Satellite Sport Cafe Leidseplein Amsterdam

It is all in the game!

It was not supposed to happen. This Euro 2008 is going in a very surprising direction but it shows great matches and unexpected heroes.
My little dream of a semifinal Italy and Holland is gone.
Three evening in a row where my favorite team doesn't make it through. The worst was Oranje loosing to the Russian. The sadness and pain in Driek eyes were more significant then the out loud hysterical screams of Croatian Marina, a friend of mine, watching the Croatia-Turkey game in our house.

Driek could hardly sleep. Oranje made every Holland fans dream again of the playful and skillful tactics of long ago coming to life again. Somehow against the young Russian team they were disoriented. Anyway thank you Marco van Basten. We enjoyed the dream so long as it lasted.
I would have loved Holland in final. Believe me!
After all I live in Amsterdam and my adopted country is the best for parties. And the stories of '88 victory have been ringing in my ears. House boat sinking in the canals because of the mass euphoria and celebrations. Queensday in comparison would have been just a pale orange.

The lost of the Azzurri in the penalty was to me not so devastating. We won already once in world cup 2006, and that is a lot for a team doomed to fail in penalty.
So goodbye Azzurri. I still am your true supporter. I am only sorry Tony didn't bring it to conclusion. Also thank you Roberto Donadoni, whatever everybody is bitching about you, you kept the game up and running. You and the Azzurri gave everything. Penalty just sucks!

Bob disappointment and hurt was almost similar to Driek's for the Oranje. He hid himself behind is cellular like a teenager sending sms.
Buffon is one of his Juventus hero.
What to say: penalty are just a mixture in a witch pot, where some strategy, a lot of psychology, luck and divine intervention are playing a major role.
At least the Italians didn't shoot way outside the goal like poor Croatian. That was awful!

But really the third evening in a raw going into extension time. I am exhausted and glad there are couple of rest days.
At this point my next favorite winner are the Germans, die deutschen Buben. After all I lived 6 years in Munich. In the last EURO 2004 I celebrated all night long with Greek friends the victory of their team in Leopold Strasse.

This next picture was shot after Italy won over favorite Germany in World cup 2006, again in Leidseplein. Some sweet but sad German supporters decided to pose with me.

Labels: