Phil Harrison: You can trust the Dutch to get this big party started... finally

Of course, England's opening encounter against the USA was full of excitement for obvious reasons, partly thanks to the predictable hysteria that preceded the game.

The Germans may have given the Australians a "footballing lesson" last night but, for my money, today's lunchtime showdown could be where South Africa 2010 really takes off. Yes, Brazil are rightly tipped as one of the favourites, alongside reigning European champions Spain, and Argentina with the likes of Messi and Tevez in their ranks are always worth a watch.

But Holland, the Netherlands or however they like to be known these days, will open their campaign against Denmark at 12.30pm today and while I may have struggled to find time to catch a few minutes of South Korea's pulsating dalliance with Greece this is – apart from Saturday evening – the one game I will be making sure I don't miss (tantrums and lunchtime demands of my 16-month-old son permitting).

It might not be the done thing to say in the current patriotic climate but if England do fail to bring home the trophy yet again, then I will quickly throw my considerable weight behind my 'other' team (don't we all secretly have one?)

My wish for the Dutch to succeed goes back to 1978 and Argentina, the first World Cup I can remember watching on the telly. England failed to make it to South America which led some fans south of the border to rather generously transfer their support behind Ally McLeod's talented Scots although I can't recall such goodwill ever being reciprocated.

Scotland endured a miserable time, apart from their final group match where they somehow managed to defeat Holland, the beaten finalists from four years earlier in West Germany.

Although I vaguely remember seeing Archie Gemmill's goal of the tournament against the Dutch, it's the team who were on the receiving end of that strike and the practitioners of 'total football' who ultimately won my affection.

Arie Haan's spectacular long-range effort against Italy in the same tournament is the clearest memory I have, along with their second successive appearance in a final.

Again they lost, this time 3-1 to hosts Argentina, and it's because they were defeated that, no doubt down to the curious way an eight-year-old boy's brain works, I immediately took pity on them, creating a kind of part-time support which has seen them become my 'other team' whenever major tournaments come around.

Since then, they've provided me with some great World Cup moments, most notably their quarter-final tussle with Brazil in 1994 and Dennis Bergkamp's wonder goal against Argentina in France 1998 – a tournament they should have won.

But fear not, despite my love of most things Dutch – there's a lot to be said for their laid-back approach to life – I know where my loyalties lie and should England and Holland meet in South Africa this year then I will be cheering on the Three Lions, not the Oranje Leeuwen... but only just.