Sure of a berth in the round of 16 and not willing to risk loosing key players before the knock-out stage begins, both Netherlands coach Marco van Basten and Argentina trainer Jose Pekerman said they planned to rest their players carrying yellow cards into Wednesday's final group match.

Even if the squads are putting all their top 11 on the field, Argentina's Maxi Rodriguez said he expected a ding-dong battle against van Basten's men.

"Even though we're both through, it will be an end-to-end match, though perhaps not as physical as it might have been had one of us needed to get something out of the game to qualify," Rodriguez said. "One thing's for sure though, we'll be going all out for the win to finish top."

Out-of-favor Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy agreed that the game had not been completely discredited with both sides having qualified for the last 16.

"There's still something to play for with being number one in the group and that can be an advantage," he said. "Maybe players will be rested or left out if they have yellow cards, but we'll have to wait and see that the team will do in that game."

Both teams want top players for next match

Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel and Giovanni van Bronckhorst are unlikely to play for the Netherlands as they are all on yellow cards, and Argentine starters Gabriel Heinze, Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola are also likely to be on the bench.

Players who get a second yellow card in the third group game will not be allowed to play in their team's next match. The yellow card slate is wiped clean after the group stage for players with just one booking.

Argentina beat Ivory Coast 2-1 and then handed out an impressive 6-0 drubbing to Serbia and Montenegro. The Dutch qualified for the round of 16 with a solitary goal against the Serbs and held out against the spirited West Africans for a 2-1 victory.

The winner of the group will play the runner-up of Group D, with the second-placed team playing the winner of that group.

Portugal will be one of the teams waiting for the South Americans or Dutch, along with either Angola or Mexico.

Ivory Coast meet Serbia and Montenegro in consolation match

African Nations Cup finalists Ivory Coast have their last and potentially best chance to secure a consolation victory in the World Cup's "Group of Death" against Serbia and Montenegro.

"The draw was in the end fatal to us. We played against two great teams without having lost merit," said Didier Drogba, who spearheaded Ivory Coast's World Cup campaign.

But the Africans will have a heart to win in Munich, if only to sweeten coach Henri Michel's bitterness and seek Africa's second success after Ghana's 2-0 victory over the Czech Republic.

"Everyone tells me this team plays great soccer," Michel said. "What's more important is the result. And the result was not good. We're out and that's the bottom line."

A demoralized Serbia and Montenegro side understood Michel's point of view, especially after the embarrassing 6-0 loss to Argentina. The squad also suffered a severe blow with the training injury to Nemanja Vidic.

Disputed coach Ilija Petkovic footed the blame for the Argentina's six-goal frenzy and announced over the weekend he would not seek to renew his contract as coach once the team returns home.