Netherlands Vs Slovakia FIFA World Cup 2010 : In one of the more one-sided match ups of the round of 16 at , The Netherlands will face Slovakia at 10:30 EST on Monday. The Netherlandsare not only ranked No. 4 in the FIFA World Rankings, but they have been brilliant up to this point in the tournament, with victories over Denmark, Japan, and Cameroon.
Success in the knockout round of the World Cup has been elusive for the perennial talented Dutch in recent World Cups. In 2006 they were eliminated in the round of 16, and in 2002 they failed to qualify for the World Cup finals. The last time they qualified for the championship game was 1978. In 2006 their similarly strong group play failed to translate to knockout round success as they were ousted by Portugal in the round of 16.
Slovakia, however, is hardly Portugal. Ranked just No. 34 in the world, the Slovakians advancement to this stage of the tournament is somewhat of a surprise. However, they completed a stunning upset in their final match of group play, defeating defending champion 3-2. They will look to carry that momentum into their match with the powerful Dutch side.
Despite their advantage on paper, the Dutch are taking nothing for granted. “We’d better be on our guard,” said their star striker Arjen Robben, who is looking to make his first start of the World Cupfinals on Monday. “People may say we will be the favorites. But we will certainly prepare us very carefully. And we will be sharp for the game.”
Look for the Dutch to overwhelm the Slovakians en route to a victory and a trip to the quarterfinals. The winner of this match will face the winner of Brazil vs. Chile.
Netherlands Vs Slovakia 2010 Live Streaming Links
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http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/live
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