A final entry on soccer isn’t an Italy one, but rater a Dutch one. Our final weekend venture was to Amsterdam. Saturday night the Netherlands were playing Russia in the quarterfinals of the Euro Cup. Brian, Dom, and I headed to Liedsplein, a large public square in the city to watch the game. We were greeted by a sea of orange-clad supporters huddled around the LCD televisions displayed out side of bars in the square. Earlier in the day, we couldn’t help but give into the fever of the city so we all purchased orange t-shirts. For once in Europe, we felt like we didn’t stick out like Americans upon first glance.
Midway through the match, a Turkey fan (not sure why he was here watching this game) began agitating the Dutch fans. His antics came to a crescendo whenever he aggressively shoved Brian out of the way to try to get closer to the TVs. This did not sit well with the Dutch fans, as one took it upon himself to head butt this man. This man was essentially sticking up for Brian because they were wearing the same colored shirt. It was just one example of likely many, where soccer fans will stick up for “their own”.
The most exciting time of the game came whenever the Netherlands scored with 3 minutes left in the game to tie it at 1-1, and send it to extra time. The crowd was in frenzy, people were setting off flares; it was really like nothing I have ever seen before. Unfortunately for the Dutch fans, the celebration would be short-lived, as the Russians prevailed in extra time. With the game ending, and the riot police coming in, we knew it was time to leave. Despite the disappointing finish, we knew we had all witnessed a truly unique spectacle, which would not be soon forgotten.
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