It took Arjen Robben only 10 minutes to show the world that he is back, and the Netherlands' star-studded attack looked all the better for it.

Robben, on as a substitute after recovering from a hamstring injury, set up the Netherlands' winner in a 2-1 victory over Cameroon at the World Cup on Thursday.

The ball was on the right wing, 40 meters from goal and all seemed harmless as the Netherlands and Cameroon looked destined to play out a 1-1 draw. But Robben had other ideas.

Cutting left past a defender and into the center of the pitch in the 83rd minute, he ripped a powerful shot that curled past Cameroon goalkeeper Hamidou Souleymanou and off the post. Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar knocked in the rebound to give the Netherlands a 2-1 win.

"Too bad the shot did not go in," said Robben, who only came on in the 73rd minute. "But in the end it was important that we won the game. I am pleased."

After sitting out the first two matches of the World Cup with a left hamstring strain, Robben's moment of magic served as a warning that the Netherlands was refining its fearsome finishing touch after labouring in a 2-0 win over Denmark and a 1-0 win over Japan.

It was a move so often seen during the 26-year-old winger's stellar season with Bayern Munich, which won a German title and cup double and reached the European Champions League semifinals. The goal was reminiscent of the brilliant goal he scored to eliminate Fiorentina in the Champions League quarters.

The oft-injured forward said he still wasn't fully fit from the injury he sustained in a warm-up match against Hungary on June 5. And his first glimpses weren't auspicious.

On 79 minutes, he tiptoed carefully with the ball at his feet on the right wing, with a hesitancy that made it unclear if he was favouring the left leg or simply trying to avoid another injury in a match of little importance. The Netherlands had already qualified for the second round, while two losses meant Cameroon was already out.

"I wasn't scared," said Robben after the match. "The most important thing was to get some rhythm in the legs. I know it is still not 100 percent."

Robben's return is a boost for the Dutch, whose three straight wins in the group stage had not been enough for some fans, who were demanding the results should be matched with the type of flair usually associated with the Oranje but missing so far in this tournament.

Coach Bert van Marwijk had feared the worst when Robben went down in the June 5 friendly.

"I really thought he was finished," Van Marwijk said. "But we are so happy he can still play for us. In the 20 minutes he played, everyone could see how important he is for us."

With Robben on the right, the Dutch can finally field their "Big Four" attack that also includes Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder and Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. All are in their mid-20s and seemingly at the peak of their careers.

Van Persie scored his first goal of the tournament in the first half with a classic example of the end-to-end football that has been called "clockwork orange," "total football" and various other monikers in recent decades. The striker received the ball out wide right before slotting it back to Van der Vaart, and cutting inside. He got the ball back in stride and punched it through the goalkeeper's legs from a tight angle.

Robben, blessed with lightning speed and a powerful left foot, has tools akin to Argentina's Lionel Messi or Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, and a similar ability to change a match with a single instant of inspiration.

"Our intention is to increase his playing time," Van Marwijk said. "I was happy that he survived for the 20 minutes. I take it he can play longer from now on, but I don't know about the starting lineup."

The Netherlands begin the knockout phase of the World Cup against Slovakia on Monday in Durban.

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