Beaming with joy, a crowd of Oranje fans poured out of Jazz Café Escazú to celebrate in the street. They had every reason to party: Against the odds, the Netherlands trounced Spain 5-1, in a rematch of the 2010 World Cup final. Revenge was sweet. Fans blasted vuvuzelas, waved the Dutch flag and basked in the enthusiastic honking of passing cars.
Joris van Roosmalen, a seller of artisanal furniture, wore an orange fedora and had Dutch flags painted on his cheeks.
“It was like after I had sex for the first time,” declared Roosmalen. “If I had no hope before, now I am 95% sure we have a chance.”
Is it strange, rooting for your team while living in another country? “Our heart is in Holland,” said Roosmalen. “Always.”
Nearby a breathless Sebastian Martierena declared his love for the World Cup.
The Argentinian consultant, who moved to Costa Rica only five months ago, said “The first half was not great, but in the second half, the [Dutch] defense was perfect, the offense was absolute madness. I think Spain was expecting a different Dutch team. But they have a very tight team. They know each other very well.”
Thanks to its Dutch ownership and enormous projection system, Jazz Café was the perfect setting for enjoying the victory and Spain’s humiliating loss.
But why was a guy from Buenos Aires rooting for the Netherlands?
“I have a few friends from Holland who invited me,” Martierena said jovially.
