Word: dutchness
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...fans: by the end of the week all their ethnic cousins in Europe's soccer heartland were faring far worse than predicted after Germany lost to the Croats, Italy squeaked through with a draw against Romania, and the French team was handed an ignoble 4-1 defeat by the Dutch...
...Meanwhile in Berne, French coach Raymond Domenech spent more time sparring with the media than focusing on his team's big choc with the Netherlands. His vegetative side simply had no strategy to take down the strong Dutch team, and it showed. After some polite and tense foreplay, the Netherlands exploded in a sparkling offensive action on a corner kick that ended with Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt scoring nine minutes in. The French struggled to survive the half, then came out after the interval ready for payback. Les Bleus pushed, shoved, sprinted, and fought to stay alive, but the Dutch...
...immediate contingency plan is apparent, it is because the Lisbon Treaty was already the E.U.'s Plan B. It replaced the ill-fated E.U. Constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. The Treaty repackages the most important elements of the constitution, including a long-term president, a stronger foreign policy chief, and a more democratic voting system...
...Even if Italy should somehow advance to the knockout phase - not inconceivable given France's form - its calamitous performance against a raging Dutch team will ever be engraved in the minds of the Azzuri's supporters. Certainly, Holland's first score, a poacher's goal by an apparently offside Ruud van Nistelrooy, was no thing of beauty. With Italy defender Christian Panucci sprawled off the field, van Nistelrooy was deemed to be legal when he redirected Wesley Sneijder's shot, although the interpretation left only the Dutch happy. But that in no way reduced the comprehensive nature of Holland...
...heads the country's top football league and its football federation. And the largesse isn't flowing exclusively to the pro game: Abramovich contributes $55 million each year to Russia's fledgling youth development system. The London exile also paid the $2.65 million two-year contract to lure Dutch coach Guus Hiddink to Russia, hoping that he would work the same miracle with the national squad that he did during stints with South Korea and Australia...