Robben strikes, gives Dutch 1-0 lead

Durban: The Netherlands reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup when standouts Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder scored in each half of a 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Monday.

The Oranje 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. Sneijder doubled the lead into an empty net in the 84th after a gamble by Slovak goalkeeper Jan Mucha backfired.

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.

Goals from Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder in each half powered the Dutch win.

In the quarterfinals, the Netherlands, which never has won a World Cup, will face either five-time champion Brazil or Chile, who play later.

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