The Dutch have contributed so much to European and to world football. Err, voetbal. They're great, even in defeat. In truth, their great, cataclysmic defeats are among the most storied in the history of the game. The 1974 World Cup final against Germany was a heartbreaker, especially for a country that was but a generation or so removed from the brutal occupation of the Germans. Then four years later, and without Cruyff and some other big stars, the Dutch still reach the final only to meet up there with the Argentines, in Buenos Aires no less. Quite possibly the biggest home field advantage in the history of sports and yet Oranje almost pull it off, Rensenbrink hitting the post in the last minute of regulation. It was inevitable, perhaps, that Argentina went on to win in overtime.
The Netherlands haven't always lost, though. Don't forget that they won Euro 88 and they reached the semifinals of both WC 98 and Euro 2000. The loss to Brazil in WC 98 was hard to take but there's still the memory of the July 4 quarterfinal win over Argentina to keep Oranje fans warm. What a goal by Bergkamp!
Hup! Hup! Holland!
