So it's not Italy, but it matters little to FanZoner Jon Jerrome because his adopted Holland are in fine shape.
Robben back and van Persie scoring, so life is sweet
So who's ready to crank the drama up a notch?
As widely anticipated, the Dutch successfully conquered Group E and now face the cruel reality of knock-out football where hopes and dreams can be shattered in 90 minutes (or 120 plus penalties if you happen to be English).
With just four games standing between Holland and World Cup glory, supporters will be forgiven for dreaming over the coming days as history prepares to be written. And forget Cristiano Ronaldo, 11 giant statues would surely be unveiled in Amsterdam should the side make it all the way.
But focus has to be placed on the immediate challenge as Bert van Marwijk's side travel to Durban for a Second Round showdown.
In all likelihood, Monday's opponents looked certain to be the previous World champions as I prepared to write this blog. The contrast couldn't have been greater either, the attacking beauty of the Netherlands versus the defensive beast of Italy. The analogies would have written themselves, a side akin to a stale plate of pasta waiting to be disposed of. And let's face it, the land resembling a boot would have been kicked out of South Africa in style. But sadly I was beaten to it.
The premature planning turned out to be nothing more than a school-boy error as Slovakia produced yet another shock by beating the Azzurri and securing their ticket to face the Dutch. Yet their joy would have also been matched by the Oranjemen who are faced with a favourable draw to make it through to the last eight. Whilst tempted to use the words 'golden ticket' and 'bye', it would be naïve to dismiss the opposition given my premonition for the outcome of Group F.
So what do we know about the credentials of the Slovakians? In truth, not a great deal. However in striker Robert Vittek they possess a player who, according to my Championship Manager game, was always destined to grace the world stage. His double against the Italians demonstrated he's half decent in reality as well.
Furthermore, with Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel the stand-out name in the squad, the side boast a reliable centre-back faced with the daunting task of repelling the inevitable waves of attack from those in orange.
Momentum
Fans of Manchester City will also be quick to point to the talent of baby-faced youngster Vladimir Weiss, who will fool many by not requiring a school note to attend the finals. And given the fact the national manager is in fact his father, parental permission would surely have been a given.
However Weiss and company face an uphill battle in extending their World Cup fairytale as the Netherlands continue to march on in style. The final group victory over Cameroon extended the winning momentum in a game which yielded further positives.
Having been reacquainted with the goalscoring feeling, Robin van Persie managed to fire a warning to future opponents that he finally means business. And what's more, the return of the flying Dutchman Arjen Robben failed to disappoint, with his introduction injecting further quality into a gifted side flowing with confidence.
It's fair to say exciting times lie ahead should the Bayern winger remain fit for the duration of the competition.
