WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : Hooligans, Schmooligans: Peace Reigns in Orlando

This was to be the hooligan game, Belgium versus the Netherlands. It was to be, in the paranoia of World Cup security officials, the day the best of times might turn to the worst of times.

There were so many signs of trouble, so many red flags in this sport of red cards.

--Just the day before, there was a game that matched Mexico and Ireland, both of whose fans are volatile.

--Orlando has a central-city area, called Church Street Station, that looked to be a magnet for soccer gang gathering.

--The Dutch have a history of hooligan activity, and they even have a national law-enforcement agency called the Central Intelligence of Hooliganism.

--And Belgium, while not home to many hooligans, is also known for its soccer fervor and was the ill-fated neutral-site host of the European Cup final on May 29, 1985, when 39 people died in rioting in the stands of Heysel Stadium more than an hour before Liverpool of England was to play Juventus of Italy.

So what happened in Orlando?

On Friday night at Church Street Station, the night after Mexico’s 2-1 victory over Ireland and the eve of Belgium versus Holland, thousands of soccer fans showed up. Beer flowed freely. Flags of Ireland, Mexico, Belgium and the Netherlands were carried around by singing fans. Traffic jammed. So did sidewalks and parking garages.

And three arrests were made.

“One was for disorderly intoxication, the other two for trespassing in a bar--two guys wouldn’t leave,” said Mike Holloway, an Orlando Police Department spokesman.

What else happened on Church Street?

According to the Orlando Sentinel, a man waving a Mexican flag verbally baited two Ireland rooters. As police braced for the worst, the Irish fans crossed the street, approached the Mexican and shook his hand. Later, an Irish fan lamenting the loss, told a reporter, “For penance, I’m drinking Mexican beer for the rest of the night--if I can find any.”

And what happened Saturday, when a sellout crowd of 62,387 showed up at the Florida Citrus Bowl to watch Belgium beat Holland, 1-0, in a Group F game filled with missed chances, close calls and a full 90 minutes of soccer drama?

--Late in the game, on a day when temperatures hovered near 100 degrees on the field, a Dutch player who had been tossed a cellophane water bag for a quick drink, took a sip and handed the rest to a Belgian player.

--When it ended, the two goalkeepers, who faced an amazing 37 shots between them, met at midfield and embraced.

--The thousands of orange-clad Dutch fans and red-clad Belgian fans stayed for a long time in the stands, despite the heat. More songs were sung and flags were waved before the stadium emptied--noisily but slowly and safely.

“If we can get through tonight (on Church Street), we’ll be home free,” Holloway said.

H.D. Hilin of the Jacksonville Police Department, one of hundreds of law-enforcement officers brought in from other cities for the World Cup, said at midnight, “There have been no problems tonight (at Church Street Station). In fact, the only problems we have had during the entire World Cup time frame has been some of the local people, and that hasn’t been too bad.”

The peace that reigned was because of the following:

--The English didn’t qualify for the World Cup, leaving their boorish fans less inclined to fly across the Pond and wreak havoc with the colonies.

--The hooligan potential of the Dutch was overrated: “Those type of people don’t follow the Dutch National Team,” said Jaap De Groot, a writer for De Telegraaf of Amsterdam. “All our hooligan trouble is with the club teams, and our ticket computers have their names and wouldn’t allow ticket sales to them.”

--The security people, including the ever-present Orlando police and Ed Best’s World Cup security operation, did a good job. Holloway said nine Dutch with criminal records ranging from armed robbery to kidnaping were identified as they landed in Detroit three days ago and were sent back to Amsterdam.

For World Cup soccer, the best of times continues.