In January, I watched the Netherlands play Russia in San Pedro del Pinatar. No more than 50 spectators witnessed Vivianne Miedema score a hat-trick in a 4-0 win.
After the match I asked her what we could expect from Euro 2017, following on from the success of the 2013 tournament in Sweden where over 40,000 people watched Germany win a sixth successive tournament.
“It will be more low-key, we will do it in a more Dutch way.” That was certainly true, but it ended up anything other than low-key.
Tournaments are remembered by how they finish and Euro 2017 ended in a sumptuous feast of attacking football in Enschede.
A true classic, won by the host nation to spark the sort of celebrations this country of Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp have not known since 1988.
Up to 10,000 orange-clad fans set off on the 4.5km fan-walk from Enschede station in never-to-be-forgotten scenes intermingling with the thousands of red-shirted Danes creating a riotous carnival of colour on a glorious day.
Average attendances and average goals were down on Euro 2013, but the success of the hosts created an ultimately unstoppable orange fever spearheaded by a trident of attackers whose names will go into Dutch football folklore.
After falling behind for the first and only time in the championships to an early Nadia Nadim penalty, the Dutch roared back, the thrilling Shanice van de Sanden ripping through the left of the Danish defence and crossing for Miedema to equalise, before the third of the front line, Lieke Martens, turned and shot home from the edge of the area.
With the game level at half-time, Dutch captain Sherida Spitse restored their lead with a free-kick before Miedema ran through to seal the game in the closing minutes.
The final was contested by the two most entertaining teams in the tournament. Denmark had no less illuminated the championships than their hosts.
Not expected to qualify from a tough group, they ultimately progressed by eliminating both finalists from 2013, the historical superpowers of the European game — Norway and Germany.
In their 25-year-old captain, they have perhaps the outstanding striker in the world, Pernille Harder.
She demonstrated all her gifts in the final not least a show-stopping solo goal to bring her team level at 2-2. “I’m very proud, it’s just been an amazing road to the final for us, starting with the qualification and now in this championship. We’ve done so well. It has been big in Denmark now also, so it means a lot for us.”
After the game, the Dutch players, more than a little inebriated, danced past the journalists in the mixed zone three times.
Dutch defender Anouk Dekker, the oldest of the Oranje Leuwinnen at 30 was the only one of the squad alive when the Netherlands won their only other major trophy.
“I don’t know what to say, it’s unbelievable, because we are European champions with this team. I’m so proud of this team. I think we deserve to win this title because we won all the games, we won six games.”
Now the challenge for the Dutch KNVB and every other FA around the continent is to build on the glamour of their international showpiece to create a legacy of strong and stable national leagues which attract more fans and media coverage.
For Dekker, whose only heroes growing up were men, she hopes her team of champions have inspired as well as thrilled. “I think a lot of girls will play soccer and have a dream to become a champion.”
International Women's Soccer
UEFA
