THE Dutch and Spanish communities in Cyprus are both in confident moods ahead of the climax of the World Cup tomorrow night.
Neither Holland nor Spain have ever won football’s most coveted prize, and expats from both sides are predicting that their team will become only the eighth country to lift the famous trophy.
Chairman of the Dutch Society of Cyprus (NVC) Yme van den Born praised the “unbelievable” achievement of reaching the final, and predicts a 2-1 win for Holland with star midfielder Wesley Sneijder finishing the tournament as top scorer.
“The Netherlands will be turned upside down!” said van den Born on the prospect of a Dutch victory. An orange-clad army of supporters from Cyprus’ 600-strong Dutch community will descend upon venues across the island hoping to witness their maiden cup win, including a gathering at Finbar’s in Nicosia.
For David Castrillo, who represents the small community of Spanish expats in Cyprus, the potential effects of winning the World Cup run far deeper than just football. Indeed, success on the field has been a welcome distraction for Spain – which is struggling to cope with the hangover from a ten year property boom, with a startlingly high unemployment rate of 20 per cent and national debt one and a half times that of Greece. Castrillo spoke of the “emotional healing effect” football can have and hopes it can “unite the people” during this difficult period. The Spanish Embassy are hosting a screening of the final at Chateau Status near Ledra Palace in Nicosia, and encourage Spaniards and Cypriots alike to turn out in support of La Furia Roja (The Red Fury).
Holland – known as ‘Clockwork Orange’ after their famously vibrant kit – have come agonisingly close to World Cup glory before. They have reached the final twice, losing to the host nation on both occasions; in West Germany in 1974 and Argentina in ’78. Previous campaigns have been dogged by rumours of internal disharmony and disorganisation, but this year’s team have kept an unusually low profile throughout the tournament. Coach Bert van Marwijk will be looking to make it third time lucky tomorrow.
Spain have already surpassed their previous best performance of fourth place in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, but will be under immense pressure to win tomorrow. The current generation of Spanish players are widely seen as the most talented the country has ever produced.
Boasting some of the world’s finest players such as Xavi and David Villa, this team will be brimming with confidence after eliminating three-time champions Germany. Castrillo expects this stunning form to continue, predicting Spain to edge out Holland by a single goal.
