Dutch see off Slovakia to go for quarters

Jun 28, 2010

JOHANNESBURG - Holland reached the World Cup last eight Monday at the expense of giantkillers Slovakia as England made coach Fabio Capello sweat over his future after a humiliating loss to Germany.

JOHANNESBURG - Holland reached the World Cup last eight Monday at the expense of giantkillers Slovakia as England made coach Fabio Capello sweat over his future after a humiliating loss to Germany.

Arjen Robben made his first start and scored his first goal for the Dutch in a 2-1 Durban victory that set up a quarter-final showdown with record five-time winners Brazil or Chile.

English officials told Capello his future would be decided in two weeks after the six-million-pound-a-year Italian said he wanted to carry on despite a 4-1 weekend hiding from Germany.

Veteran German striker Miroslav Klose poured salt into English wounds by saying the team lacking spirit and he realised from the opening minutes they were not up for it.

Fallout from the France World Cup fiasco continued with national football federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes quitting after calls for him to do so by the sports minister.

Action on the field continues later Monday with Brazil, who have scored 20 goals while defeating Chile in their last five meetings, favoured to win the South American showdown at Ellis Park.

Robben struck after 18 minutes, cutting inside and unleashing a low shot that flew past goalkeeper Jan Mucha, and the Dutch always looked superior to the team that sent world champions Italy packing.

But the match-clinching second goal did not arrive until six minutes from full-time when Dirk Kuyt pulled the ball back for Sneijder from European club champions Inter Milan to score his second goal of the tournament.

Robert Vittek converted a penalty with the last kick of the game to become joint leading scorer beside Argentine Gonzalo Higuain on four goals, two less than Klose needed to capture the 2006 Golden Shoe.
“I have a contract and I refused a lot of opportunities to be the manager of important clubs because I want to stay here,” Capello meanwhile told reporters in north west mining town Rustenburg before England headed home.

But he admitted Football Association officials needed two weeks before deciding whether to retain him for the rest of a contract that would take him up to the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine.

Capello said his players were tired in South Africa and he favoured a mid-season break similar to that in leading European football nations like Italy, Spain and Germany.
Harry Redknapp was quick to throw his name into the ring should Capello go, with the manager who guided Tottenham into the Champions League next season telling a radio station he would jump at the chance of taking over.

Klose, scorer of the opening goal against England, admitted last-eight opponents Argentina looked stronger on paper but did not rule out another German upset in Cape Town on Saturday.

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