These are exciting times for a scientist. On the day the Netherlands, my home country, defeated Serbia and Montenegro in the World Cup, I wrote two-thirds of the 'results' section of a paper. Both were major stepping-stones.

I've been spending days away from the lab in order to write the two papers that will form the heart of my thesis. In between paragraphs, I'm also revelling in the opening-rounds drama of the World Cup. Four years ago, the World Cup didn't present nearly so much of a distraction. To begin with, Holland wasn't playing. Moreover, I was a young graduate student lacking any sense of urgency. A few mornings away from the lab weren't going to change the outcome of my PhD.

This time around, I have deadlines to meet. So — except for taking two hours off to put on my orange wig, trot down to the pub with the other Europeans in town and root for Holland on match days — I have to content myself with following the games on my laptop while I write.

My PhD work has been intense. Not every day has the drama of a championship match, but with the final stage of my research in sight it's time to step it up. This month is the culmination of four years of preparation — for the Netherlands, who are about to face the second round as I write, and for me, who needs to commit a few more experiments to paper to form a thesis. Wish us both luck.