Dutch Rollin’
Netherlands 4 – 1 France
The Oranje continued their tear through the Group of Death today, clinching a place in the quarterfinals with a thorough demolition of France. For those keeping score at home, the Dutch now have seven goals in two games against both finalists from 2006’s World Cup. If I were a coach at any level my players would be watching these two games on an endless loop, because you couldn’t possibly draw up a more impressive offensive display than that which Marco van Basten’s squad has given us in the last few days
Second-half substitutes Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie made their coach look brilliant by combining for a goal created by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s ridiculous Maradona spin/no-look pass. I know we don’t keep track of secondary assists in soccer (one of only two instances in which hockey is superior, the other being league-sanctioned fighting), but if we did Ruud’s would be an all-time epic.
My favorite moment of the match, however, had nothing to do with soccer. After Wesley Sneijder laced home an unnecessary but gorgeous fourth goal, ESPN’s Adrian Healey reacted with “Well it’s a Dutch Oven…and the French are toast.” If anybody thought this blog was too good for fart jokes, you had better think again.
