Hoping for a Netherlands vs. Argentina World Cup Final won by Holland 3-1 to make up for 1978.
(to avoid heart problems, I can do without the extra-time though)
The Dutch seem to like playing in South America - picking up where they left off in 1978.
A Brazilian friend of mine, Pepe, told me about 2008 that "Dutch sides are like Brazil" talking in terms of technical proficiency, flare and passion for the game...
Actually, several of the players usually in every Dutch side are close to being of Brazilian ancestry, being of Surinamese ancestry - either born or growing up in Suriname, the former Dutch colony on Brazil's northern border.
In the current squad, Nigel de Jong, Michel Vorm, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jeremain Lens are of Surinamese descent.
Five others are of Caribbean or African descent.
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It was great to see a fit looking Robben and van Persie running riot - both players with a long history of injuries...
A lot of Holland's chances of success depend on players like Robben, van Persie and Sneijder staying fit...
Brilliant header by van Persie - fitting for a guy whose parents are both professional artists (father a sculptor, mother a painter)
A lot of artistry from Robben and Sneijder as well....
Van Persie's parents are Dutch artists:
Van Persie On Art and Football (interviewed February 2009):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-...
"While he did not inherit the passion for art that is shared by his parents - his father is a sculptor, his mother a painter - he sees beauty in a perfect pass and what he calls 'solutions and possibilities' on a football pitch.
'I don't see things the way my parents do,' he says. 'They can look at a tree and see something amazing, whereas I just see a tree. That's not to say I don't appreciate its beauty. When I watch the sea in somewhere like Sardinia, I see the beauty in that.
'But I think there is a creative connection with my parents. It's hard to explain in words, hard to put my finger on it. But I think football is where my creativity comes out.
'Like them, I think I see things other people, and other players, don't when it comes to certain situations. When I look at a football pitch I suppose, yes, I see it as my canvas. I see solutions, possibilities, the space to express myself. I am always looking for ways to be creative, to gain an edge .
'I wasn't artistic in drawing or painting but I think I am artistic in sport. I think I'm always looking for the ultimate, the maximum. It's a challenge that excites me.'
RVP's dad Bob is an established artist in the Netherlands:
http://www.richardgoodallgallery.com/contemporarya...
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greate...
Two Artists: Robin and Bob van Persie at the opening of Bob van Persie's exhibition
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