pic from Business Insider. I don’t own the rights to this pic, and I’m not making any money on it.
Netherlands tore up World Cup favorite Spain in a 5-1 humiliation on the second day of the tournament. Robin Van Persie flew like Superman to header the ball into Spain’s net over the head a hapless Iker Kasillas evening the score to 1-1 in the first half.
Then, hothead Arjen Robben coolly showed surgeons how to do a triple bypass in one second. He deftly caught a long ball on his FOOT that make NFL one-HANDed catches look like a piece of cake.
Arjen Robbin celebrates after goal. Pic from Dirty Tackle. I don’t own the rights to this pic, and I’m not making any money on it.
Settling the ball, he cut contrary to two rushing defenders and fired on goal contrary to a leaning goalie. He bypassed three players single-footedly with surgical precision.
Spain — which dominated the game in the first part of the first half, looking as if they wanted to retain the golden trophy — looked stale, ineffective, slow, discouraged. Only Andres Iniesta showed life.
How did he do it? Van Persie makes an improbable connection with the ball and bounces it perfectly over the goalie and under the bar. Pic from Dirty Tackle. I don’t own the rights to this pic, and I’m not making any money on it.
At risk of sounding off prematurely, I declare this game the most exciting of the World Cup. If Netherlands plays every game like this, they’ll carry home the gold.
Being the unfavored, defying the odds, playing hard, believing in the impossible — these are all things of the Christian heart. Play your day for Christ to take the trophy home… to Heaven. Don’t resign yourself to losing just because the odds-makers are against you.
Netherlands lost the final to Spain in the last World Cup. Now, they can savor revenge.
So painful my friend to see the former world cup champion to be humiliated in the second day of the competition. Anyway, it sounds like the Holland players took revenge of what happened in 2010. All the same all hope is not lost. The players have to rise up and do the best they can. Same thing happen in the body of Christ, when trials come our way, God expect us to rise up on our feet and continue the fight and not just crying for help while we are down. Thanks for the post brother!!
Be encouraged!
Yeahhhhh!!!!!!
Are you Dutch?
In spirit 🙂
No. I’m American. I was a missionary in Guatemala for 16 years. I learned soccer at age 35 in Guatemala. Because I learned it from people in our church, I followed and favored Spain heavily. But Holland’s play was convincing, and Spain’s was uninspired.
The missionary work sounds very cool! Just talked with some folks who are back in the U.S. from Brazil – they are missionaries there. I’ll bet it was a great experience!
Blessings!
I’m not a big Soccer/football fan but it’s been on in my house and my friend is living in the Netherlands right now. It was a pretty good game from what I heard and the few glimpses I saw.
much love!