their long white socks. And they have such ease on the ball. The excellent (here) Dos Santos in particular seems as good an example as you'd need that Premier League and international football are very different. Meanwhile, "I suspect that, despite Nike's continuing influence on my television, the percentage of English lads born with the name Wayne will be decreasing in the near future. As will the use of the names David, John, Matthew, Jamie, Glen, James, Aaron, Frank, Steven, Emile, Ashley and (thank god) Gareth," notes Clay Campbell, whose parents liked The Wire.

6 mins: Play has stopped while the ref signals for someone to clean an enormous streamer off the pitch. Perez does it while hundreds of stewards watch and refuse to help, presumably all taking time out from their day jobs in the Wandsworth branch of Argos. We're back on again.

8 mins: first glimpse of Messi coming forward and running right at the heart of the Mexican defence in thrilling fashion, but he's up and forced out to the left and eventually stopped. And... wow down the other end in a jiffy and Salcido hits the bar with an absolutely spanked shot from about 30 yards. that was dipping and I think it was tipped on to the bar by Romero. Then moments later Guardado breaks down the left and fires a very neat, low backlift shot that fizzes just by the post. Brilliant little spell from Mexico .

11 mins: This is a lovely game already. Very lose and open, with both teams attacking in numbers. Mexico are in now way over-awed. They're whatever the opposite is - under-awed, or maybe even simply awed. Messi has a little mazy and inks a hopeful chip that the leaping Perez palms down a bit unconvincingly. Kim Lima wonders: "Doesn't Maradona look a bit like Erik Estrada "Ponch" of CHIPs?" As does, or did, my aged Hungarian grandmother.

13 mins: Argentina have the game's first corner, whihc ends up with Di Maria having a shot that Burdisso misses out on deflecting goalwards with his heel. Mexico break quickly and Hernandez makes some space before slicing a powerful shot that flies wide. He is a fine player. Reminds me of Ole Solskjaer a bit. And controversy: Will Oliver purrs: "Have Argentina been playing in blue shorts before now? It's a nice look." While Pangeran Siahaan splutters: "Is it just me or Argentina's blue trunks look like a contender for World Cup fashion crime?" I quite like them. They look a bit like swimming shorts.

16 mins: Some really heavy tackles flying in on Messi by the way. The ref has already had a word, but clearly this is a bit of a tactic. So long as it's hard but fair, I think it;s a good one. No doubt Messi gets a fair amount of protection Barcelona. Mexico are going to test his mettle, but he is a brave player too. Things have settled down a bit. Some of that "possession football" we hear so much about going on. No. Beats me too.

19 mins: Argentina briefly dominating possession. They have a greta rhythm across midfield. And Michael Aston is drinking it all in like a woman in an advert blissfully sniffing a particularly cheap and nasty air freshening spray: "WOW, this game is mighty entertaining and as you say, quite the tonic after todays humiliation, it's not fair that they pass and control the ball so well tho'"

22 mins: Yes, Michael Aston, I consider it cheating. Perez hoofs the ball right through to Romero. and a breather is being taken here. It is utterly removed from what we saw earlier. Some people out there are even not running around all the time. Heinze does well to get forward but he can't win a corner. Rory Saunders points out :"Good job there are no over hyped players from the Nike advertising campaign on show here tonight....(Ribery, Cannavaro, Rooney, Ronaldinho isn't even there, next is Ronaldo to crash out after a meek performance against Spain)". And Patrick Cullen has briefly unlatched his doors of perception :"In another, slightly different and possibly better reality, I'd like to see Argentina in white shorts and Mexico in red ones, I think they'd go well with those green shirts they've got. That's a nice green..."

24 mins: Guardado bumps into Messi again and in fact barges him over. Free kick. Messi will not be put off by this. But will it disrupt him? Not exactly a hatchet job being carried out, but lots of hustling.

26 mins: ARGENTINA SCORE! Carlos Tevez gets it. Messi was at the heart of it. A lovely little pass through to Tevez, the ball is blocked by Perez, Messi dinks it forward again and Tevez nods it in. Looking at the replays, however, Tevez was clearly offside. A mass of Mexican players protest. But the goal will stand, albeit wrongly so.

28 mins: Amazing scenes here. Mexico are furious about the goal, which should not have been allowed, and which

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