NETHERLANDS VS DENMARK

Soccer City (14 June 2010)
Result 2-0

The Orange Army was out in force this afternoon. They arrived wearing all shades of shocking orange, from tip-to-toe they showed exactly where their alliances lay. A handful of supporters contrasted the orange and wore the red and white of Denmark.

Supporters at the 2010 Fifa World Cup Soccer Match between Netherlands and Denmark

I had always dreamed of being a part of the Orange Army and so had decided prior to the game to support Holland. I wore my World Cup Overalls but modified it slightly with bright orange running shorts and an Orange shirt. It worked wonderfully and I immediately engrossed as part of the vibe! Soccer City is built for the Netherlands, the seats are all bright orange so even before the stadium had reached capacity it was as if the stands were full of the faithful supporters. The very controversial Vuvuzelas once again blared throughout the game.

The crowd’s favourite was undoubtedly Arsenal’s Van Persie and whenever he got the ball the trumpets increased in decibels from mind-numbing to well more mind-numbing.

The first half saw no goals and was punctuated by quite a funny scene. …about 40 beautiful blonde girls dressed in very short bright orange mini-skirts were ‘removed’ from the stadium by the police. We had no idea what was happening and it was only after the game did we discover that they had been part of an ambush marketing ploy by Bavaria Beer. The girls all got questioned by the police and some were temporarily detained but the news spread around the world so Bavaria’s little plan had worked! Free publicity! I must say that the girls they used were indeed gorgeous and they constantly had a crowd of gawking males following their every movement.

The action on the field improved in the second half with an own goal from Agger and a tap in goal from Kuyt. They have got the campaign to a winning start, though one did get the feeling they were just cruising and not at their best. Are they possibly a title contender?

As I left the ground running for the train I kept looking around at the fans! It is amazing how such a radical colour helps unite a nation and brings about a sense of belonging. I’m hoping that the ‘Yellow’ of Bafana Bafana does the same for our country. Maybe, just maybe, this World Cup has created an everlasting sea of yellow. Time will tell!

Written by: Adam Bannister