Euro 2012

Euro 2012 has just kicked off and the first 2 matches were played just hours ago.
I am of course supporting the Oranje squad, just as I always have since living in Netherlands and always will.

I am no die-hard football fan like some guys are, but I love watching football games. I don't have the ability to analyse the tactics, or anything. I may just be a typical girl who shouts GOAL! along with the others.

I spent part of my childhood in a football-loving country. Football was a big thing in Netherlands. Though the country never won the coveted title as World Cup champions, but they did become champions for Euro 1988 held in Germany. It was the team Marco van Basten (previous coach for the national team) was in. It became quite a pride in Netherlands (being the champion I mean).

And I was brought up with a brother who loved and played football. He was part of a football club - Graafwillem. So every week, the whole family had to go to his matches with other clubs. So from there, I harboured a strong feeling for football.

I still remember the streets coloured with orange, carelessly and sloppily strewn with banners.
I still remember when my friends and I were all excited during football season.
I still remember the atmosphere in Germany when they were hosts for World Cup 2006 (when Italy defeated France and thus claiming the title as champions)
I still remember the sticker book me and my brother had. Always buying stickers to complete it and trading the stickers with our friends. If you don't know what the sticker book is, it's a book filled with blank spaces where we had to put stickers of the football players. We completed the sticker book after trading it online, haha.
And those days when I played football games on Play Station with my brother and was considered to be the best player by my family. What an honour it was, LOLZ. (Bukan nak riak k, my skills have now dissipated aha)
Then there were those moments when my brother bought football magazines and I would read with him, so I wasn't totally clueless about football news.
And at school, during Physical Education, we'd play football sometimes (and I miss that because we played with guys in the team, so takdelah diorang clamouring over the ball macam anak ayam like how girls usually play). And there was a day when I played football while wearing a skirt (mind you, I still wore skirts back then).
Oh dear, there comes the feeling of nostalgia...

Anyway, even though Netherlands weren't exactly favourites after the final of World Cup 2010 (to be exact, after their very rough game with the Spaniards), my support for them has never wavered.

But you know what, when acting, fighting, arguing and corruption becomes part of football, it just contaminates the game. You do know that sometimes they bribe the referee so that he'll side with that team so nanti jadi berat sebelah?
Well, it just ruins the purity of the game. Football, and sports in general are a medium to unite us, so that we can somehow connect with others through the love of the sport. But when these dirty things meet with sports, it makes the games become dirty.

Anyway, hup Oranje hup!
Netherlands will go against Denmark for the first game for Group B. Tune in to the game at 12 am :)

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. (An-Nahl:90)