Oranje all the way !!!

14:00 GMT, June 28, 2010
Durban Stadium, Durban, South Africa





Netherlands
2 - 1
Slovakia

Arjen Robben made an immediate impact on his first start for the Netherlands as he scored early on to sink Slovakia. Wesley Sneijder made the game safe in the final ten minutes as the Dutch progressed to the quarter-finals, before Robert Vittek netted a penalty with the last kick of the game.


Holland have now won all four games at the World Cup and will meet the winner of Brazil's clash with Chile on Friday in Port Elizabeth.

The game at the Moses Mabhida stadium offered two contrasting styles, with Holland pursuing a patient passing game while Slovakia adopted a more direct approach to try to utilise Vittek's pace.

Scoring Summary

Netherlands	Slovakia
Arjen Robben (18')	Robert Vittek (pen 90')
Wesley Sneijder (84')

Match Stats

Netherlands

Slovakia

16(9)	Shots (on Goal)	12(3)
17	Fouls	19
5	Corner Kicks	2
2	Offsides	3
52%	Time of Possession	48%
2	Yellow Cards	3
0	Red Cards	0
2	Saves	7

Match Information

Stadium:	Durban Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Attendance:	61,692
Match Time:	14:00 GMT
Official(s):	Alberto Undiano Mallenco

Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder

MATCH SUMMARY

Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder - Arjen Robben made the headlines when enjoying his first start of the tournament and scoring a lovely opening goal, but it was another gorgeous pass from Sneijder that set him free. The Inter Milan playmaker controlled the game throughout and his goal with six minutes remaining was just reward. Few in world football are as decisive as Sneijder with the ball at his feet and he appears to be flourishing at just the right time for Netherlands.

Netherlands verdict: After their opening win over Denmark, Rafael van der Vaart said: "We played like the Germans [usually do] and they played like us." That assessment continues to be a perceptive one. While Joachim Low's side sauntered into the second round, it is the Oranje who are grinding out victories and doing just enough to progress - two qualities usually associated with their Germanic rivals. Netherlands are yet to draw any Total Football comparisons, but having maintained their 100% record, they will be keen to pick up the German habit of making the final, even if there is more to come from this side.

Slovakia verdict: A step too far. Few fancied Slovakia to make it out of the group stage before Vladimir Weiss oversaw a stunning 3-2 win over reigning champions Italy, but Netherlands are a different prospect entirely to the ageing Azzurri. Slovakia should have equalised when Maarten Stekelenburg denied Robert Vittek and will rue the glaring miss from their star striker, but they did not deserve to progress against a talented Dutch side.

Could do better: Marek Hamsik - The Napoli midfielder was supposed to showcase his talent to the watching world in South Africa but instead a relatively low-key campaign has come to a disappointing end. He suffered in comparison with Sneijder who showed his opponent how to run a game.

Stat attack: Robert Vittek is now Slovakia's all-time leading goalscorer having surpassed Szilard Nemeth with his 23rd goal for his country.

Netherlands vs Slovakia - Preview

Netherlands
v
Slovakia


14:00 GMT, June 28, 2010
Durban Stadium, Durban, South Africa

Netherlands go into this second round clash full of confidence, having won all three of their matches at the World Cup so far, scoring four goals and conceding just one, and with star player Arjen Robben recovered from injury. The Bayern Munich forward feared his tournament was over before it had even begun when he picked up a hamstring injury but Robben played for 20 minutes as a substitute against Cameroon and came through unscathed.


The Dutch are big favourites to win this match but the few people expected Slovakia, playing in the World Cup for the first time as an independent nation, to make it out of a group that included Paraguay and reigning World Champions Italy. Yet the Eastern Europeans did so in style, dumping out Marcello Lippi's Azzurri with a 3-2 victory in their final game.

However, that was only Slovakia's second win in their last seven international matches and their first at the World Cup, with Vladimir Weiss's team drawing their opening match with New Zealand and losing 2-0 to eventual group winners Paraguay. The underdogs will also have to do without suspended veteran defensive midfielder Zdeno Strba, who has played all but three minutes of Slovakia's World Cup campaign thus far, in Durban.

Competition Stats

	Netherlands	Slovakia
Goals	Dirk Kuyt 1	Robert Vittek 3
Assists
Yellows	Rafael Van der Vaart 1	Zdeno Strba 2

Netherlands player in focus: Wesley Sneijder - He is yet to display the form that helped Inter Milan win the UEFA Champions League title this season but you get the feeling it is only a matter of time before he sparks into life. That's not to say the former Ajax star hasn't had an impact, he scored the winner against Japan, but he could do better. With Robben back in the team and the weight of expectation shared, Sneijder's keen eye for a pass and superb shooting ability should make him a key figure against Slovakia.

Slovakia player to watch: Robert Vittek - Having failed to score in nine games during qualifying, Vittek has hit three goals in three games at the World Cup to put him in contention for the Golden Boot. Kamil Kopunek is the only other Slovak to find the back of the net and that could be a problematic if the Dutch do a job on the previously little-known Ankaragucu striker. Can he handle the burden of being the star man?

Key battle: Robin Van Persie v Martin Skrtel - Van Persie bagged four goals in the Oranje's three warm-up games prior to the World Cup and although he has not quite maintained that form, scoring just once, he is the focal point of Netherlands' attack and is capable of either bringing others into play or smashing in a hat-trick himself. Trying to stop the Arsenal striker will be Liverpool centre-back Skrtel. Strong and committed, the defender's physicality has stopped the minnows being rolled over and he will have to be at his best again to keep the Dutch off the scoresheet.

Trivia: The match will be a family affair with Slovakia boss Vladimir Weiss coaching his son, Vladimir Jr., and Dutch manager Bert van Marwijik coaching his son-in-law, Mark Van Bommel.

Stats: Both these sides have only scored one first half goal at this World Cup so far.

Odds: Netherlands (1.53), the draw (4.20) and Slovakia (8.00) with Bet365. But if you back Robin van Persie to score first and the Dutch to win 2-0 you can get 12.00.

Prediction: This will be a real test for Slovakia against a Dutch side that is unbeaten in their last 22 internationals and expect to book a place in the quarter-finals. It could, and should, be a step too far for Vladimir Weiss' unfancied side.

Holland manager Bert van Marwijk and Slovakia's Wladimir Weiss