And the first strains of the "Wilhelmus" anthem brings a nation together and proves there are no fans quite like the Dutch.

Netherlands fans wait for the Group C World Cup 2006 soccer match between the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro in Leipzig June 11, 2006.[Reuters]

"It absolutely helps the players," Netherlands coach Marco van Basten said. "All of them, the players and the public, they can happily go home."

In helped Sunday when the Dutch team beat Serbia-Montenegro 1-0 in the Group C match.

"If half the stadium is orange again in Germany, you feel it is an honor again to play for your country. It is special to play," Netherlands captain Edwin van der Sar added.

Even though the Dutch federation was limited to about 4,000 tickets initially, the overwhelming color at the 43,000-capacity Zentral Stadion was screaming orange, as loud as the cheers for the players.

"This is where we all come together," said Andiene Corte, who had traveled five hours by car for the game, her freckles blended perfectly into the orange cheese hat she was wearing. "If you don't dress up in orange, you stand out too much."

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