Did I mention that I am excited about this game? That I have had my 1986 flags from Holland couriered and have pulled out the 1996 orange jersey, set up the big screen and ordered the taxi to get me to it? Holland is an extraordinary place, a nation which exists from hundreds of years of national will, where ships float past your front door, where people actually wear all orange, where total football was born. I may have Gouda for lunch.

And not only do I like the Netherlands because I lived there 20 years ago, but I like Argentinian football. Fox Sports World Canada shows a highlight show from the Argie leagues every Friday at 7 pm during the season and it is the classiest sports show there is. The first five minutes are without commentary and are just highlights of fans getting to the games set to latin music. Snazzy as la pasión por el fútbol no es casual. Then there are the teams. The economy is so bad there that even some first division teams get a tiny crowd at the games. Others like Boca Juniors or Independiente have massive stadiums with tens of thousands of massed standing fans flowing back and forth with the game like Nick Hornby described in Fever Pitch in the Arsenal stands of his youth. They were also set up by the English around 1900 so there are teams called Arsenal (accent on the "se") and Banfield and even one called Newell's Old Boys.

So far these are the best two teams in the league - Dutch control v. Argentinian explosive power. It should be amazing.