FRANKFURT, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Argentina and the Netherlands joined hands to advance into the last 16 of the World Cup after a scoreless tie in their last Group C match here on Wednesday.

    There were glimpses of brilliance from both sides but the two giants seemed content to see the match out for the draw, having already qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup after winning their opening two games in the group.

    With the last attack of the night, Carlos Tevez got the best chance for Argentina in the injury time when he stabbed the ball to the goal after a group of dazzling steps past the Dutch defence, but it missed the target.

    Dominating the midfield from the very beginning, the Argentines seemingly found their scintillating form in a 6-0 win over Serbiaand Montenegro last Friday.

    "We didn't play the kind of football that we like to play, but we were facing a very strong team," Argentina coach Perkman said.

    Rodriguez, a double goal scorer in that match, was the major threat on this occasion as he paved the way for a Tevez strike which was just wide in the first 20 minutes.

    Argentina almost broke the tie in the 29th minute when Maxi Rodriguez hit the ball into the goal from Riquelme's corner. It shaved the post and all he could do is put his head in his hands in exasperation.

    "We kept the ball well. All that was missing was goals," said the 22-year-old Maxi.

    The Netherlands showed their skill in the 16th minute when DirkKuyt slammed towards the target with a belting strike, but only to witness the ball being denied by a fantastic saving from Argentina goalkeeper Abondanzieri Roberto.