World Cup 4 - Brazil Beaten

Do not feign a look of equality as your enemy looks you in the eye. You could be no better than they are, or worse, worse than they are but don't know it. Do not assume anything except that anything could happen. Is your ability the only factor that stands between you and success? Is your opponent's ability readily dismissed as inferior? After all, you could have been champ five times and the skills are in your blood. Of course, they'll lose? But nothing is impossible and the proud fall faster than the meek. The humble try harder because the know it's going to be tough battle. They stay positive, and try and try again.

So the Netherlands beat Brazil. I am happy.

My fascination with Dutch soccer stems from the days of Marco Van Basten and Ruud Guillit. They were a pair to be reckoned with. There was an amazing "cross" from Basten, that sliced almost parallel to the goal line before curling in. It was an awesome goal. Unfortunately, the talent in the Dutch football squad never quite managed to unleash its true potential at the right time. They haven't won a thing for a long time. Poor things, till today. (I also had a thing for the colour orange. The sea of orange across a stadium section can only be described as breathtaking. The orange army the fans are called. Also because orange didn't rhyme with anything, haha)

No one messes with Brazil and all too often, fans have come to expect the Samba Kings to sashay their way to the top, their talent unmatched and untamed. Yes, sometimes that is so. But for this World Cup, Brazil almost didn't qualify. And today, their invincibility was shattered. From winning one up, they went two down, had one man sent off for a stupid stomp on an opponent's calf and couldn't produce an equaliser. Perhaps an unfamiliar territory for them but one team had to lose. The Dutch seemed hungrier but slower against the sizzling Brazilians. Nonetheless, they didn't cave in and held on. They could have made it 4-1 but luck and chance didn't quite see them through. Nerves maybe. But a win is a win at the end of 90 minutes.

Thanks for playing Brazil. Now back across the South Atlantic to think about winning at home in 2014. Don't get lazy because of the automatic qualification. Pride comes before a fall. A fall at home, now that would be something for Brazil. Unthinkable? Well, it is the year for the underdogs. Hungrier underdogs.