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The European Championships (EURO 2012) seem to have consumed their first victim of hype yesterday, which was the Netherlands ending up on the losing side 0 – 1 in the game against Denmark. It always has been Dutch providence since 1990 to disappoint their fans after promising them heaven, but no one even thought of such things when the game started yesterday, what with the sparkling form most of the team are and the hype generated about the Oranje as hot favorites as World Runner-Ups and the opponents being touted as the “weakest” team in Group “of Death” B. But that was not to be. The Dutch played and played, but chocked.
The Danes did not play any exceptional Football, in fact they played mediocre Football. They had but one chance and converted it, while the Dutch were unable to manage to net even one among the blizzard of chances they got. Nothing new, but still, yesterday’s was something else. The game started off as promised: The Dutch in total control and the Danes all at sea, the game centered in the Danish half. Robin van Persie got a couple of chances which he could not finish, ditto Robben. The Danish superstars, Rommedahl and Brendtner were nowhere to be seen, and it remained that way till the end. By the end of fifteen minutes, it looked sure that a Dutch goal was imminent, and that is when it happened. The relatively unknown Michael Krohn-Dehli teared through the Dutch defense and shot in a clinical finisher through between Maarten Sktelenburg’s legs to make it 1 – 0 for Denmark. And that is how it would stay till end.
The Dutch were hit hard by the shock goal scored completely against the flow of play, and seemingly never recovered from it. Robben did a Torres by shooting the ball hard into the post and into the air all around it. Sneijder and Affelay missed a couple of good chances too, but it was Robin van Persie who fumbled, stumbled, gasped and tripped all over the Danish penalty box, never even once looking fully control, comfortable or confident, a far cry from the man we saw filling the net with Arsenal. Thrice did he have the goal wide open in front of him with only Stephan Anderson in front, but no avail. The Dutch defense were tested a couple of times but then again it was Krohn-Dehli who was majorly behind it. The Dutch played and played and attacked and attacked, but of no avail. Wesley Sneijder was in all aspects a One Man Army in the Midfield, but none of his efforts bore fruit. He created 10 chances for the strikers, which is a record in itself! Huntelaar and Kuyt were brought in too late to do anything substantial.
In case you are wondering why everything here is about the Dutch and not about the Danes, that is because there was nothing substantial that they did. Sorry, but the best team did not win here. They had 4 chances, while the Dutch had about 20 I guess. They fumbled, mis-passed and never were in the game, totally outclassed by the Oranje. But in the end, it is those who score goals that win, and not necessarily those who play, and the Danes were smart to put in one chance they got. And when it comes to the Netherlands playing football, it is always they who play football and waste chances, while the opposition scores. Was it a simple case of “this not being their day” or a case of “Football Luck”?Whatever it may be, this puts a serious dent in the Dutch aspirations in a group which even a heartbeat matters much, and a huge shot in the arm and three “worth-in-Gold” points for Denmark who came to Poland-Ukraine with the “Nothing-to-lose” air. It will get only tougher going forward.
