Originally Posted by
Phredd3
Given your moniker, this made me chuckle. My wife's sister married a Dutchman, and he and their son are big Ajax and Dutch National Team fans. They are consistently disillusioned with both. But our family will continue to actively root for the Oranje, particular since the Red, White, and Blue can't even qualify for Olympic play. I, too, will look forward to your updates!
Oh, and quick story: In summer of 2010, my son was invited to Amsterdam to stay with my in-laws and their same-age son during their holiday (so, a month). He was a minor at the time, and his travel day coincidentally just happened to work out to be the exact day of the World Cup final, which that year was Spain v. Netherlands. Naturally, the direct flight from DC to Amsterdam was just packed with soccer-obsessed Dutch, and the flight was delayed for a minor mechanical issue while the final was in progress. Alas, they did not know how long it would be, and informed the crowd to remain in the gate area. The nearest TV featuring the game was a brisk five or more minute walk away, so instead, a woman on a cell phone had called her friend in the Netherlands and was relaying the progress to a crowd of at least 50 people. I'll never forget her, shouting out in her inimitable Dutch accent, "Oh, shoot, they scored a goal!!" She didn't say "shoot", of course, and she was a very proper sounding lady, so the use of the epithet was very telling.
My son informs me that they didn't take it too hard and that the flight to Amsterdam was still plenty boisterous.