The Netherlands again flew through its first-round group. Now comes the tough part - learning how to win one of those an all-or-nothing games.
Those games lifted hopes of their millions of fans, only to see them come crashing down as Oranje stumbled at the very first next hurdle.
It was Portugal in the second round at the 2006 World Cup, Russia at Euro 2008. Now, Slovakia awaits on Monday, and the Dutch are again overwhelming favorites.
"Let me be clear, we will not underestimate anyone," winger Arjen Robben said.
Easier said than done for the Dutch, who have a long history of looking two games down the road while the next still has to be played.
Once they start producing their "clockwork orange" end-to-end moves - their "total football" where defense and attack blur into one smooth choreography - they are a joy to behold and live up to their moniker as the best team never to win the World Cup.
Yet it also lays bare their weakness. Sometimes, they get so taken with the beauty of the game, they forget the point is to win.
It was even clear in Thursday's final group game against Cameroon. In front of tens of thousands of orange-clad fans at Green Point Stadium, they charmed and thrilled at will.
Coach Bert van Marwijk was left worried. When Van Marwijk asked for nerves of steel to play out the game, he got insouciance instead.
"We thought we could finish the match professionally in the second half and score a few times," Van Marwijk said. "That takes a lot of discipline and concentration. Instead we were far too nonchalant and easygoing. So, for sure, the problems were coming."
After Robin van Persie's opening goal in the 36th minute, Cameroon clawed back its way in the game with a 65th-minute penalty for Rafael van der Vaart handball on Geremi's free kick.
"The penalty awoke us from our slumber," Van Marwijk said. "This is certainly a lesson for our next game. We cannot allow ourselves to have a period of such complacency on Monday."
Slovakia was one of several surprise teams to make the second round. It beat Italy 3-2 in a thrilling match Thursday to send the defending champion home, bottom of its group.
"That team already impressed during qualifying for the World Cup," said Van Marwijk, as the World Cup newcomer won the group which included Russia.
"I thought ahead of the game that I would not be surprised if Slovakia eliminates Italy. So there is absolutely no way we can underestimate them."
He'd rather have something like the boring 2-0 wins over Denmark and the 1-0 victory over Japan, than a risky beauty contest.
"If we are as concentrated as during the first two games and look for space with direct moves, then we are at our best," Van Marwijk said. "Then we have patience. We have speed. We can score. But you cannot afford to play that nonchalantly for 20 minutes."
In the end, Robben came in to save the day. On for a first tournament appearance since recovering from a left hamstring injury, his lighting run and shot against the post set up the 83rd-minute winner for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
It was another moment of Dutch beauty but Robben knows that recent history has taught them it means nothing.
"We d better be on our guard," Robben said. "People may say we will be the favorites. But we will certainly prepare us very carefully. And we will be sharp for the game."
