Despite my rant about the evils of Soccer as a spectator sport, I must say that the Holland/Germany match last night was one of the highlights of my sports watching career.

Three of us (me and two americans named Ben) went to a bar/resteraunt. It was about 2.5 hours before the game due to a misreading of the schedule. Which meant we actually got seats and a chance to eat. I had some fondue and half a bottle of wine.

As the people streamed in it became clear just how packed the place was going to be. We were seated outside where there were two televisions. There was also a large indoor area. By the time everyone showed up it was standing only (I stood on my chair to see over all the tall Dutch people) with probably 80 or so people outside and maybe double that inside.

There was more orange clothing than I've ever seen in my life. Orange shirts, orange bandanas, orange facepaint.

Also, unlike every sporting event I've watched in public in the states, there were many large groups of women. In fact nearly half the people there were women. I think this has something to do with the game being a national game, so you don't have to pay attention to know who to root for, and something to do with the simplicity of the rules (Holland goal = good, German goal = bad). Great conversation between two girls next to us (in Dutch, but after I whispered to one of the Ben's afterwards she asked if I was talking about them and explained what they'd said): "(teasingly) Netherlands is the orange team!" "(sarcastically) So which one's David Beckham?"

Germany went up 1-0, but then in about the 80th minute Holland scored. Absolute pandemonium. I was stuck in the middle of the crowd (making my excruciatingly slow way back from the restroom) and it was just one of those rare great moments as a sports fan when you suddenly remember why you all love sports.

The whole experience was great, the bus drivers honking as they went by, the ridiculous mix tape of songs beforehand (some version of Auld Lang Syne turned into a dutch patriotic songs, weird covers of the battle hymn of the republic and la cucuracha, also turned into Dutch soccer anthems), the ridiculous crowds of orange clad dutchmen bicycling home in a giant bike traffic jam at 11 at night. Watching sports outside while it was still light out at 10pm. Knowing that 7 million people in the same country were watching the same game.

There really isn't anything quite like national sports. Ocassionally US sports rise to the same level of defining a city (the Red Sox, Green Bay Packers, etc.) but even then its not locals who are playing on the team.