Germany Meets Holland for Soccer Showdown

When Germany was drawn to play its debut match of the championships against the Netherlands, the news dropped like a stone, but as the big night has drawn closer, the whole nation is abuzz with electrified anticipation. And the scene in the Netherlands is no different. Neither nation makes any secret of the bitter soccer battle which has long raged between the immediate neighbors, and nor do they play down the importance of winning tonight's match.

The odds are on for the Netherlands. Not only are they considered the better team, but they haven't lost to Germany since 1996. So the pressure is mounting for the Germans, who had to swallow two embarrassing defeats during pre-tournament matches, when they were thrashed 5:1 by Rumania and 2:0 by Hungary.

Neither should have happened, and the German nation was outraged at the ease with which the national squad was led to the slaughter. But now the mortified frustration has been transformed into hopeful anticipation. Players and fans alike know they can do better, and have no intention of breaking their record of never losing a first round match in a European Championship tournament.

Painting the town orange

While the Germans are marking the big showdown tonight with parties, celebrations and the erection of huge inner-city screens, the Dutch are taking their momentary obsession one step further, swamping the little country in the national team's color: orange. Entire city districts have been wrapped in orange, newspapers, which generally stick to the traditional black and white, have been injected with a dose of color and streets and even sidewalks have been painted over.

Besides the vibrant display of support for the boys who have traveled to Portugal to defend the soccer honor of a nation, which in non-tournament times fails to generate much passion for the sport, there are gentle jokes aimed at their opponents. It's a side sport, a bi-product of the championships, and Germany is at it too. Some Berliners decided to cover up the name of their street, Hollandstrasse, until after the match, and the boulevard press has become more pointed than usual.

May the best team win

Germany coach Rudi Völler has already made it clear that the focus of the match will be on defense, and he is expected to opt for a formation with Kevin Kuranyi as the only striker. But even a strong line of defense might not be enough to stave of the determination of the Dutch side, which has the greater talent of the two teams. That said, just as Dutch coach Dick Advocaat's men have a bit of a reputation for under-achieving at major events, the German team have a miraculous ability to pull it off at the last minute.

It's a well-known fact and a source of contempt for some in the Netherlands, who claim the fear they used to feel when their squad was pitched against Germany has long since turned into pity. They pity the lot of a team comprised of anti-soccer artists, players who defend their way to last-minute victory, who have no style on the pitch, and who often just don't deserve the victories they eek out of their matches.

Whatever the outcome of this tournament highlight -- for 90 minutes tonight tens of millions of feverish fans will shout and cry, hope and pray and watch as the better team plays its way to victory.