On The Spot


 
Follow PWC columnist Paul Marcuccitti's World Cup diary as he travels around Germany.

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Oranje and gold



June 4th, 2006

    Even before Australia played the Netherlands today in Rotterdam, I was enjoying the match.

    That’s because the stadium was quite aesthetically pleasing. I was standing with my fellow gold-shirted Australians behind one of the goals. But we were a small wedge of gold in a sea of oranje.

    Somehow the two colours look good together. But the Australian players didn’t stick to the script – they played in their dark blue away shirt.

    The most fabulous thing about the Dutch supporters is just how far they’ll go to show their support. It’s not enough just to wear an orange shirt. Find yourself matching trousers, hats and even shoes.

    There really is nothing like the atmosphere in a city on the day of a big football match. I’d already bumped into people that would be attending before I left my hotel. Everywhere you look, there are the unmistakable signs of an impending game.

    I was awake nice and early this morning so I decided to do a quick bit of touring first. Despite walking nearly all day yesterday, I hadn’t really gone east of Rotterdam’s city centre.

    Now I talked about some bizarre architecture yesterday but Rotterdam’s Blaak area takes the cake. Its train station looks like something out of a science fiction movie and then there’s a building called het potlood (which means the pencil) because, well, it looks like a pencil.

    But the piece de resistance is the cube-shaped Overblaak apartments. I can’t begin to explain how strange they look. They are built on a severe angle and I spent minutes just gazing at them, trying to work out what they must be like inside.

    In some ways, Rotterdam doesn’t feel particularly European. One of the main differences between cities in Europe and cities in Australia is, of course, that European cities are much older and full of historic buildings.

    But Rotterdam isn’t like that. Because much of it has been built and rebuilt in the last 60 years, a lot of it looks like a city back home.

    Fortunately a few old buildings survived. The beautiful town hall, for example, gives you an idea of how the rest of the city once looked.

    On the tram to the stadium, I had my first major mishap of the tour – I lost my phone. I don’t know if someone took it or if I misplaced it. All I know is that I had it when I got on to the tram and I didn’t have it when I got off. It’s a real nuisance not having it.

    Luckily I still found fellow Planet World Cup columnist Ruud Doevendans at our pre-arranged meeting location. Ruud and I had a great chat about football and life in general. It’s always a pleasure to share opinions and information with another football fan – especially one with Ruud’s deep knowledge of the game.

    It was difficult talking after we took our seats. The music that blared out from the stadium’s sound system was so loud that we had to yell at each other to make ourselves heard.

    Today, I was extremely proud of my countrymen. We were a minority, tucked into a small section behind one of the goals, but we gave the Socceroos some terrific support – particularly when our team was behind.

    The match had a little more intensity than your average friendly. It was the Netherlands’ last game before the start of the World Cup finals and the Dutch were always going to give the Socceroos their toughest test before the tournament begins.

    Early on, it looked like being a tough day at the office for Australia. The Netherlands took an early lead when Ruud van Nistelrooij scored after Mark Schwarzer parried an Andre Ooijer shot. Robin van Persie also looked like he might tear the Aussies apart.

    But the Aussies settled and started to frustrate the Dutch by robbing them of time on the ball and that, along with some wonderful Mark Schwarzer saves, stopped the Netherlands scoring again.

    Australia lifted in the second half and when Mark Viduka was fouled in the 53rd minute, the Socceroos were awarded a penalty.

    Since missing in Australia’s penalty shootout against Uruguay last year, Viduka has been keen to take another penalty and redeem himself. He failed from the spot again but Tim Cahill, alert as ever, scored from the rebound. Cahill, a real fan favourite, had just come on as a substitute. It’s his first appearance since picking up an injury with Everton late in the English Premier League season.

    Thirty minutes from time, Luke Wilkshire, rather needlessly, got himself sent off. But ten-man Australia hung on for a draw with goalkeeper Schwarzer the hero – he made several outstanding saves.

    Both teams should take a lot out of the match. The Dutch did not play their best but still created many chances (though they’ll be concerned about injuries to Phillip Cocu, Wesley Sneijder and Giovanni van Bronckhorst). The Australians will gain a lot of confidence from their determined display but the players must know that they allowed the Netherlands too many openings.

    Ruud and I had dinner together before he had to leave. Later I went to a bar where some happy Australian fans had congregated. The flavour among both sets of supporters was excellent today.

    Brazil’s friendly against New Zealand was on television and that left most Aussies with a real dilemma. Who to support?

    It couldn’t be the Brazilians – they’re a Group F rival. But support New Zealand? Come on, we can’t do that. (All right Kiwis, don’t start firing in emails. You know I love you.) Ultimately the Brazilians won 4-0 with two late goals. But they didn’t look that convincing.

    My brief Dutch adventure is nearly over and tomorrow I travel to Ulm in southern Germany. I shall miss Rotterdam.

I’ll miss my phone even more.



 
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