It’s a heady cocktail, goes the cliche. But Curacao, in the former Dutch West Indies Company account books, with fewer than 2 lac people, has made the World Cup the first time. Curacao will now forever be known for its heroic football team.
But well before that, Blue curacao liqueur that distinctive blue mixer used to rustle up Blue lagoon or Blue Hawaii, owed its origins to a bitter orange that took a liking only to this unique island. Significantly, the laraha citrus fruit had skin-deep value. The flesh was too bitter and cannot be eaten, but the peel could be dried for an aromatic orangey oil extracted by — Dutch distillery Bols company. This was turned to liqueur, called ‘cream of the sky.’
The blue color was added – solely for effect. It was easily the first time you might’ve heard the name Curacao.
The football team had a different Dutch connection. It is coached by Holland”s Dick Advocaat now on his 28th international football team at age 78. He has coached as much as the lifetime of some of the best football fans. Prior to Curacao, he helmed Iraq, Netherlands, Serbia. Russia, Belgium, South Korea, UAE besides club teams across Holland, Russia, Turkey, Belgium, Serbia and rest of Balkans. He is the oldest coach at this 2006 edition.
The team with Juninho & Leandro Bacuna brothers, Chong and Martha come from the smallest participant – a Caribbean islands off Venezuala coast. Tahiti Chong who’s been at Manchester United has the best hairdo at the World Cup.
Advocaat who coached Netherlands twice has extended his stewardship to the constituent country after Dutch Antilles dissolved in 2010, making it the newest nation too.
The orange liquid, later dyed blue, is called Papiamentu, same as the language spoken. Patrick Kluivert, Guus Hiddink have all served stints tending to this tiny ambitious nation. They have the second lowest rank of 82 after New Zealand’s 85. Willemstaad is the capital and its distillery sounds like a rousing KKR anthem – chobolobo.
Advocaat had a break in his stint to tend to his ailing daughter, and returned subsequently. Back then he waz quoted as Sky Sports as saying, “I’ve always said that family comes before football. This is therefore a natural decision. But that doesn’t change the fact that I will miss Curacao, the people there, and my colleagues very much.
“I consider qualifying the smallest country in the world for the World Cup one of the highlights of my career. I’m proud of my players, staff, and the board members who believed in us.”
Curacao have beaten Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica, Aruba, St Lucia, and hammered Haiti 5-1 in qualification. However they lost friendlies to China, Australia and Scotland.
Advocaat returned in May at the Scotland friendly, and told Guardian, “I don’t care because I don’t feel that age. I have definitely changed a lot. There are things that normally under me would not be possible that are possible. That has to do with the squad – they are paid amateurs and you can see it. You have to change sometimes. At the highest level you cannot change; you have to be sharp and clear so that everybody knows what they have to do. But we did what we had to do to become members of this World Cup.”
On their underdog status he added to Guardian, “We are not the favourites, we know this when we start. But people who aren’t favourites can surprise. Today, you can even go on (to the next round) with two or three points.”
Germany might be a tad difficult though in their opener.
Beyond the football, there’s something to chuckle in blue Curacao alongside an Advocaat (a boozy Dutch alcohol made of egg yolk, sugar, brandy vanilla and nutmeg.
Assorted websites claim Advocaat is teetotaller adding to the fun.