The Dutch keep Rolling

On Friday, the Dutch showed why the world and the World Cup should get ready to see orange. With a great win over a powerful Cote d'Ivorie team, the Oranje have qualified to move on to the round of 16. Beautiful goals from van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooy took the Dutch through. On the defensive end, revamped keeper Edwin van der Sar and his cast of defenders were able to keep Cote d'Ivorie's power offensive to just one goal.

23' Robin van Persie gets taken down just outside the penalty area. Lining up his kick quickly and flawlessly, the Arsenal prodigy put the free kick away into the upper corner before the keeper realized what was happening. This may be the most stunning goal that I have seen yet in the Cup. van Persie's precision was unnerving. The ball sailed just wide of the Ivorie defensive wall and dropped in to the upper corner. Goals like this are brilliant because they make opposing teams live in fear of fouling. Intimidation through goals like this beauty will keep opponents whether it is better to bring van Persie down, or to let him go.

Neither is a good choice.

Also worth praising van Persie for is clutch stop in the Dutch goal mouth, when the forward took a deflected ball off the chest to prevent the tying goal. van der Sar was far out of reach and would surely have let the ball go by. Instead, van Persie chalks up both a goal and save, proving his value immensely.

van Nistelrooy Ruud called his go-ahead goal in the first half, the finest goal of his life. I wouldn't call it that, but it certainly proved to be the most important goal of the game. Watching the replay, it is difficult to tell whether the Man U start was onsides or not. Nevertheless, Ruud's unwavering finish certainly gave the fans something to cheer about.

Argentina Despite having already secured passage to elimination soccer, the Dutch must still face the Argentinians in their final round robin game. This should be a match to see. Both teams are strong, and as the group winners, they have nothing more to fight for. Still, there is much to prove. World Cup history remembers the Dutch-Argentine rivalry as a blood feud of old. This year's teams have different strengths. The Aregentinians are offensive warhorses with flair and panache. The Dutch are a little more balanced, and may have both the defensive to neutralize Crespo & co. and the forwards to put away the winner.

I look forward to this game and the advance of the Netherlands.

As they say in Amsterdam, "Hup Holland Hup"