't getting published is it?" But Nick Smith disagrees: "Re: England- surely there are two points about todays game; 1 even if the goal stood it would have masked deep structural defects in the English game; 2 Englands Brave John Jerry is a glorified stopper and nothing more. When he's not even doing that he's just a cockney tit being paid 120K for appearing in tabloids. We may as well play Jordan at centre back."

60 mins: Brilliant play by Berrera on the left wing, beats two men, nutmegging Burdisso, but then shoots from a very tight angle and hits the side netting. He had three green shirts to aim for there. That was sprightly. Guardado comes off. Franco comes on against his semi-compatriots. And it would be nice if Mexico could rustle up a goal here. Salcido has a pop from miles out and it's on target and Romero flies to his right to palm it round, ponytail flapping wildly.

63 mins: Hernandez gets up well but head powerfully over from the resultant corner. He has a nice sprightly spring and a pleasantly eager face. I predict success in the Premier League (or more likely Carling Cup and occasional Champions League dead rubber). And Jeremy James sums up the general - but I have to say, not my - view of all this: "Two absolutely appalling decisions that have wrecked two quarter finals. FIFA need to get their act together - if not technology, at the least four linesemen who understand the rules and/or a second ref watching the television who can tell the field ref when he has cocked up. What is going on makes a travesty of the game. Sod 'to err being human.'"

66 mins: Mexico continue to huff and grouch and meander and generally lose their way, albeit in an elegant and neatly stitched kind of way. Shame to see them going out, but this is largely a young team and should get better. This is now a game of pass and dink and jink and stroll. And Gary Naylor rages back :The officiating has been dismal because the big calls have been wrong too often. Many penalties have not been awarded (remember David Villa being tripped in Spain's first game?) Red cards have been awarded for minor, even non-existent offences (Kaka, Cahill). Still - at least they start the games
when the adverts finish."

69 mins: Tevez strolls off and the wonderfully aged, strolling, leggy Veron is on. Maradona hugs Tevez and buries his nose hungrily in his soaking mane.

70 mins: Mexico so close to scoring: the ball comes in from the right wing and is headed goalwards by Franco but Heinze heads it off the line, just as the ball appears to be crossing it, and that is a good decision. Close, but we really don't need another of those.

71 mins: MEXICO SCORE! 3-1. Lovely, really lovely goal by Hernandez. Turns brilliantly away from Di Michelis, jinks into the box, makes a bit more space and then absolutely spanks it into the top corner at the near post. That was brilliant finishing. He's a really tasty player. And Mexico have some new vim out there now.

73 mins: Well, nothing is impossible and Mexico are re-invigorated. You did feel when Tevez came off there was some slightly too early backslapping going on. Messi has also done nothing this half. Elsewhere John Delaney sagely notes: "On England and the Lampard non-goal; If it did go in and England managed to sneak a win against Germany can you imagine the gaping width and depth of the new [hem-de-hem orifice censorship activated] that Argentina would tear us in the quarter finals?" indeed. A big one indeed.

76 mins: Mexico have had a good spell of possession besides the goal, but perhaps more a case of a loss of focus by Argentina. There's Messi at last, off on a mazy, wiffling dribble that comes to nought. And Keenan Robbins spits: "No one really thinks Maradona is coaching this team, do they? One of the 'assistants' (blanking on the name) is clearly giving instructions to substitutes before they go in and, one can only assume, drawing up the tactics as well." Carlos Bilardo is the man, I hear.

78 mins: The Championship's Jonas Gutierrez is about to come on. And to be fair to Messi he has come inside a bit to find the ball and he's having some decent possession, slowing things down quite deliberately. Gutierrez is on for Di Maria. And Lou Roper summarises: "The 'offside' Argentinian goal is particularly insufferable 1) because Signor Rosetti is another highly overrated Italian referee (as in Collina) who makes a great show of 'imposing himself' and then commits howlers; and 2) it rewards serial cheaters Tevez and you-know-who. In terms of England, despite Lampard's 'goal', a 1-2 half-time scoreline does not, it seems to me unrecoverable unless you are employing a number of has-beens or never-weres in your XI. Oh."

81 mins: Salcido finds great pampas plain

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