rd: Mexico have been robbed here. The opening goal was offside. Against protocol there was an instant replay on the big screen. For a second it looked like the ref would change his mind. Then he sobered up and didn't. Cue endless debates about technology and also a mini riot as the teams traipsed off. Back in ten mins.

Geoffrey Smith writes:" "Yes, Germany started better and yes they ended miles better, and yes they've been better than England ever since they arrived in South Africa but you cannot just assume they would have kept their nerve after giving up a two-goal lead in the space of three minutes. Goals change matches." They pretty much are matches. But it seemed clear, I thought, Germany were far more likely to get more of them whatever England did - as they did.

Roy Allen hits back at Gary Naylor's nay-saying: "Contrary to the incessant whinging from the high horse merchants the officiating at this world cup has been very good. Today we have seen two very bad mistakes but in the past two weeks we have heard a lot of ill-informed bleating about good decisions. Gary Naylor has rarely been more wrong. I'm with you; refereeing has improved, but whinging about it has reached new heights."

Art Delano writes, a little desperately: "Here in southeast Michigan we've been under severe thunderstorm warnings for an hour, and there have been tornado funnel clouds spotted in multiple towns, and there are large-scale power blackouts. Even worse, the local broadcaster carrying the game, after interrupting multiple times to report on storm activity, has been knocked off the air. We now have to watch the match on the Spanish-language Univision channel. The last I would have no problems with if I spoke Spanish. But please keep in mind that for many of us you are the only means by which we can make sense of what's going on between Argentina and Mexico right now." Righto. noted.

And John Cashman argues: "I think Maradona looks more like post-spiderhole Saddam Hussein than Ponch Estrada."

46 mins: Argentina kick off again. And Buatista is off, replaced by Barrera on on the left wing. An attacking move. He's a livewire. Barrera instantly wins a corner but Torrado's kick is easily headed away. Good positive start though. And Hank Janson has the right idea: "it is certainly time for FIFA to implement technology to betterr the quality of officiating, barney. now, when do they start on developing the technology to knock 20 years of pierluigi colina?"

48 mins: Absolute howler from long-haired prancing fraud Di Michelis, presenting the ball straight to Hernandez, but he does well to get back inside his own box and block his shot. There is hope for Mexico in that Argentina backline. They are far from impermeable. john Delany growls from beneath his trilby: "Art Delano would be my adopted name if I ever became a salso trumpet player." And William Booth fumes: "Delano is talking out of his Art. Referring and line-running at this world cup has been dreadful. Three things are spoiling the tournament - incorrect decisions, diving/exaggeration, and unpunished bad tackling, and they are all to some extent the fault of the officials."

51 mins: Barrera is making a few things happen on the left wing. He gets into some space again but his dinked ball goes to the back post when all the green shirts have crowded the near. Argentina have yet to really get going this half.

52 mins: ARGENTINA SCORE! 3-0. Well. They have now. That is an absolutely brilliant strike by Tevez. The ball falls to him after a bit of a muddle 25 yards out, he sizes up the moment and spanks it first time with awesome power into the top corner, making at least three people within earshot of this commentator emit an involuntary "Oooayaeea!" sound. The keeper had no chance at all. That was stunning. Maradona does a James Brown style freak out, and quite rightly too.

54 mins: So. Going they are. Mexico look downcast now and the stadium is a riot of blue and white bed-sheet waving. Argentina are simply irresisitible in attack, I think we can say they would be fine champions. Tevez is almost in for a hat trick after another mix-up by the Mexican defence but Juarez gets back to rob him at the last. Oh dear. Mexico really are having one I'm afraid.

57 mins: Mexico really struggling to keep it together here. If you can get a look at that Tevez goal. Sure to cheer you up if you watched the England-related events with any snese of eager expectation.On England and the Lampard non-goal Pavan Jeswani barks: "I despise the England team as much as every other person on the planet who is not English, but if that goal was given, England wouldn't have had to press forward as much and wouldn't have been so fragile on the break. It might not have changed the result, but you do not know that for certain. This isn

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