When Panucci stayed down injured, RVN was still in an onsides position. With Panucci down, players reshuffled and then RVN stepped "offsides" to direct the ball on goal. The point is that Panucci did not intentionally step out of play to create the offsides, and so it is a gray area. You could argue it both ways, but everyone pretty much agrees it was a crappy call, given the circumstances.
pfunk
Total Comments (72)
No_trolling: does that mean if a player is receiving treatment on the sidelines, he's active for purposes of the offside rule? Or what about an injured player in a situation where the attacking team does not put the ball out of play?
Holland played beautiful soccer today. Good for them. Now it'll be interesting to see how Italy, France, and Romania respond. Neither Italy or France can afford to lose or draw their next game. I am amazed thatDonadoni (totally agree with the Wayne Coyne reference) started Materazzi and Ambrosini. Just bad tactics. The Italians need attacking full backs to play their preferred style, and they did not get that until Grosso subbed in. All props to Van der Sar for making some good saves and keeping his team in front by a comfortable margin.
I agree that the Italians are in a better position than the French, if only because France already played Romania. France now has to play Holland in a game where the Dutch know a win and they secure qualification. Italy has to play a dangerous Romania squad, but it's still a game where they are favored to take the win. Anyway, if this what it takes to have the France Italy game be an elimination game, so be it. That one will be awesome to watch, if only because of the hatred between teams.
j11forbes
Denver , CO
Total Comments (862)
sidelines and treatment are a completly different story.
And no not 'everybody agrees that it was a crappy call'. Only italians agree on that. Everybody else sees it as a valid goal.
When a player is laying on the ground ON THE FIELD would it made any difference? No.
The dutch player was not the last man, story ends here.
no_trolling_please
Total Comments (206)
Yes I was using hyperbole, much like you are when you say "everybody" except Italians think it was valid...
My point (as many others are making) is that there is a subjective gray area for interpretation and so the story does not end there. The idea behind the rule is to prevent defenders from creating offsides situations by exploiting the touch line. In this case the defender was out of bounds due to a potential injury situation - not at all consistent with the "spirit" of the rule.
pfunk
Total Comments (72)
Law 11.11:" A defender who leaves the field during the course of play and does not immediately return must still be considered in determining where the second to last defender is for the purpose of judging which attackers are in an offside position. Such a defender is considered to be on the touch line or goal line closest to his or her off-field position. A defender who leaves the field with the referee's permission (and who thus requires the referee's permission to return) is not included in determining offside position."
Count it!!
texmex71
Austin , TX
Total Comments (16)
not an Italian fan but the non-offsides on the RVN goal was still a lousy call
gerwood
Houston , TX
Total Comments (1)
oh my. we're still shell-shocked by what happened tonight. Before every tournament, all us dutch fans go in with enormous expectations...but nobody in his right mind expected this to happen. And the most amazing part is: the italians didn't even play THAT poorly. Pirlo was good but had too little creative help from midfield I think. Donadoni shouldn't forget that while Ambrosini and Gattuso allow Pirlo to function like with Milan, there's another forward-thinking midfielder in that Milan line up that's missing from this national team (ironically enough, a dutchman, in Seedorf) which means that the sole creative responsability rests on Pirlo's shoulder. I think he's amazing, but even he can be smothered by two defensive midfielders like Holland did today. I think the Italians will fare much much better if they decide to field Aquilani, who does add a creative impulse from midfield, instead of Ambrosini or maybe even instead of Camoranesi, who has to play too deep when Italy go a goal down and as such can't help out the midfield anymore.
Long story short...we're going out of our minds over here!
Joep
Total Comments (5)
Grant, what are your thoughts on Andy Gray's addition to the ESPN broadcasts? I think he has been AWESOME! He picks up on things the American broadcasters do not (see his analysis on Van Der Sar pulling his hand down from a stinging Italian shot so he didn't give up a corner kick). And his passion for the game really comes through. Your thoughts?
Carson8184
Edmond , OK
Total Comments (10)
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