By Matt McMullen
Storm clouds settled over Kansas City throughout the morning and afternoon on Thursday, but the “Oranje” of the Netherlands refused to be washed away.
The Dutch takeover was an all-day affair, too.
It began when an estimated 22,000 “Oranje” supporters – Dutch for “orange” – filled downtown Kansas City as part of the famed “Oranje Fanwalk,” transforming iconic Grand Boulevard into an electric sea of orange before taking over Kansas City Stadium later that night.
The scene rivaled the Royals’ and Chiefs’ recent championship parades as individuals from every corner of the world, whether it be Amsterdam or Lee’s Summit, trailed the legendary “Oranjebus” on a march through the Crossroads District.
The double-decker bus, which has led similar marches through locales around the world for 22 years and five FIFA World Cup™ tournaments, has grown into a symbol of Dutch pride, and on Thursday, its winding journey across the globe led it to the Heart of America.
Chants, dances and delirium ensued along the way and while a steady rain later persisted over the course of the match at Kansas City Stadium, the raucous energy that kindled downtown refused to be quenched late into the evening.
“It’s nice to see the orange shirts,” said Netherlands Manager Ronald Koeman. “The Dutch wear that, and that’s well and good, but when you see so many orange shirts, perhaps there are some people who don’t know all that much about Dutch football and the songs being sung, but they go along and play along, [which is great to see].”
The Dutch went on to reward that relentless support with two goals in the first seven minutes of action on Thursday night. The first score of the evening was actually an own goal by Tunisia captain Ellyes Skhiri, and just four minutes later, stiker Brian Brobbey doubled the Oranje advantage with a perfectly placed kick off a bounce, marking his third goal of the tournament.
“The rain didn’t bother me,” Brobbey said following the match. “Rain is normal in football, and the pitch was normal as well.”
An orange-clad party ensued in the minutes that followed, amplified by a thunderous “wave” that whipped around the stadium at least six times, although Tunisia – playing for nothing but pride on Thursday – still had its sights on playing spoiler. A goal by striker Hazem Mastouri narrowed the Dutch lead early in the second half, but the Netherlands – playing on a pitch that may as well have been in Rotterdam – got the goal back only a few minutes later when center-back Jan Paul van Hecke punched in a corner kick with a header.
The result went on to hold, and just as the morning foreshadowed, the celebration continued long after the final whistle. Cheers and hollers echoed throughout Kansas City Stadium as the Dutch made for the exits, spreading infectious energy at every turn and spilling out into the surrounding area.
The match was won, and despite the efforts of the weather, Kansas City – even for just a day – had turned orange.
“It gives you a fantastic feeling when you enter the stadium and see all that orange,” Koeman said. “That’s something to be proud of, so thanks to Kansas City.”