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After Holland defeated Mexico in the round of 16 do the Dutch have what it takes to win the World Cup in Brazil?

I've watched Holland in most of their games during the tournament and I believe they can lift the trophy after coming so close in 2010.

The players will not want to feel the same pain of losing another World Cup final and this will spur them on to do better this time around.

I was very impressed with how Holland dealt with the heat in their clash with Mexico as the temperature rose to 38.8 degrees at one point during the match. It was obvious the Dutch were suffering at some points in the game but after going a goal behind they responded very well.

The fact that they have the ability to not let their heads go down will really help them if they are to win the World Cup. They kept battling until the final whistle and were rewarded with two late goals from Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

A lot of other teams wouldn't have shown as much desire as the Dutch did.

Holland are still unbeaten at this tournament and I don't think they will be properly challenged until at least the semi finals where they could face Argentina.

If there is any position that the Dutch are weak in it's the defence though, and I always fear they will make a mistake. Ron Vlaar is the leader at the back but after having a fairly poor season with Aston Villa I find it hard to believe the stronger teams in the competition won't target him as a weak link.

He does get the job done but he lacks pace which could cause him a lot of problems in the latter stages of the World Cup.

However Holland have a great midfield and attacking options to make up for their defensive frailties. Sneijder, Robin Van Persie and Arjen Robben are just three of the players that any opposition would fear, and with substitutes like Huntelaar coming off the bench they have a lot of goals in their side.

I believe Holland will make it to the final this time around and I think they will win it. They could be up against Brazil, Colombia, France or Germany which would be a great test for them but they have what it takes to beat any side.

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Holland avenged their World Cup finals defeat by thrashing the reigning champions in the second half.

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Diego Costa was deemed fit to feature in Vicente del Bosque’s 4-2-3-1 ahead of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, and David Silva. Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets played in the double-pivot.

Louis van Gaal started Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie upfront in his 3-4-1-2 with Wesley Sneijder playing behind the duo. Jonathan de Guzman and Nigel de Jong formed a midfield two, while Daley Blind and Daryl Janmaat operated as wingbacks.

Despite starting the match well, Spain failed to cope with Holland’s direct approach that involved the midfield quickly facilitating the ball to their strikers behind the Spanish defence.

Holland with out the ball

The most intriguing talking point subsequent to kickoff was Holland’s approach without the ball. Usually teams would opt to defend in two deep banks of four and force the Spaniards to break them down, but here, van Gaal’s men held an extremely high-line and pressed in midfield.

Van Gaal aimed to pack central zones with hard-working players and limit as much space as possible for the Spaniards to work in. De Guzman and de Jong pressed Xavi and Xabi Alonso – who were both quiet – Sneijder worked hard to cut off Busquets’ passing lanes, and the surprising feat was the positioning of Stefan de Vrij and Bruno Martins Indi.

Fernando Torres gave his view on Spain's 2014 World Cup group. The Spaniards will start their defence of the trophy against Holland on Friday and Torres believes underdogs Chile could surprise everyone.

"It's a difficult group for both Holland and Spain because Chile pose a threat. They are a great team and have not been valued highly enough. We've played them on several occasions and know what's in store", Torres said.

"Everyone may think that Holland and Spain are the favourites, but you can't forget about Chile or Australia. Both teams could cause us problems in the group if we are not in the right frame of mind required at the World Cup", he added.

"It's difficult starting the Brazil World Cup against Holland, but also very exciting. We beat them to become world champions and they will want to get their own back. It's our first game and we clearly remember what happened four years ago. We don't want to make the same mistakes we made against Switzerland, which would make it difficult afterwards", Torres continued.

The Spain forward believes his team will put on a display worthy of the occasion against the Dutch. "These are the opponents we like to play against most. Top teams that mean you have to be at your best. We're looking forward to it".

Read more: Torres: "Chile pose a threat" - MARCA.com (English version)