DURBAN, June 28 (Agencies): Like clockwork, the Oranje are into the World Cup quarterfinals.
The Netherlands reached the final eight on Monday when standouts Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder scored in each half of a 2-1 victory over Slovakia.
The Oranje, who have never won soccer�s biggest prize, went ahead in the 18th minute when Robben cut inside from the right wing and found the net with a low, precise shot from 20 yards. Robben sat out the first two group matches with a hamstring injury, but his return has rekindled the crafty Dutch offense.
Sneijder doubled the lead into an empty net in the 84th after a gamble by Slovak goalkeeper Jan Mucha backfired.
The Moses Mabhida Stadium was filled mostly with orange-clad Netherlands fans and they blasted their vuvuzelas on Robben�s first touch. After his goal, the sound became deafening.
Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg preserved the win with two key saves in the 67th and the Dutch extended their team-record unbeaten streak to 23 games. Robert Vittek scored on a last-second penalty kick for Slovakia, then rushed to the net to retrieve the ball, only to hear the final whistle.
In the quarterfinals, the Netherlands will face either five-time champion Brazil or Chile, who play later.
It was only a month ago when Robben and Sneijder were on opposite sides of the pitch in the Champions League final � Robben with Bayern Munich and Sneijder with winner Inter Milan.
On Monday, they showcased some of the brilliant passing and scoring that is a trademark of the Netherlands when it is playing well. Sneijder sent Robben sprinting upfield with a long, accurate pass and the winger did what he�s been doing all season with Bayern, scoring with shots from beyond the penalty area.
With a sharp breeze blowing in from the nearby Indian Ocean, Robben nearly doubled the lead in the 50th minute, but Mucha deflected his shot just wide of the goal. A minute later, Robben sent a dangerous cross inside the area and Mucha blocked a close-range shot from Joris Mathijsen.
In the 71st, when he was replaced by Eljero Elia, Robben exited to a standing ovation.
Sneijder sealed the victory when Dirk Kuyt drew Mucha out of his net.
The Netherlands won all three group games; its last loss was to Australia in September 2008, a run of 18 wins and five draws.
Slovakia upset Italy 3-2 in its previous match, eliminating the defending champion. The Slovaks had to be satisfied with their tournament debut as an independent nation.
Slovakia�s two best chances before Vittek�s penalty kick both came in the 67th. Stekelenburg leaped to tip a powerful shot from Miroslav Stoch over the crossbar. Then Vittek, who scored twice against Italy, directed his shot too close to the goalkeeper seconds later.
The Netherlands reached consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978 but lost both � to Germany and Argentina, respectively. Its only major tournament victory was the 1988 European Championship.
