Brazil 3 Chile 0:Carlos Dunga's quest to add a World Cup as manager to the one he won as Brazil captain in 1994 remains on course after his side swept aside the challenge of Chile at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The five-time winners will now face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Friday after the Dutch did just enough against Slovakia.
Brazil's record against Chile made for grim reading for Marcelo Bielsa ahead of tonight's tie but his side came out and played with belief. However, they were disarmed in attack by powerful defending from Lucio and goalscorer Juan and punished in defence by the speed and guile of Robinho and Luis Fabiano.
Juan's towering header from Maicon's 34th minute corner got them off the mark and the lead was doubled by Fabiano after he was picked out by Kaka.
Robinho added a third just before the hour as Chile pressed in search of a score of their own and there could have been two or three more for a side that is looking ominously well-balanced ahead of another trip into the last eight.
Earlier this afternoon, the Netherlands beat Slovakia 2-1 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Bert van Marwijk's side took control through Arjen Robben's goal in the 18th minute but did not make sure of the result until Wesley Sneijder strike with six minutes remaining.
In between, there was little to shout about for the Slovaks, apart from two excellent saves forced out of Maarten Stekelenburg in the second half, but an injury-time penalty offered some consolation, though an upset never looked likely.
In truth, the result could have been a lot more convincing had Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and defender Joris Mathijsen not wasted glorious chances.
Robben was restored the starting line-up have recovered from the hamstring injury had prevented him from playing the first two game and starting the third. His value was soon obvious to all.
"That was nice today. If you're at the World Cup it should be fun. We didn't play our best match today but the important thing is that we advanced," he said Robben.
"For me personally it was a great experience to be back on the pitch again from the first minute and to be decisive for the team. It was a great feeling if you can do it in the first game, straight away."
Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss, who restored his son of the same name to the starting line-up ahead of Zdeno Strba, said the Bayern man made the difference.
"We were preparing for three days for Robben, for his way of playing but he is an absolute genius," he said. "He really knows what he is doing. When I saw him in the lineup I knew he would make the Dutch lineup 50 per cent stronger and I was correct.
"No coach can be happy if he loses and if he has three high quality chances," Weiss said. "The penalty at the end will make us feel better during our flight back home."
It's onwards and upwards for the Dutch but against either one of the Brazilians, Robben warned: "We'll have to play better than today."