by Melanie de Klerk
The color orange is everywhere. It covers the parking metres, lampposts, cars, buildings and entire neighbourhoods are decked out. A foreigner might be forgiven for thinking that in Amsterdam, today (June 25, 2010) was a special holiday. Maybe Independence Day or the Queen's birthday. But today is not such an auspicious day. The only difference is – World Cup 2010 is on. National pride is on full display in the color orange, or as they say here, oranje.
Here's one person's idea of pride. Orange shirts on a wash line in an apartment window
Orange shirt wearing, bull horn toting, orange feather boa draped fans crowded the boardwalk in the city of The Hague just before kickoff last night. Although the Dutch have actually already made it through to the next round, this is still serious business. For Dutch soccer fans, this game is no reason for them to rest on their laurels. They are looking for good soccer.
This is a residential street in Scheveningen, a seaside town near The Hague.
Here's another display in Amsterdam.
One girl sporting an orange afro says the team, despite winning, didn't play well last time against Japan. She is looking for a better game this time.
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Well, it depends who you ask, but they played well enough to beat Cameroon. And today, they beat Slovakia firmly cementing their position in the quarter finals.
Orange and Dutch flags on display in a small street in old Amsterdam (near the Red Light District).
With top teams like France and Italy out already in the first round, many Dutch fans are optimistic – some more cautiously than others. Whatever the outcome, the incredible display of national pride for the sport of soccer is a lot of fun to watch.
Melanie is Global National's research coordinator, based in Vancouver. She is currently in Amsterdam.
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