Dutch fans in UAE share views on World Cup final

Dubai: The fact that finding a taxi home from Emirates Golf Course was impossible on Sunday night, even before the whistle had blown for the end of extra-time, signified only one thing - Holland had lost.

Indeed those hoping for a quick route to bed after what had been an excruciatingly dull 120 minutes of football would have been better off backing Bert van Marwijk’s team for the title.

At least the queue for a taxi immediately after the game would have been shorter as the majority stayed on to party. 

But in the end the surrounding roads in and around Football Central were swollen sea of Orange misery, while still inside a handful of Spaniards were left to dance the night away in an empty room.

Video: Spain fans in the UAE celebrate the win

Perhaps not the most fitting end to a month of festivities, it’s not how the party had started or how it had intended to pan out, at least not at this venue.

Wall to wall with orange, clogg-donning Dutch fans with silly hats, Football Central would have been a lonely place for a Spaniard. But some braved the isolation, noticeable from the sporadic enclaves of red and yellow.

When Iniesta broke through to score on the 116th minute, when all had resigned themselves to penalties, the roar of these "visitors" hit Dutch fans to the core and the fight for floor space slowly began to ease as many filtered out onto the anticlimax of a teeming street.  Read full match report

It had been a buzzing atmosphere pre-match, a hive of energy and excitement unequalled throughout the tournament, paving the way for a match that many had hoped would produce equal on-pitch tempo.

Though sadly both teams hadn't read the script and instead a nervy, ill-tempered, bore-score-draw was contested among Spain, who as usual didn’t open up and Holland who were uncharacteristically clueless.

"Anyway we beat the Dutch is good," said 47-year-old Bindu Sminivanar, by now dancing on a table scoffing at suggestions that her beloved Spain were boring.

Erik Klars, 28, with orange, white and blue face paint now just a sad blur on his cheek said, "The referee was…" "English?" I intervened. "Yes, that just about sums him up," joked Klars.

Read in-depth coverage: Fifa World Cup

He added, "We were the only team in the tournament that hadn't lost a match. This wasn't the way things were meant to be."

Fellow Dutch fan Heriman Haarssen, 34, said, "We should have come out more aggressively in the second half that was our half to win.”

Meanwhile a jubilant Rajesh Thawrani, 29, said, "The red card was unfair. It was a disappointing match but as a fan you don’t mind. I feel sorry for Holland. They were third time unlucky."