FIFA 2010 World Cup: Dutch given Royal welcome, Marwijk and Giovanni made knights
Unfortunately, the old adage, third time lucky failed to do the trick for the Netherlands. They once again lost in the final of the soccer World cup as an extra time goal by Andres Inniesta buried their hopes of finally winning the trophy that their nation has been waiting for 80 years.
The win by the Spaniards was their first ever World cup triumph in their maiden appearance in a final. But for the unfortunate Dutch the agony continues 32 years on from their last appearance in a final.
The Dutch team of the 1970’s is widely regarded as the best ever from the nation. It made it to the World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978 successively. However, both times they ended up at the runner-up spot losing to West Germany and Argentina respectively.
On Sunday night they fought every inch of the way at the Soccer City Stadium. Yet luck eluded them, as striker Arjen Robben miffed two golden opportunities of scoring the winning goal before Inniesta settled the outcome barely three minutes from full and extra time.
Despite the defeat the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix greeted the Dutch team during a day of celebrations to welcome the players’ home. A day after the new World Champions Spain arrived to a rousing welcome in Madrid.
Crowds in their thousands cheered outside the Royal Palace in Hague as the monarch and the national football squad made an appearance to pose for family photographs on the steps outside.
After the reception at Hague the squad members’ boarded helicopters to head for the main business centre of the country Amsterdam and another rousing reception was waiting for them as the players toured the city's canals by boat.
Once in Amsterdam, the national soccer fans present in thousands gathered in Museum Square in Amsterdam to pay their tributes. After winning each and every match in their qualifying and finals round of the World cup, the Dutch failed at the last hurdle in a bruising final. Where the team failed to penetrate the Spanish defence despite making frequent inroads, the last nail in their coffin was the strike by Iniesta with a penalty shoot-out less than three minutes away.
On Sunday the tournament decider was watched by an estimated 130,000 people. They were dancing in joy throughout the match, before being stunned by the most unexpected Spanish goal that sunk their hopes for the third time in just over three decades.
After being received by the Queen, the team was greeted by the outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister arranged a reception in the honour of the team at the Catshuis, his official residence in The Hague.
As recognition of their leading roles in the performance of the team, Coach Bert van Marwijk and team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst were honoured with knighthoods.
The knighthoods were awarded in the order of Orange, a royal decoration kept for the most revered in the nation.
"It's a shame that we did not win gold. But we can be proud of the result. We are disappointed. That's logical. But in time we will look back and we can enjoy our good times there and the experience", van Bronckhorst said after receiving the award.
The performance augurs well for the Dutch who made it to their first big final after the 1988 European Championship win, and despite the loss the squad has enough depth and class that can see them through the next World Cup slated to be held in Brazil in 2014.
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