“This might be the last chapter of an unfinished story”
One of the dangers of Bangladesh’s leading newspapers is that they have to print news keeping the country’s supporters in mind during the World Cup, so the author has considerable doubts about whether this article will be published. After all, if I hadn’t written this article, I might have thought about it at some point. There are some teams in the football world who, like the GOAT, don’t dream of winning the title, but rather have the entire country’s football culture and history of beauty associated with their names. In the 1970s, a revolutionary idea about football was born from this country. That philosophy changed world football a lot. If you look for the tactical basis of the big teams in Europe, you have to stop at this one country. This team has reached the final three times. Every time a dream has knocked on the door, every time disappointment was achieved. All the matches were epic, there was only that one night when all the lights in the sky would shine just for them.
For those whose DNA is consistency, I would like to remind you again of what this team has done in the last few years, reaching the last stage of major tournaments is now their habit. They qualified directly from the European qualifiers undefeated with six wins and two draws in eight matches. They have conceded only 4 goals with 27 goals. Since 1994, this team has participated in all the World Cups, and has not been eliminated from the group stage once. Very few teams in the world have had this consistency for almost three decades. Since losing in the 2010 final, this team has been unbeaten in 14 consecutive World Cup matches, with 9 wins and 5 draws. This is the longest unbeaten streak of any team in the history of the World Cup. Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France, none of them have been able to catch this record. In order not to call a team that has not lost a match in the last 16 years in the World Cup, you have to be a supporter of a team wearing a special colored jersey, it is not possible for a normal rational football viewer to be so blind.
They drew in the first match of this World Cup. It was disappointing, but at the same time there was a lesson to be learned. Many champion teams have come back stronger after facing such setbacks at the beginning of the tournament. In the case of this team too, that draw may have been a ‘wake up call’. And they have done exactly that since then, and it would not be an exaggeration to call it the tournament trajectory of becoming champions. After seeing this comment, the fans of certain teams have to tell me, are you angry? Ha ha ha…. This time, according to FIFA’s official bracket, the knockout path of this team as group champion could be something like this: a relatively strong team in the Round of 32, probably a relatively weak team in the Round of 16, the real test in the quarter-finals. The writer will not be surprised or upset if their dreams are shattered here, and in the semi-finals they will face the same or a step more difficult team, but the victory in the previous match will definitely boost their confidence. However, this path is not easy at all. However, if we say that this task is impossible for a team that has not lost 14 matches in the World Cup…. they will have to wear that special color jersey, ha ha ha.
They deserve this World Cup, many in the world have fallen in love with their game, learned their tactics, copied their identity, but the golden trophy has not yet reached their hands. I have said everything, but the smart ones among those wearing the blue or yellow jersey have already guessed who they will play in the final, although a prominent German astrologer has also agreed with the same tune and has already predicted that this team will be the champion. Although the writer feels that France or Spain will win the World Cup this time, how can we exclude this team?
Yes… we are talking about the team…. NETHERLANDS,
Writer
Mohammed Tarek Uzzaman
Freelance Business & Financial Consultant
