About a month ago, I wrote a little something about this year’s FIFA World Cup. I had predicted a final between Spain and Brazil. This is one of the very few occasions where I can happily say, I was wrong! I was delighted that our Dutch football team managed to make it all the way to the final game of the World Cup. I hoped feverishly that we would win this game as well and finally put the ghosts of the past to rest. Unfortunately, we all know how it ended. We lost our third World Cup final in the last minutes of the game yesterday. Admittedly, Spain is the deserved winner as they displayed the better football.

Before this tournament started, nobody had dared to dream of reaching the final game. Now, a day after losing, we can’t even be happy with finishing second. Bitter disappointment followed a few pretty exciting weeks. Sadly, a potential new football trauma has arrived to haunt our collective memories. I didn’t plan on writing this entry about our loss. I didn’t want to; what happened in South Africa, stays in South Africa! However, I couldn’t ignore the downcast atmosphere in the office. It’s quiet. So, so quiet. Everyone is getting on with their work in silence. It’s as if an unspoken agreement has filled the office; please don’t mention the football game!

We’re disappointed. We struggle to accept a second place. We came to win and we almost did! Nonetheless, I think our football team are heroes! They did well to get this far and for about a month, they succeeded in uniting roughly 15 million people. Everyone seemed to put aside their differences in opinions and supported our boys in South Africa. For about a month we were one, a collective, and ever so slowly we started to believe in a fairy tale ending.

I’m sure our players will be received in a deafening roar of cheers and applause during their homage in Amsterdam tomorrow. And rightly so. Being the number two in the world is quite an achievement, even though admitting defeat leaves a bitter taste.

What a damn shame we didn’t quite make it!