The fascination with Orange… not the fruit, just the pulp…was something I always cherish to date.

It wasn’t just the color of the pulp. But the soccer team of the Netherlands caught my attention during the 1998 World Cup. Ok, I was still a Brazil fan, I still am to an extent, but none can argue my passion for the Orangee team. My friends know that…

Barring the 1988 Euro Championships, Dutch have never been able to win any major title. Too bad for a country that is second to none in the talent they have. I dare say, even Brazil can be taken off if the Dutch play to their potential.

If talent were alone a consideration, you would have many successful people in this world. Test of nerves and how a team copes with adversity and the bounce-back ability makes other successful teams go one touch ahead than Dutch.

There are teams like Italy (I love their defence), Argentina, Nigeria in their heydays, and too many teams. But for me, it’s been four teams that always catch my attention.

Dutch, Germany, Brazil, and Italy – They are my pick.

Marco Van Basten would have loved to add his player’s medal, which he won in 1988 after scoring one of the best goals ever in history.

One would like to know what’s wrong with the Dutch soccer team. Rinus Michel’s legacy with his total football concept and the genius of Johann Cryuff in the ‘1970s makes me wonder why they can’t jump the final hurdle to perfection.

They lost in the finals of the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals. As they were more famously known, the precision of’ Clockwork Orange wasn’t in sync for the big games.

I would love in the future to make a case study of Dutch football… Right now, I am on Italian football history, or should I term it ‘Calcio.’

My disappointments make me not script an emotional script because; I do not want to criticize the Dutch for their football. I have come to terms with time with their mood swings with a swing of flair and brilliance to the sheer clueless, cornered football they play.

My status message was ‘Go Orangee’ for the past week. And they just went away. If one looks at history, you can sense why coach Van basten didn’t react to Russia’s loss. People, who have followed Dutch football, claim it isn’t a shock because they can lose any time.

Also, I did get to know that people in Holland just went about their lives after witnessing this loss. They have only got used to this. Hats off to them for being stoic in general and look at the positive aspects of Dutch football.

I didn’t watch the match; I was traveling from Chennai to Bangalore. The first thing I did was to check the score. Well, I don’t know…. Forget it… sometimes it’s better not to think…

But I end up thinking …. And rest all I say is my fascination for Dutch…. I mean for the soccer team.

Remember these titans: My pick for the all-time favourite Dutch team

Ronald de Boer, Frank De Boer, Jaap Staam, Edwin Van der Saar, Giovanni Bronckhurst, Marc Overmars, Rudd Van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf, Michael reiziger, Danny Blind, Edgar Davids, Marco Van Basten, Johnny Heitiga, Ronald Koeman, Andy Van Der Myde, Frank Rijkaard, Rudd Guilt, Wesley Sneijder, Johann Cryuff, Philip Cocu and last but not the least my all time favourite Dennis Bergkemp.