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You are here: Home / Sports / Denmark v Holland Open Thread

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54Comments

  1. 1.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    I used to smoke Dutch Treat. Although I no longer partake, I’d recommend a well grown strain of this to MJ connoisseurs everywhere. Perfect balance of tang and sweet, but be prepared to be confined to the couch for the rest of the evening. =)

  2. 2.

    kasnarski

    okay dumb question…

    these are the euro championships right? they play these every year or is it like the world cup, once every four?

  6. 6.

    handsmile

    Finally, the match that will prove, for all to see, that it is Nicklas Bendtner, not Robin van Persie, who is the world’s greatest striker!

    And the match that will dispel those nasty rumors that Mark van Bommel and Nigel de Jong are only on the pitch to brutalize opposing players. And watch for Arjen Robben’s gravitas.

    Just you wait. Oh, and it will be a bright Orange afternoon.

  10. 10.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    I’ve been on a mission to get some more body fat, so I drink a ton of those ensure things – the 350 calorie ones. Costco apparently only sells the extra-strength ones in vanilla (gross) so I’ve taken to putting two of them plus a banana in the blender. 700 cals plus whatever a whole banana contains and the result is palatable. The breakfast of champions.

    Also, it appears to be working, as I’ve gained probably 15 pounds since I started on the stuff. Yay! I could use another 10, but we’ll see. =)

    To any stick figures on the board, this stuff works! Also, eating as soon as you are hungry helps (INORITE? what a concept!)

  11. 11.

    Randinho

    @Raven: I’m going to guess it’s English. English is widely spoken in both the Netherlands and Denmark. The Slovenian referee speaks English as well.

    Goal Denmark. Talk about scoring against the run of play . . .

  12. 12.

    handsmile

    Oh my, I believe that’s known as “a goal against the run of play.”

    ETA: Randinho: faster fingers I see…

  20. 20.

    Raven

    @danah gaz (fka gaz): In American football a reverse is where the ball is handed off to a player going in the opposite direction of the flow of the play. Normally the ball carrier would go wide. In and inside reverse the ball is handed to the player running against the flow but would cut it inside the tackle or end.

  21. 21.

    Tony J

    How the hell didn’t the Dutch equalise just then? 4 vs 3 on the edge of the 18-yard box and Robben blasts it against the post. The Danish keeper must be thanking his lucky stars his cock-up didn’t cost them the lead.

  24. 24.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    @Raven: So the balls are cupped by a playah (must be the downlow thing I always hear about), going in the reverse direction of the play (confused about that bit). Normally the ball cupper would go wide (Larry Craig?) and the inside reverse balls are handed to the playah going against the flow (chuckle).

    Sounds dirty. Football is so gay. =)

    ETA: It’s probably best that I don’t engage in sports discussions. To me it all seems homoerotic which is cool and all, but I’m not much for kink. As far as the technical aspects of the game, I find them about as exciting as watching sports fishing.

  25. 25.

    Tony J

    Oooh, should be 2-0.

    Edit – Ooooohhhh, should be 1-1.

    Have the Dutch been taking shooting lessons from that Russian striker who got took off last night after peppering the stands with bad misses?

  28. 28.

    Alison

    I’ve got the Netherlands advancing so they better make some shit happen here in the second half. Also, head-to-toe orange, uggghhh. (Although they’re still miles better than the Seattle Sounders Fluorescent Kits of Horror…)

  29. 29.

    Tony J

    Halftime. The Danes didn’t turn up for the first half hour, but since then both sides have spurned chances, with the Dutch being especially culpable.

    If the Dutch don’t raise the tempo in the second half and get their goal-scoring heads screwed on, this has Danish victory written all over it.

  32. 32.

    handsmile

    “Look we’re totally bossing the match. It’s only a matter of time until we score,” said the Barcelona players at half-time in their CL semi-finals against Chelsea.

    The Oranje had better be less profligate with the Danish goalposts, because their defense brings to mind jokes about Dutch dikes.

    Note how cagey Nicklas Bendtner has been thus far. Saving himself for an explosive second half!

  33. 33.

    Alison

    @danah gaz (fka gaz): Okay, that romper is HILARIOUS. It makes me laugh, unlike the Sounders’ kits, which make me want to kill things.

    Seriously. The colors are just…someone should be fired, rehired, and fired again for that shit.

    And I’m afraid as the best friend of a diehard Portland Timbers fan I am not allowed to say anything positive about the team :P

  34. 34.

    MattR

    As a fan of the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Orioles and New York Islanders, I reflexively root for the Dutch.

  35. 35.

    handsmile

    @Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):

    it’s beautiful football they play at The Emirates, isn’t it?

    Well, it used to be. Now it’s mostly an exercise in masochism (which I suppose can be beautiful in its own way, if one is so inclined.)

    And you know, Bendter was such a potent threat to Arsenal captain RVP that they had to ship him off to Sunderland. Where his prowess was once again cleverly disguised.

  37. 37.

    Silver

    Well, look at that. Robin van Persie is the only person in the world who can wear bright orange from head to toe and totally disappear. I think I’ve seen this movie a couple of years ago.

    With that back four, you’re going to have to score about 25 goals to win the tournament as the Dutch. Why bother trying out Huntelaar?

  38. 38.

    pseudonymous in nc

    Like I said, the Dutch are good at finding ways to disappoint. Some absolutely cracking build-up and through balls, but impotent in front of goal, with a defence that clearly doesn’t like being run at.

  39. 39.

    Silver

    Well, if there’s one consolation, it’s the the Dutch are culturally inclined to draw together after a loss instead of fracturing apart into many divisions, with incredible amounts of stubborness all around…amirite?

  43. 43.

    pseudonymous in nc

    Robbie Mustoe got it right about the Danes: they haven’t played negatively since taking the lead: they’ve defended solidly, but they haven’t been afraid to send players forward and force the Dutch to do some defending themselves. As for the Dutch, they just didn’t have the gumption to dispense with the flashy stuff outside the box and attack in a concerted way.

  44. 44.

    lol chikinburd

    Wish Holland would have been awarded at least one of their (legitimate) penalty shouts, so that RVP or Robben could have missed that.

  45. 45.

    Amir Khalid

    And it’s over, with the Danes sneaking a 1 — 0 win against the run of play. Dutch had enough of the game to win, but van Persie left his shooting boots at the hotel.

  46. 46.

    Nethead Jay

    @Randinho: Yup, major trouble. And it all sits squarely on their trainer. They have extremely gifted players but they do not have a team. Now it’s gonna be interesting to see whether they’re going to live down to their usual behaviour when in trouble…

  47. 47.

    handsmile

    I think I’m gonna need a little “Dutch courage” myself after that result. As I watch my brackets crumble…

    Utterly wretched performance by Holland in the second half. No urgency, no organization. Overconfidence, I reckon. And apparently some fatigue. But with their other opponents in this group, the Dutch may well have an early vacation.

    An entertaining match overall, particularly for those who believe that a solid defensive effort sullies the beautiful game. A fine debut for Denmark’s second-string keeper Stephan Andersen, but his clean sheet was mostly the result of a little luck and a large measure of Dutch wastefulnesss and showmanship in attack.

  48. 48.

    Steeplejack

    @danah gaz (fka gaz):

    Ensure is swill. You’re better off buying (whey) protein powder and mixing it with whole milk and the bananas. The “365” brand is okay (Whole Foods?), and one of the brands at Target is also good.

    Just my opinion, but an opinion forged in the fire of two months of jaws wired shut.

  49. 49.

    Nethead Jay

    @handsmile: Are you Dutch? I’m sorry, but I really don’t like their current playing style (or lack of). I was a bit worried the first 20 minutes but as the match progressed and we got the first goal I saw some of the traditional sins show up. You’re right there was some luck but for those of us familiar with Stephan Andersen it wasn’t surprising to see him with a couple of world-class saves.

    You’re absolutely right that the Dutch team reaaly need to up their effectiveness if they’re to have any chance against Germany on Wednesday.

  50. 50.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    @Steeplejack: After a year of whey powder and various other GNC style bullshite, I’ll take my chances with the toxic brew that is ensure. The powder stuff passes right through me, and I don’t gain anything. I use the ensure or the nestle stuff because it works, despite being swill. I eat enough healthy stuff besides that it shouldn’t really matter. 100 cals of fat, 17g of protein and 250 not-from-fat cals that actually stick to me, and I’ll take it.

    Our different experiences with it are probably at least in part due to the fact that you were using it as a food substitute more or less (your jaw being wired and all), whereas I never have. Also, I’ve never used it for muscle mass. I want the body fat.

  51. 51.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    @Steeplejack: Meh, FYWP

    Edited to add: The stuff you consumed was probably healthier in terms of your body being able to break it down and metabolize it properly, so it was converted to energy. Less quality of ingredients means less proper metabolically, and more of a tendency for your body to stash it as fat. I’m actually looking for the latter.

  53. 53.

    danah gaz (fka gaz)

    @Steeplejack: Yep. I’m fine with that. My doctor says I should eat more salt too. Go figure. =)

    Also, I was a vegetarian for about two weeks. I dropped somewhere around 10lbs. I’ll never do that again. I’ve got a funky metabolism. My brain is the single biggest calorie burner I’ve got too. I can go on a half hour bike trip, or worry for 10 minutes. I.T. made me skinny. =)

  54. 54.

    Mnemosyne

    @danah gaz (fka gaz):

    If you ever decide to start making smoothies from scratch again, try using whole milk Greek yogurt. Lotsa fat, lotsa protein (about twice as much protein as regular yogurt). Squeeze in a bunch of chocolate or strawberry syrup for the sugar content and you’re good to go.

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