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Easing the pain in the Netherlands

Two fighter jets, one of them orange, escorted the Netherlands’ team plane through Dutch airspace and Schiphol airport staff formed a guard of honour when it touched down on Monday, a day after the side lost the World Cup final in Johannesburg.
Netherlands Soccer Wcup Final
Members of the Dutch national soccer team greet the crowd from a boat during a canal parade celebration across the canal system of downtown Amsterdam

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Two fighter jets, one of them orange, escorted the Netherlands’ team plane through Dutch airspace and Schiphol airport staff formed a guard of honour when it touched down on Monday, a day after the side lost the World Cup final in Johannesburg.

The team was whisked by bus to a hotel on the North Sea coast before a string of welcome home events on Tuesday, including meeting Queen Beatrix at her palace in The Hague in the morning followed by a boat tour through Amsterdam’s canals, and a party in the city’s Museum Square.

The events will help both players and fans shake off the depression caused by the team losing its third World Cup final, 1-0 in extra time to Spain.

“It’s a little bit strange to stand here now, we haven’t quite overcome the disappointment yet,” coach Bert van Marwijk said. “Especially when you throw away victory three minutes before the end of the game, and when you are trusting to penalties and the goalkeeper (Maarten) Stekelenburg was in such excellent form.”

Earlier Monday, Dutch newspapers reflected the sense of national loss.

“Not again,” was the headline in two papers above pictures of dejected Dutch players following the final whistle. The Netherlands also lost to hosts West Germany and Argentina in 1974 and ’78.

The Algemeen Dagblad daily’s headline was “Orange tears.”

For Chris Nielen, a 38-year-old sales manager who watched the match at a bar in a crowded square in The Hague, it was the third loss of his lifetime.

“In ’74, I was in diapers. In ’78, we were closer when we hit the post in the second half,” he said. “Now, we have to wait another 32 years.”

Jesse van Straaten said that the Netherlands could have won if it had been more efficient in front of goal. “Honestly, Spain was better — I recognize that,” he said. “But we had the chances.”

Police across the country reported minor disturbances as disappointed fans fought and let off fireworks at the end of the match.

In Amsterdam on Monday, scores of dejected fans using Dutch flags as blankets woke up on the platforms of the city’s Central Station after missing the last trains home.

More than 100,000 orange-clad fans watched the match on giant screens at Museum Square but quickly and relatively quietly left after Andres Iniesta’s extra-time goal shattered their dreams of finally shaking the tag of the best team never to win the World Cup. Litter left in their wake included trampled orange vuvuzelas, a reminder of the droning sound track of the World Cup in South Africa.

A Dutch foundation that monitors television ratings said 8.5 million people watched the final at home, making it one of the most-watched broadcasts in the country’s history.

Amid the disappointment was pride that a nation of just 16 million had reached the final, knocking out five-time champion Brazil along the way thanks to a 2-1 quarter-final victory in Port Elizabeth that will likely be remembered as the team’s best performance.

“We should be very proud that such a little country as Holland has come second in this World Cup,” Van Marwijk said.