#netherlands fa

[albert-anon]

[sandwichtribunal]

Dutch-Surinamese Broodje Moksi Meti

"I got serious bánh mì vibes from this sandwich. The savory/sweet mixture of meats and slightly sweet pickles pointed in that direction. Better bread would have helped; cilantro and hot peppers would have sealed the deal." Broodje Moksi Meti

Broodje is a word in Dutch meaning bread, or bread roll, or more specifically a sandwich made in a bread roll–the German equivalent would be brötchen. Our first Dutch broodje at the Tribunal was Broodje Kroket way back in the early days, though more recently we’ve also tackled Broodje Haring and Broodje Hete Kip. The latter in particular was based on a dish popular in Paramaribo, capital and…

[frauenfootball]

The Netherlands' squad for the 2023 World Cup

Players list:

Jill Baijings (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)

Lineth Beerensteyn (Juventus)

Esmee Brugts (PSV)

Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City)

Caitlin Dijkstra (FC Twente)

Daphne van Domselaar [GK] (FC Twente)

Merel van Dongen (Atlético Madrid)

Daniëlle van de Donk (Olympique Lyon)

Damaris Egurrola (Olympique Lyon)

Stefanie van der Gragt (Internazionale)

Jackie Groenen (Paris Saint-Germain)

Renate Jansen (FC Twente)

Dominique Janssen (VfL Wolfsburg)

Wieke Kaptein (FC Twente)

Lize Kop [GK] (Ajax)

Lieke Martens (Paris Saint-Germain)

Aniek Nouwen (AC Milan)

Victoria Pelova (Arsenal)

Jill Roord (VfL Wolfsburg)

Katja Snoeijs (Everton)

Sherida Spitse (Ajax)

Jacintha Weimar [GK] (Feyenoord)

Lynn Wilms (VfL Wolfsburg)

[jontheblogcentric]

2024 UEFA Euro: My Semifinals Predictions

After more than three weeks and 48 games, only four teams remain in contention. If you thought the group play had a lot of crazy moments, the Round of 16 matches and quarterfinals have their share of shockers too. Where do I start? Starting with the quarterfinals, first came Switzerland surprising Italy 2-0. Any hopes of a comeback for Team Italy will have to be put on development. Just when…

[bsaka7]

IT WAS HAJI WRIGHT FOR COVENTRY????????

[danandfuckingjonlmao]

FUNDRAISERS TO HELP DEAF PALESTINIANS

These have all been verified by Gallaudet University’s SJP.

Please check out their account if you’d like more information or to find out more ways to help!

Or you can take a look at their linktree:

THANK YOU

🧏🇵🇸🦻🍉🤟🖤🤍❤️💚

[wosowrites]

There's a Time for Everything (Ona Batlle x Reader)

warnings: ⚠️SMUT WARNING⚠️

a/n: most detailed smut I've written and a slow burn! and the person who requested this accidentally sent it not anonymously and asked me not to share the ask

prompt: Apart for a while, team drinks, a bathroom stall, what more was there to say?

An emergency flight back to the Netherlands due to your mother's health deteriorating had you on a break from WSL duties for two weeks. You spent some time by your mum's side in Leyde before flying back to Manchester once she was in the clear. But two weeks without Ona was hard. You had come to Manchester at the same time and clicked instantly. Both in a new country, both defenders, both looking to create a name for yourselves.

You started dating after three months of being friends. Things moved quickly with you two, but it never felt wrong.

So it was needless to say that when you got back to your shared apartment in downtown Manchester, you wanted nothing but Ona. You wanted to feel her, to kiss her, to smell her shampoo and to trace your fingers on her abs. It was a need at this point, and the thought alone… well it had you biting your lips so hard they bled.

But a last minute text from Mary had your plans all turned around. She had invited you all to go out for drinks as a team, as you had a rare two days in a row off this week due to having just played the FA cup semi final.

The second you saw the text in the taxi going from the airport to the apartment, you almost groaned before texting your girlfriend.

you: We don't have to go, right?

ona: come on now, si we do, its both of our last season with the girls, were gonna miss them and we need to hangout with them as a team.

you: I missed you more in this week than I could ever miss them in a lifetime.

ona: do not tell them that. plus, you only missed my abs.

you: your abs... and your lips. and your hair and your kisses and your smile and your eyes.

ona: I guess I missed you too mi amor ;)

You laughed at her text before putting your phone away as the cab driver pulled up to the apartment complex. You payed the driver and then walked up to the building. You could not wait. You couldn't wait to jump into her arms and kiss her... and then get ready to go out where you couldn't feel every inch of her.

"Great," you groaned as you scanned your key card and walked into the halls of the apartment.

But it was all gonna work out, you knew that the second you opened the door, finding Ona standing in front of it. You dropped your suitcase and opened your arms wide. The spaniard ran up to you and jumped into them, wrapping her legs around your waist and burrying her head into your neck. She was a little bit shorter than you, and your height difference made her a perfect fit in your arms. You were quick to hold her up, not so sneakily placing one of your hands on her ass and the other one on her back. But when she pulled her head away, you moved your hands to cup her face and kiss her. You had backed up against the door and were completely submerged in Ona's lips when she pulled away. "Sorry, mi amor. We need to leave in like... forty minutes," Ona said, tucking loose hair behind your ear. "Put me down now," she said, making you groan. "No." you pouted. "You’re where you belong, with me, in my arms," you said to her, placing your forehead against hers and then kissing the tip of it.

"Trust me. There’s nowhere more I want to be. But you need to get out of your airplane clothes… and you need a shower," she said, sniffing your hair. "Wow, thanks babe," you laughed, putting her down. "I’m being honest! It’s that plane stench," she said, pouring herself a glass of OJ. "If you’ll make me shower, at least join me…" you said, wrapping your arms around her waist and laying your chin on her shoulder blade.

"Nope. My makeup is done, my outfit is on and my hair is up. I love you but I look too good to have to start from zero," she said to you.

You rocked back and forth, keeping your hands around her waist. She did look good. She had white dress pants and a short sleeve white button up on with sunglasses hanging from the neck of the shirt. Her hair was up in her classic messy bun and you knew she would wear the grey jordan’s you bought her for her birthday. "You do look amazing, and I guess I should go fix myself up so I can try to look at least half as good as you," you told her, trailing teasing kisses down her neck. She tilted her head to the side, giving you more access to suck on a soft spot.

You took pleasure in marking her, gently passing your tongue over the hickey you had just left to sooth the area. Ona snapped out of her daze a few seconds later though, pushing you away. "Stop that! Enough. Go shower!" she said laughing and pointing at the washroom. "Yes ma’am," you said, raising your hands in the air in submission.

After showering quickly, you blow dried your hair and then walked into your bedroom. You opened the closet you shared with Ona and picked out a pair of blue jeans along with a white tee shirt. You weren’t big on the fancy outfits, choosing instead to make boring outfits more stylish with jewelry and shoes. You put on a gold locket, put on gold earrings in your helix and three lobe piercings. You then chose your own pair of sunglasses and put it on your head before slipping on orange air forces.

You walked out of the bedroom, finding Ona taking a mirror picture. You quickly walked up to her, snaking your hands around her waist again and kissing her cheek. "You look amazing, mi vida," she gently said, turning to look at you and then kissing your lips softly, taking time to suck on your bottom lip for a second. "Hey, no teasing," you groaned.

You left for the bars minutes later, only after Ona made a post to her story of you two.

Getting to the bar by car proved to be harder than expected. For whatever reason, the traffic was insane. So you parked the car about ten minutes from the bar at the first free spot you could find and then hopped out.

"Okay, google maps says that if we go straight for… 2 kilometres and then turn right for 1 the bar should be on our right," you said, looking at your phone and then putting it in your pocket. "Perfecto," she smiled, grabbing your hand and rubbing her thumb gently over the surface.

You walked the distance, catching up on life, talking about your mother and just enjoying Manchester at night. Once you got to the bar though, the fun really started. You met Ella and Alessia outside of the bar, giving them a hug each and telling them you missed them and were excited to get back to playing.

"Game against Liverpool, you gonna be ready for that?" Ella asked as you opened the door to the bar. "You bet. But no work talk. I’m here to be with my girls and only with my girls," you smiled.

You held the door open for the three women and then walked in yourself, the music taking over you. You showed your ID’s to the man standing there and then got in.

Finding the rest of the team wasn’t hard. Mary, Maya, Vilde and Lucia had already taken on the dance floor while Keets, Hannah, Katie, Leah and Jayde were sitting at the bar, having a drink. Clearly, Ella was quick to drag Lessi away to dance.

"Get us drinks!" she yelled back at you before joining Mary in throwing her hands up in the air and swinging her hips.

"Okay then. How about you then? Drinks or dancing?" you asked, knowing her answer. "Do you mind if I leave you to go dance?" she asked, looking at you with her sweet, warm eyes. "Of course not. Go!" you convinced her.

She left after giving you a kiss and then you walked up to the bar, slapping your hands down onto Leah’s shoulders, making her jump. "Y/n! It’s been so long we miss you at training!" she said, turning around when she saw you and giving you a quick hug. "I did too. Don’t worry i’m back next session," you said, taking a spare seat. "Good. Where’s the girlfriend?" she asked.

You looked behind you and pointed out Ona who was dancing with Ella.

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked, a tattooed feminine woman. "Uh, yeah. A gin and tonic and for the ladies over there can I get two rum and cokes," you said to the woman. "Of course," she said, sending you a flirty wink.

You ignored her and just turned your attention back to your girlfriend who was now dancing pretty sensually with Vilde. But you didn't mind, she was Spanish after all. In fact, it kind of just turned you on more, made you want to be at Vilde's spot. But preferably in private, and with less clothes on. You stayed fixed on her, watching her hips, her hands, her biceps and the way she laughed loudly at Vilde's hands stroking her hips. "Aren't you jealous?" Jayde asked, watching you watch Ona. "Not at all. She's mine and we all know that. They're just having fun and it doesn't mean anything," you said, smiling at Jayde. "Huh, I could never. If my boyfriend was dancing with another girl like that..." she started saying. "It's different between girls I guess. And its a personality thing as well. I'm just not a jealous person. Unless it was a complete stranger. She's just Spanish," you said.

A hand tapped your back and you turned around to see the bartender with the drinks in front of her. "Perfect, thank you," you said, making sure not to look at her too long as to not lead her on. "Watch my drink while I give these to Less and Ella?" you asked Jayde who nodded and put her hand over it.

You grabbed the rum and cokes and walked onto the dance floor, handing them over to Ella and Alessia. They both thanked you loudly and then started drinking. "Want anything?" you asked your girlfriend when the room got more quiet as it was in-between a song. "Beer?" she asked you. "On it," you answered.

"Could I get a beer for my girlfriend, please?" you asked the bartender. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth opened a little before she nodded. She opened the lid and handed it to you before you went over and gave it to Ona. "You sureeee you don't wanna dance, mi amor?" she asked you. "I'm sure. I look stupid when I dance."

She laughed and kissed your lips softly before going back to her next victim, Lucia.

You drank your gin and tonic but you were soon joined by Mary who despite being sweaty from dancing still looked and smelled amazing. "Mary!" you said happily, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek. "Do shots with me?" you asked even though you were already feeling the buzz of the previous drink you had had. "Fuck yes!" she said happily.

The bartender had now changed and you asked a muscly, buff man for three shots each. "Are you guys doing shots?" Katie asked, laughing at you and Mary who were being poured the alcohol. "Hell yeah! Want in?" you asked her. "No, no but I'll film," she laughed, pulling out her phone.

You grabbed a shot of tequila and then linked arms with Mary. "Three, two, one-" you said at the same time before downing the alcohol. "Wooh!" Mary yelled, shaking her head. You then downed the two others in the same fashion, making the room spin and your feelings heightened. All feelings. The sight of Ona on the dance floor had you squeezing your things together when you weren't tipsy, but now, watching her beer in hand, seeing the way her hips moved and her mouth hung open...

You were on your feet quicker than you knew it. You pushed your way past people and found Ona. "Dance with me," you basically moaned into her ear.

Ona didn't have to be asked twice. Lucia was quickly forgotten and soon enough her hips were grinding onto yours, your bodies pressed against each other and your breaths tangled. "I couldn't help but notice..." you breathed gently into her ear, putting your hands flat against her collarbone and then trailing them down her curves, "...that the washrooms are single stalled," you said. Ona's breath hitched once your hands ended up cupping her core quickly, but enough for a heat to form in her stomach. "Vamos then," she breathed.

You gripped her hand tightly and led her through the crowd into the quieter washroom area. The hallway was empty except for a couple making out against a wall. There were four single stall washrooms and you chose the closest one to you. The washroom wasn't too small, there was a counter with a sink and a mirror as well as a toilet. However the sink wasn't centred, leaving enough room to sit on one side of the counter. She went in first and you closed the door behind you both, locking it hurriedly.

In the seconds you locked the door, the distance between your bodies could have killed you. Quicker than you thought humanly possible, you pushed Ona up against the wall, making a picture frame fall crooked. You trapped her between the cement and your own body, quickly attacking her lips, kissing them roughly and slipping your tongue into her mouth, fighting for dominance. Her hands were pushed against your abs while yours found rest on her hips. You wanted nothing more but to see her, to feel every inch of her, but what was a little teasing? You stopped kissing her to trail kisses down her neck, leaving another hickey you knew she didn't have the makeup to cover. As you sucked her neck, you wrapped your arms around her waist, appreciating her soft moans and the way she threw her head back. "Please, baby, I need you," she groaned as you sucked her collarbone. "Ask again, beg," you whispered, unbuttoning the first button of her shirt painfully slowly.

"I'm begging. Please. I need your fingers in me," she breathed out.

That was good enough for you. You picked her up and placed her on the counter, her back against the mirror. You gently looked into her eyes as you unbuttoned her shirt slowly, leaving her in her bra. You didn't need to take her shirt off, but seeing her abs and her tits made sex with her even better.

"You're so beautiful," you said to her as you unlatched her bra and threw it on the bathroom floor. You quickly started sucking on her nipple, placing your left hand flat on her breast and pressing against it, squeezing it, feeling it. "Are you wet, baby?" you said to her once her nipples were hard.

You unbuttoned her dress pants and slowly slipped them down to her ankles, not taking them off fully. She indeed was. Her panties were completely drenched, probably ruined, but it made you ecstatic. "All that for me? You're too much baby," you breathed.

Without warning, you pressed your palm harshly against her pussy. She would have screamed if it wasn't for the fact that you quickly slapped your hand against her mouth. "Shh. I want to hear you more than anything but we don't want to get kicked out do we? Well not until I've fucked you," you winked. She nodded quickly, looking into your eyes and giving you the okay to remove your hand.

You rubbed the pad of your thumb on her clit through her underwear, making her grind her hips up in the air, craving more pressure. "Eager, are we?" you said. "Please, no more teasing," she breathed out, looking at you with her big brown eyes.

You nodded and got down on your knees, looking up at her, admiring her tits, and the sharpness of her chin. You slipped off her underwear, exposing her wet folds and then spreading her legs open. You made quick work of passing your tongue through her pussy, soaking up her current wetness. You sucked gently on her clit, using your hands to control her grinding by pressing down on her hips. "Your fingers!" she basically yelled, making you chuckle into her core. "Patience," you said softly. You harshly slipped your tongue into her hole, using your teeth to graze every inch of her and making her hold in another yell of pleasure. She came for the first time with the concealed moan, letting you lick up her juices. Her thighs squeezed against each side of your head, but you knew she wasn't satisfied.

You didn't think you had ever seen her so wet, and without warning, you slipped in two fingers, making her back arch, her legs shake and her bare chest heave up and down.

Fingers pumping, mind foggy from how beautiful she was, you made sure to hit her spot with every pump. You knew you didn't have long before your teammates got suspicious, so you were adamant on making the most out of the short time you both had.

You girlfriend came about two minutes later with the help of your fingers in her, your nails on her abs and your words of affirmation.

By the time she did, you were beyond wet yourself, but you knew there wasn't any time. "What about you?" Ona said, catching her breath. "No time, at home?" you said to her. "If you can last till then," she winked. Her knuckles were white from holding onto the counter, and you thought that the sight of her naked self sitting there was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. You grabber her bra off the floor as she kept on recovering from your fingers. Gently, you put your hands under her arms and brought her body to yours. You slipped the bra on and then gently put her head on your shoulder to have better access to clip it at the back. You helped her slip on her shirt and then clean her underwear with brown paper as for it to be a little dryer. You then lifted her off the counter and let her put her pants back on.

She took a step forward and stumbled a bit. "Can you walk?" you laughed, catching her and looking into her eyes. "I think so," she laughed as well. You smiled at her, putting your hands in her hair and undoing her bun. "To cover the hickeys," you winked. She fixed her hair as you washed your hands and fixed your own hair. Once she looked as though she hadn't just had the best sex of her life in that washroom, she opened the door for you and you both slipped out quickly.

"There you guys are! Where were you?" Maya asked rather innocently as the older players behind her giggled. "Uh... there was this guy who was pretty chatty," you said, pointing to a random innocent man in the bar. "Oh, well were thinking of going back to Mary's, you guys down?" She asked.

You exchanged a look with Ona and shrugged. "Sure," you said, putting your arm around your waist.

Mary came up to you guys as you left the bar, putting her head between you both. "You can come but don't fuck on my bed. Or in my washroom, or in the guest room," she whispered.

Ona had never looked more embarrassed.

[germanpostwarmodern]

Interior of the former Branch Office of „Algemene Bank Nederland (1969) in Delft, the Netherlands, by Lex Haak. Photo by Fas Keuzenkamp.

[shady-mc-muffin]

Can't donate? REBLOG❗❗ SHEAR❗❗

[stargirlsfc]

Alessia Russo arrives for pitch inspection prior to the UEFA Womens Nations League match between England and Netherlands at Wembley Stadium

📸: Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images

[albert-anon]

So handsome and adorable at the same time.

[meademalove]

Vivianne Miedema has been ranked 10th on ESPN's list of 'Top 25 women's soccer players of the 21st century'.

Key accomplishments: Women's Super League winner, Frauen-Bundesliga winner, three-time FA <Continental> Cup winner, UEFA Women's European Championship winner, all-time top goal scorer in Women's Super League, Netherlands all-time top goal scorer.

Despite becoming the Women's Super League all-time top scorer and setting numerous records, Miedema remains unfazed by her success. "It's just another record or milestone that's there to be broken, and that's the way I've always been. I've always treated records and landmarks as something to hit, be done with, and then just move on," she said after reaching 100 goals for Arsenal.

This mindset likely contributes to her rapid success. She isn't focused on being the best but is steadfast in giving 100%, and her approach to milestones is why she continues to excel. -- Keogh

[yaellaharpe-blog]

NEOLITHIC WOODEN ROAD

CARRETERA NEOLÍTICA DE MADERA

STRADA NEOLITICA IN LEGNO

(English / Español / Italiano)

In the 1980s, archaeologists discovered a remarkable Neolithic wooden road near Nieuw-Dordrecht in the Netherlands. This ancient peat road, dating back an impressive 4,573 years, stretches for at least 800 metres. Through the meticulous science of dendrochronology, or tree-ring dating, experts have identified its construction to 2549 BC.

This discovery not only highlights the advanced engineering skills of Neolithic communities, but also offers invaluable insights into their transport and trade practices. The preservation of the road in the peat bogs has provided a rare insight into the sophisticated infrastructure of prehistoric Europe.

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En la década de 1980, los arqueólogos descubrieron una notable carretera de madera neolítica cerca de Nieuw-Dordrecht en los Países Bajos. Este antiguo camino de turba, que data de unos impresionantes 4.573 años, se extiende por al menos 800 metros. A través de la meticulosa ciencia de la dendrocronología, o datación de anillos de árboles, los expertos han identificado su construcción al 2549 a. C.

Este descubrimiento no sólo destaca las avanzadas habilidades de ingeniería de las comunidades neolíticas, sino que también ofrece inestimables ideas sobre sus prácticas de transporte y comercio. La preservación de la carretera en los pantanos de turba ha permitido una rara visión de la sofisticada infraestructura de la Europa prehistórica.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Negli anni '80, gli archeologi hanno scoperto una straordinaria strada di legno neolitica nei pressi di Nieuw-Dordrecht, nei Paesi Bassi. Questa antica strada di torba, risalente a ben 4.573 anni fa, si estende per almeno 800 metri. Grazie alla meticolosa scienza della dendrocronologia, o datazione degli anelli degli alberi, gli esperti hanno identificato la sua costruzione nel 2549 a.C..

Questa scoperta non solo evidenzia le avanzate capacità ingegneristiche delle comunità neolitiche, ma offre anche preziose indicazioni sulle loro pratiche di trasporto e commercio. La conservazione della strada nelle torbiere ha fornito una rara visione delle sofisticate infrastrutture dell'Europa preistorica.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil chosen to host 2027 Women's World Cup as Gaza war overshadows FIFA congress

The Women's World Cup will take place in South America for the first time after Brazil was chosen to host the 2027 edition at a FIFA congress Friday marked by debate about the war in Gaza.

After the success of Australia and New Zealand in 2023, which earned a record $570 million in commercial revenue, FIFA chose to continue its push to expand women's football to new continents.

Delegates meeting in Bangkok voted by 119 votes to 78 to send the 10th Women's World Cup to the land of samba football, which beat a joint bid from Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

The decision sparked jubilant celebrations from the Brazilian bid team.

Brazil, home of women's football great Marta, scored higher than its European rival in FIFA's evaluation report.

The congress also heard a call from the Palestinian FA (PFA) to suspend Israel from the world body and ban Israeli teams from FIFA events.

PFA head Jibril Rajoub said the Israeli FA (IFA) had broken FIFA rules, adding: "FIFA cannot afford to remain indifferent to these violations or to the ongoing genocide in Palestine."

Continue reading.

[gxbtx]

Weekend in Amsterdam: Feeling Thru the Music

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, June 21st-23rd

Ciao! This week my studies brings me to Amsterdam, the notorious city with loads of history, culture, fashion, and modern art. This weekend happened to be Summer Solstice, in which every day the sun was out for the most time available during the year. Additionally, the Euro cup held the Netherlands competing against France, in which colors of bright orange were found all over the atmosphere. All of these come together to brew up a perfect storm for my three days in this city.

To start, the first night was spent at the Generator hostel built inside an old university building. The area was a park with several historical classroom buildings, and the inside was beautifully renovated to keep the essence of the once lecture halls fused with the night life in your young adult years. Underneath was a club in an opened up concrete room. There was a bar, in which the workers were already jamming out to the heavy techno. Their was a mix of graffiti as well as some plants around, giving the vibe of an overgrown train station. The event held was the "Mediterranea Summer Solstice Edition" held at the Oosterbar. I walked in to the techno set of COSMIC SAB, a French DJ deep in the Rave scene. His music brought up the lively energy and opened me up to start getting comfortable on the floor.

I am progressing my dancing to improve my knowledge of the rave and electronic culture, as I know dancing is a big deal. Ever since Diplo at ACL, where I saw people dancing for the pure sport of it, I have been trying to get more comfortable with my moves. A major step in dancing getting over was how you are perceived. I find that wearing sunglasses in the club helps with this, as you look confident no matter how silly you think you look. Finding my internal tempo was what I began to learn with this set, and getting more comfortable with my arms was my biggest progression this weekend. Observing an older gentlemen who was so smooth with his robot-like moves inspired me to be more comfortable with my arms.

The next duo up especially helped with this, having a mathematical electronic set that at points were hard to figure out. loosening up felt difficult with such concrete bass, but when I solved the mental puzzle of the beat I shined. After the show I had a conversation with the aforementioned older man and shared that he was helpful for me. He was ecstatic, instantly giving me a hug and sharing a conversation with me. His journeys were plentiful and fulfilling, having spent many years in Amsterdam and living in numerous places across Europe with his wife. The moment felt surreal to me, giving me joy that I could share my journey with another soul, and vice versa.

The next night was a bigger event, being the 10th Year Anniversary for the hipster-coated hotel "Volkshotel". This 10 story building held parties in the hotel unlike anything I've ever seen before. On the top floor, there were open patios accompanied by DJ sets, giving us a view of that Amsterdam sunset at around 11 PM. We continued down the floors to a DJ set of this vibrant soul, singing along with his music giving the bubbly set a flair of passion. His energy transcended amongst the crowds, allowing me to forget about everything else in life for the moment. The art of DJing is better appreciated being in the crowd; I believe the skill individuals have as they invoke emotions into crowds of people through music is an impressive one. It is for this reason I believe that the culture of music and creativity creates a more fulfilling life and sense of content for these locals, as they all seem to know each other and do these events on a regular basis.

I ended the night I faced the "boss level" as me and my roommate put it: Floor -1 - DOKA. This is where the music was playing until 7 AM, that of which I knew I needed to visit before passing out on my 4 hours of sleep. After tapping out my roommate, I went to face the epitome of raving head on alone. The moment I passed the entrance on the basement floor, I was hit with a humid cloud of smoke, sweat, and bodies. Coming in at ~4 30 AM, I had come to the depth of the night and felt the beats shake the room of dancing souls. After shimming my way down to the middle, I danced amongst people all doing their own thing. While a couple was making out in front of me, I could appreciate the tenured sound of the older DJs. Wanting a closer look, I shimmied my way up to see the four DJ boards being shared between two gentlemen. It was surreal, I was looking at the equipment of Amsterdam, being used to keep an entire crowd going into the deep hours of the night. This was it, the reason I travelled all this way to Amsterdam. 5000 miles away and I was viewing the heart and soul of the night life in Europe.

After having enough sweat reach my eyes, I walked outside to dawn approaching, and felt accomplished. I had just partied all night until the morning in Amsterdam. I sat outside and observed the drunken adults, sharing cigarettes, conversations, and stories from all over. So many accents surrounding my soundscape, I was star stricken at the diversity, coming to appreciate a major factor of Amsterdam: People come from all over the world to unite through the love and power of music. This is reflected in its citizens of the city all knowing each other through partying. While I understand this scene comes with a less-than-ideal world of bad decisions, there is a human nature aspect that draws us all to continue coming back: that is music, the real addiction.

Leaving Amsterdam was the only pill I had to swallow, this city was a delight to visit and I am very grateful that my life led me to this opportunity, I certainly have an aspiration to move here in my future. What I can take away to America from this trip, is the power of music and toleration. The culture from a glimpse seems to be friendly, content, and connected, and I believe I can implement some of these traits into my personal life coming back. May music heal us all, and until next time,

GV

[joeyvimsantepoet]

Cross Border Cups With Scotland

How about Saudi Arabia fund a cross border club trophy with teams from Saudi Arabia, Scotland, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, France, North America, Africa and other European nations? Saudi Arabia has wealth, but Scotland has intense passionate supporters. Clubs like Glasgow Celtic, Aberdeen, Glasgow Rangers, Motherwell, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Dundee, and Dundee United could bring passionate games and lore to Saudi soccer.How about cross border cups for Scottish football. I say a good way for Scottish football to improve is to have cross border trophies on top of domestic and European football.There are an entire host of ideas that could happen. Bring back the Anglo Scottish Cup.Change the Scottish Premiership to a 16 team 30 game league. Then have extra cross border cups.Ideas could include a North Atlantic League Cup. With the top four to 8 SPFL clubs playing a group stage trophy with teams from Europe, Asia, or Africa, or North America, or Saudi Arabia.The Scottish allow Welsh and Northern Ireland club sides in the Scottish Challenge Cup.The Scottish and Welsh Rugby clubs travel to places like South Africa, and Italy. And UEFA soccer has seen Scottish sides travel to Central Asia. So football clubs could travel 5 or 8 times a year to the USA, or Africa. In UEFA trophies Scottish and Welsh sides have been to Central Asia.Other ideas could include having all Scottish Premiership sides not in Europe, plus selected Welsh Cymru Premier club sides, and perhaps Belgian, and North West French sides in the Football League Trophy. There could easily be 16 teams added to the EFL Trophy with a little reorganisation of the trophy to add the new sides.Perhaps all Scots Championsip sides, Welsh Cymru Premier sides, and some North Western French sides in the non-league FA Trophy.

Or a Celtic Nations Club Cup of Scottish, Welsh, Irish, Ulster, Cornish, Cumbria, Brittany, Isle of Man and Yorkshire club sides.Perhaps leading Scottish, Irish, French, Dutch, Belgian or German sides invited as guests into the Engliah FA Cup, or English League Cup.I do not support merging the British leagues, as people would wrongly think Scotland was part of England. And all the Scottish trophies in history would be relegated to the status of lower tier trophies. While all the English trophies would be seen as forerunners of the British trophies. So Scottish clubs would be seen to be reset as having won ZERO trophies. Also 30 trips into England a year might be too much bit 5 to 8 times a year would keep it a novelty and highlight of the season.We need Pan-Great Britain Cups on top of domestic and European football.If we had a British League a club like Dundee could make 25 trips year of up to 800 miles. That would be too tough. It has to be at a manageable number of games.