Scott Murray's Blog, page 199

World Cup 2014: day 19 as it happened

All the latest news and updates on the second day of knockout fixtures in the World Cup

4.57pm BST

Right, I'm going to wrap things up now. Head over here to join Scott Murray for MBM coverage of France v Nigeria. Emeka Enyadike was extremely confident on the pod last night, although history is against the two African sides playing today.

3 - Only three African teams have reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup (Cameroon 1990, Senegal 2002, Ghana 2010). Challenge. #NGA

4.43pm BST

They wouldn't? Would they?

Rumours increasing both in #CIV & Israel that Avram Grant "in talks" with Ivorian FA for coaching gig. #clubmetro

4.42pm BST

Hungary said goodbye to a World Cup great earlier today. Gyula Grosics was the goalkeeper in the Magical Magyars team of the early 50s and on the losing side in the 1954 final, the Miracle of Bern. He went on to play in the 1958 and 1962 tournaments before his retirement.

Here's Brian Glanville's obituary on Grosics and here's a Reuters report on today's events:

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban joined actors, celebrities and former players to bid farewell on Monday to Gyula Grosics, a member of the country's Magical Magyars team.

Grosics, goalkeeper for the Hungary side that famously defeated England 6-3 at Wembley in 1953, died this month at the age of 88.

4.21pm BST

Some good news for Belgium: Fifa's disciplinary committee has opted not to extend the ban of Steven Defour.

Fifa has decided against extending Steven Defour's ban for a reckless tackle on South Korea's Kim Shin-wook.

Belgium midfielder Defour was sent off for a studs-up challenge on the South Korean striker last Thursday's 1-0 win in Sao Paulo.

4.13pm BST

Here's the full story on the South Korea squad being pelted with toffees on their return from the tournament. The reaction of fans has certainly given Hong Myung-bo something to chew on. Penny for his thoughts right now. His team's passing certainly wasn't crisp enough. It's a sticky situation and no mistake, and the fans aren't going to sugar-coat it for him. OK, I'll stop now.

4.08pm BST

Aspiring football journalists this week's Ask Hadley column is essential sartorial reading. I hope you've all got your jeans in the freezer.

3.58pm BST

A little more on Robben:

The Dutch FA (KNVB) issued a statement insisting Robben's comments to Dutch TV station NOS had been misinterpreted.

The statement said: "The media have interpreted statements from Robben in a Dutch post-match interview completely wrong.

3.57pm BST

Afternoon all. First of, some breaking news from the Press Association:

Fifa will not be taking action against Arjen Robben after he admitted diving during Holland's 2-1 win over Mexico.

Robben reportedly apologised for diving on one occasion in the game - but not for the decisive penalty in stoppage time which he said was "definitely a foul".

3.48pm BST

Right, that aforementioned breaking news about toffee has been filed with the molasses editor, who sits on the Guardian's caramelised sugar desk. It means John Ashdown is available to take you through to the end of the day, whenever that is. I'm off to MBM the France-Nigeria game. See you there, hopefully.

3.37pm BST

Kakaddendum: "Just wanted to let you know that Kaka actually does have a World Cup winners medal," reports Ricky Barnhart. "The then 20 year-old was a member of the 2002 squad (although he only played 25 minutes against Costa Rica). Of course that fact does nothing to invalidate anything you wrote about his unfulfilled potential, but what is a live-blog for if not pedantic correction of trivia no one cares about?" Indeed. Preach on, brother. And if you could stay on a few hours to correct a few proofs, that would be fine and dandy.

3.33pm BST

More advertising news. And poor old Theofanis Gekas. Last night he missed the penalty that sent Greece home at the end of a dramatic tussle with Costa Rica. Well, it appears it's not the first time he's suffered from 12 yards. "He couldn't beat a ten-year old with exactly the same kick," reports Costas Tsioras, who sends in this gem:

3.16pm BST

Toffee-related advertisement break:

3.12pm BST

You'll notice this blog hasn't shut down yet.

You lucky people!
That's because John Ashdown will be taking over in a wee while. He's just away somewhere doing some Proper Journalism. OK, he's writing a breaking World Cup story about toffee. But what a confection! I'll leave him to explain when he takes over, but it's worth sticking around for.

3.08pm BST

Anyone remember Kaka? A World Cup winners medal at some point in his career seemed almost a certainty when he sashayed into prominence back in the early 2000s. But injuries took their toll, his form dipped, and Brazil were never much cop in 2006 or 2010 anyway. Uninvited to the party this time round, he's now leaving Milan with a view to pitching tent in the MLS. "Certain loves never end, they go in big circles when a contract is mutually terminated," announced a tearful Milan apparatchik today. "The key word is mutual. Ciao Ricky, we will never leave each other." He'll always have his 2007 Champions League medal, of course, and that pass to Hernan Crespo in the 2005 final. But from a stellar talent, the world was expecting so much more. The talented youngsters of today with an eye on the World Cup, for example

Ryan Gauld
James Rodriguez, will do well to consider that careers might not always pan out as planned.

2.40pm BST

Luis Suarez, if he's any sense, will get stuck into the cigars and brandy for the next couple of months. Enjoy your time off, son, you've earned it. However, there are reports kicking around which suggest Kosovan side Hajvalia want to offer him a gig while he's kicking his heels. "As we are not part of Fifa yet, I think he can play in Kosovo, so we have an offer that we will send to Liverpool," explains Hajvilia director Xhavit Pacolli. "We offered 30,000 euros and a salary of 1,500 for each month. This might sound ridiculous to him, but that is all we can do. This is the maximum we can offer."

It's just possible that this hasn't been thought through properly. Colombia came up with a Fifa-circumventing wheeze the best part of 70 years ago, and nobody came out well from that. Suarez may wish to consider the fate of poor old Charlie Mitten, for example, as told in this Joy of Six back in the day:

In January 1948, a crowd of 12,000 paid cash money at the gates to see Argentinian club side Velez Sarsfield play a tour match in Bogota against Santa Fe. It was an unprecedented crowd in Colombia, and it convinced local entrepreneurs to set up a proper professional league, preferably stuffed to the gunnels with the world's top talent. Given that Colombia was embarking on a period of political turmoil the liberal president-elect Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was assassinated in April, sparking La Violencia, a decade-long civil war it was to everyone's organisational credit that the new professional DiMayor league was up and running by August.

It did not prove problematic to entice some of the world's best players to the league. What club owners quickly realised was: footballers like money. Players in Argentina and Uruguay were on strike demanding better wages and conditions, and were easily enticed north with sky-high wages. Clubs rarely bothered paying transfer fees, or requesting international clearance from Fifa. Soon enough, more than 50 Argentinian players had made the move to the DiMayor. As players rolled around in piles of pesos, giggling like toddlers, Fifa's patience snapped. They suspended the league in the hope of restoring order.

2.24pm BST

In lieu of football stories, some proper news. And here's a major protest in Rio against Fifa and the Brazilian government, with human rights and the huge cost of staging the finals both uppermost in mind.

2.07pm BST

What I mean is, we've only got less than 60 minutes before this live blog breathes its last. Do you think some news will break before then? Nothing's certain, is it.

2.05pm BST

"Next few hours." Isn't he sweet.

2.01pm BST

The coup has been ended. Scott Murray has liberated the liveblog in the name of football and will take you through the next few hours before the games get underway again.

You can email him at scott.murray@theguardian.com. Thanks for all your contributions, sorry I couldn't use them all. Bye!

1.57pm BST

Paolo Bandini writes, in praise of YOO-ESS-A goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Even for those who did not speak a word of Portuguese, the message was easy enough to understand. Hey, American! Get in goal!

Those words were delivered in good humour, but they hinted at an underlying truth. For all the strides that the USA have made lately finishing top of Concacafs final qualifying stage before surviving the World Cups group of death the nations soccer team is still best known globally for one thing: producing a steady stream of brilliant goalkeepers.

1.53pm BST

An update to the question earlier about goalkeepers being replaced during a shootout. If all three substitutions have already been made, I imagine that the following clause in the laws, as highlighted by Hauke Wemken, comes into play:

"- An eligible player may change places with the goalkeeper at any time when kicks from the penalty made are being taken."

1.49pm BST

@DanLucas86 With those insanely warm temperatures,have any of the laptops of the press corps self destructed in that heat?

I wouldn't know, I'm afraid my bosses were afflicted with a case of the giggles at the exact moment I suggested I head out to Brazil to run this liveblog.

1.45pm BST

Video! We have a new World Cup video with Nat Coombs for you to enjoy. You watch that, I'll go and grab a cup of tea.

1.42pm BST

@DanLucas86 All hail Mr Versatility, the Swiss Army knife of international football. pic.twitter.com/2L3h5XZCAr

1.39pm BST

"You'll find the hipsters' national team is not Belgium," writes John Brunsden. "It's België."

Back in a minute, I'm off to Urban Outfitters to turn in my skinny black jeans.

1.35pm BST

Good news for Manchester United fans: Louis van Gaal will be on their summer tour even if Holland reach the World Cup final. I believe there's only a three-day gap twix the two mind.

1.32pm BST

Hey look, we have a comments section on this blog! New territory for me here. Anyhow, it's a nice medium for people to answer questions earlier posited.

Your 101 reasons better than the Suárez ban that someone might label Fifa "old SOBs"

1.) The booking of players who remove their shirts after scoring a goal.

1.30pm BST

Here's a question from Andrzej Lukowski, my old reviews editor at Drowned In Sound.

@DanLucas86 here's a Q: are national squads *required* to go home after elimination? Like, does anyone stay on to watch some nice football?

1.25pm BST

Dirk Kuyt, the Dylan/Prince/Nickelback/Kasabian/Quo of football, according to Ian McCourt's MBM last night, is the subject of this tribute by Alan Smith. Certainly Alan has far warmer feelings towards the Kop hero than whoever it was that compared him to Leicestershire's premier plodding lad rockers.

The list of Oranje centurions is an impressive one. On Sunday, Kuyt became the seventh to reach triple figures, alongside illustrious company such as Edwin van der Sar and Frank de Boer.

He started his 100th game at left-wing-back and moved to right-back. When Holland needed to score, he moved to centre-forward. Towards the end, he was right-back again.

1.19pm BST

Ah, my colleague Lawrence Ostlere informs me that Fifa are actually powerless to issue retrospective yellow cards. Sorry, that was a rubbish question.

1.17pm BST

Question for you: now that Arjen Robben has admitted that he's dived, can/should Fifa issue him with a retrospective yellow card?

1.15pm BST

"Dolly. Reason enough." That's Stephen Cooper's excuse for going to Glastonbury. Sorry, but James Rodríguez's goal trumps everything on this year's bill, Robert Plant included.

1.12pm BST

Our sports picture of the day is up. It showcases a well-deserved rapturous welcome home for Chile's players.

1.10pm BST

Speaking of Glastonbury, it's not really my thing. I'm more of a Primavera Sound fan: the weather, the city of Barcelona, the world's largest collection of hipsters. Speaking of hipsters, their national team Belgium haven't been looking as clever as hoped and are pinning their hopes on 19-year-old striker Divock Origi. The great Paul Doyle has written about him here.

A couple of month ago even some of his team-mates had never heard of him. Now Divock Origi is one the leading faces of Belgiums World Cup challenge and the manager, Marc Wilmots, is under pressure to give the 19-year-old his first start of the tournament in last-16 showdown with the USA.

Origi-mania is sweeping across the flat country. Check out a dance party in Antwerp this summer and you will probably hear the rush-released oeuvre of the local DJ, Ronny Mosuse, a hypnotic techno tribute to the countrys favourite new goal-getter in which the only lyric consists of endless repetition of Origigigi, Origogogo.

1.04pm BST

Hello World Cup fans! Simon is off for a well-earned break and I, of the cricket, have seized control of the blog. Email me things about football to dan.lucas@theguardian.com, or, if you're nice and concise, tweet them to @DanLucas86.

World Cup Football Daily: Colombia put Uruguay to the sword

Brazil need penalties to defeat Chile, but Colombia are too strong for Uruguay. Plus, previews of Holland v Mexico and Greece v Costa Rica Continue reading...

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 28, 2014 17:15

Colombia v Uruguay: World Cup 2014 as it happened | Scott Murray

James Rodriguez scored twice, his first an absolute stunner and contender for goal of the tournament, as Colombia made the quarters for the first time in their history

10.52pm BST

Colombia are in the quarter finals for the first time in their history! A thoroughly deserved victory. Not much to say, other than (1) James Rodriguez: what a player; (2) Luis who?; and (3) Brazil: watch out!

10.50pm BST

90 min +2: A Colombian free kick down the right. They achieve nothing with it bar wasting time, but then that's more than enough.

10.50pm BST

90 min +1: Cavani concedes a needless foul down the left. He's got a cob on. "Seeing Jose Pekerman substitute James Rodriguez makes me think of Germany-Argentina 2006 when he took Riquelme off for Cambiasso," writes Kári Tulinius. "In case any football-bloody-hell happens and Uruguay score two goals in added time, it would be good to have Rodriguez on the field. But still, Uruguay aren't looking likely to score one right now, let alone two."

10.48pm BST

90 min: There will be three added minutes of this. Colombia are sitting back, and look in control.

10.48pm BST

88 min: Mejia slides in on Arevalo Rios. Free kick, 40 yards out. Ramirez, not for the first time, gives Ospina catching practice. Here's Pete Masters: "Having watched BrazilChile and thinking that England were a million miles from that standard, I go out to the bar and watch this match, as it turns out, next to a gaggle of loud, contented Columbians and a pair of glum Uruguayans, pretending to be Argentineans. Cant help thinking now that its a good job we came off second best to Uruguay. If wed been on the receiving end of Colombia, wed surely have gone home with an even bigger inferiority complex." Give it time, Mr Roy's got another two years to reduce expectation even further.

10.45pm BST

86 min: A final substitution for Colombia. The heroic Rodriguez makes way for Ramos.

10.44pm BST

85 min: From the corner, Godin guides a half-decent header wide right of the goal from 12 yards. How Italy will watch that and wonder. After the action, Godin gets involved in a shoving match with Yepes, who appears to like this sort of daft nonsense. The referee reminds the pair that everyone involved is over three years old, and we continue.

10.43pm BST

84 min: Ramirez hoicks a dismal free kick into the Colombian box from 40 yards out. Ospina wanders off his line, whistling, and claims. Easy. But he's thrown into serious action a few seconds later, when Uruguay come back at their opponents, Cavani lashing a fierce volley towards the bottom-left corner. The keeper, who has been fantastic tonight, tips round the post. Corner.

10.41pm BST

82 min: Uruguay attempt a little triangulation on the edge of the Colombia box. It doesn't come off, despite Cavani and Ramirez's best efforts, though Colombia took their time to interject and clear that. Nerves are beginning to kick in, by the looks of it. A Uruguayan goal now will really put the cat among the pigeons. "If we think that ITV's sense of moral outrage is bad here imagine what it'll be like for the Germany-Algeria game on Monday," shudders David Wall. "They've had 32 years to get wound up about that one."

10.39pm BST

80 min: Guarin comes on for Cuadrado.

10.39pm BST

79 min: A fairly aimless clank down the Uruguay right. But somehow, after a bit of pinball, it ends up at the feet of Maxi Pereira, clear in the area! He's never quite in control, though, and his attempted lift into the net is smothered by the outrushing Ospina. Hearts in mouths for Colombia.

10.37pm BST

77 min: Komik kutz here. Uruguay are trying to take a quick free kick down the right. Armero toe-punts the ball away. Problem is, Ramirez is coming in to blooter the set piece upfield. The ball gone, he connects with Armero's arse instead! Haw! A proper hoof up the trousers! That's a wonderful homage to the silent movies. Perfectly timed. Paul Merton could make an hour-long BBC Four documentary about that. Anyway, the yellow card comes out, for Armero, and also to Lugano on the bench, for excessive yap.

10.34pm BST

74 min: Stuani wins a throw down the right. He's been very busy. And Uruguay find the striker from the throw. His back's to goal, at the right-hand corner of the box. On the turn, he launches a strange looping shot towards the top left. It's dropping in, the ball flying along a glorious arc. Ospina, chasing back, tips over. Not 100% sure that was going in, but it wasn't far away. The corner, from the left, finds the head of Gimenez, who sends a lame effort miles wide left from the edge of the box.

10.31pm BST

72 min: Zuniga launches a cross into the Uruguayan area from the right. Martinez battles away at the far post, but can't get a run at the ball and misses. Goal kick. Another decent move, though, and Colombia not a million miles away from the goal that'd finish this.

10.29pm BST

70 min: Cavani, down the left, whips a cross to the far post for Stuani, who heads harmlessly wide right. The cross a little bit too high, in fairness to the substitute. "Is the Uruguayan team perhaps under the misimpression that the four-month ban on 'involvement in football' also applies to them?" quips Scott Martin, cracking wise while he can, with the scoreline remaining as it is.

10.27pm BST

69 min: But they've not shored it up very well, not instantly anyway. A free kick 25 yards out for Uruguay. A clever ball down the right channel from Ramirez forces Armero into conceding a corner. The set piece is eyebrowed just over the bar by Cavani, ludicrously left free on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. This isn't over quite yet.

10.26pm BST

68 min: Colombia respond by shoring it up, swapping striker Gutierrez for a defensive midfielder in Mejia.

10.25pm BST

66 min: The last throw of the dice from an increasingly desperate Oscar Tabarez: Hernandez for Gonzalez. "Colombia are so utterly going to finish third, aren't they?" writes Craig Smaaskjaer, staring into his crystal ball. "They are Sweden 1994. They are Croatia 1998. They are the plucky buccaneers, helmed by a balls mad and twinkly eyed genius bent on nothing but national glory and the acquisition of partaaay opportunities."

10.23pm BST

64 min: Cristian Rodriguez makes like a bomb down the inside left, then fires a heatseeker towards the bottom right. Ospina, at full stretch, parries magnificently. Uruguay's best effort. Their dander up, crosses are thrown in from both wings, right then left. Ospina punches the first clear, then smothers the ball from the second. This is better from Uruguay.

10.21pm BST

63 min: Gutierrez backflicks to release the excellent marauding full back Zuniga into the Uruguayan area. Godin slides in to concede a corner, else that'd have been a third goal. The set piece is banged clear by Maxi Pereira.

10.20pm BST

62 min: Cavani goes on a determined wander down the middle of the pitch, but he's got no support and soon enough is crowded out of it by four yellow shirts. "Forget Adrian Chiles's wounded sense of morality, the person I feel sorry for is Cavani," writes

Lee Dixon
David Wall. "He's sacrificed himself for Suarez for years, at times being played as a defensive centre-forward so that Suarez can be the focus of their attack, so much so that he's played himself out of the form he had at Napoli. At least for PSG Zlatan makes it worth his while."

10.18pm BST

59 min: Alrevalo Rios threads a low shot towards the bottom left corner from a position 25 yards out down the inside-right channel. It's a very decent effort, but one that's gathered well by Ospina. Colombia are very much in the ascendency here, but a Uruguayan goal would plant a few seeds of doubt. Remember: their last loss in competitive football came at the hands of Uruguay last year.

10.17pm BST

58 min: A frustrated Cavani stamps on the toes of Rodriguez. How petulant. The referee does nowt.

10.16pm BST

56 min: Gimenez is booked for Nigel de Jonging Guiterrez, 25 yards out. Rodriguez looks for his hat-trick goal, but for once his effort is devoid of wit, straight into the wall. "Thank God for Luis Suarez!" cries Gary Naylor, making a liar of me and the cast-iron GUARDIAN NO-SUAREZ GUARANTEE in the preamble. "England would have been on the end of this!"

10.13pm BST

54 min: Uruguay also have their concerns right now, of course. To this end, they replace Forlan and Alvaro Pereira with Stuani and Ramirez.

10.12pm BST

52 min: Uruguay haven't really done anything wrong, but they've conceded twice, blootered to a pulp by the first, impotently carved open by the second. Colombia are brilliant. Brazil - average Brazil - must be feeling very, very worried right now.

10.09pm BST

James Rodriguez is fast becoming the star of the 2014 World Cup. But this is a stunning team goal. The ball's shuttled right to left, three passes which find Armero free on the wing. He whips a deep cross to the far post, where Cuadrado heads back into the centre. Rodriguez is on hand to sweep home into an empty net, Muslera having left his position in the centre in a futile attempt to claim Armero's cross. That was staggeringly good football from Colombia, whose star man has five goals in the tournament now!

10.07pm BST

48 min: James Rodriguez with a free kick for Colombia down the left. Whipped in, and headed behind for a corner on the right that comes to nothing. "I, the greatest hero in Uruguayan football history, also applaud your silence on the recent unpleasantness. Yours, Alcides Ghiggiavitis." I don't even need to tell you whose email that is.

10.04pm BST

And we're off again! Colombia kick off, with Gutierrez, Martinez and Rodriguez running in a straight line down the middle in formation, with goalscoring intent. You don't see that too often. Uruguay aren't having any of it. They fly up the other end, Alvaro Pereira winning a corner down the left. It's sent straight into the hands of Ospina. A lively start to the half.

9.50pm BST

Half-time entertainment: Here's the legendary Uruguayan captain Obdulio Varela doing what Luis Suarez couldn't: brazenly working over an opposition player without shooting himself in both feet. (As told in the 1950 World Cup 'final' MBM from And Gazza Misses The Final, written by the excellent Rob Smyth and some other reprobate.)

28 min: O TAPA DE OBDULIO!!! URUGUAY'S CAPTAIN THROWS HANDS!!! Bigode has been tussling with Ghiggia down the right, and struggling to contain him, it has to be said. He's nudging the willowy winger in the back. Varela and Jair join in the tussle as the ball flies out for a throw. Varela takes a step towards Bigode and reaches to pat his opponent on the head, as he often does in matches. This time, however, he gives Bigode a little cuff round the ear! Bigode - the literal translation is Moustache - bristles at this. He's shaken by Varela's slap, as are the crowd. The referee demands the two players embrace, which they reluctantly do. Vuruguay colarela struts off talking loudly to himself, pulling at the front of his light-blue shirt with his fist, every inch the victor of that little spat. You sense he thinks he's put down some sort of marker and that the defender won't be so quick to foul Ghiggia again. Imagine being in Bigode's boots just there, with Varela - a man with biblical willpower and a face made of granite - approaching you, arm cocked, ready to clip you round the lug. Imagine the chill that would shoot down your spine.

9.49pm BST

And that's that for the half. Colombia just about the better side, though Uruguay finished it the stronger. Colombia are deservedly ahead, though, thanks to that shot by the ridiculously exciting James Rodriguez. That shot, looking again, just clipped the underside of the bar when it flew in. An absolute belter. "A thing of beauty when a volley goes in off the crossbar!" enthuses Ruth Purdue, who is very correct. Preach on, sister!

9.46pm BST

45 min: Colombia haven't done much lately. It's been all Uruguay, in fact. Looks like they'll be going in behind, but this is nicely balanced. We should have quite a second half to look forward to. "I've had a soft spot for Uruguay ever since Dario Rodriguez's ridiculously good volley from a corner in 2002," writes Matt Dony. "Being a Liverpool fan obviously adds further layers of emotion to my feelings towards the current crop. (Yes, I still like Suarez. What of it, Chiles?) If they're going to go out, though, it may as well be to that goal."

9.45pm BST

42 min: Forlan very nearly releases Maxi Pereira into the Colombian box with a clever reverse pass down the inside-right channel, but Armero steps in, having read the intention well. Then Forlan rakes a low ball down the left wing, and is inches away from sending Cavani clear on goal. But Zapata slides in to hook it away. More stunning defence. Why don't Uruguay always play like this? Forlan is dropping deep and causing a lot of trouble, his playmaker's hat wedged onto his turnip at a jaunty angle.

9.40pm BST

39 min: The corner's eventually taken from the left. It's headed on to Cristian Rodriguez, coming in from the right. He meets the ball first time and sends a rising volley towards the top left. Ospina parries brilliantly, and Cavani was lumbering in an offside position anyway. A terrible match up until the goal. Since then, it's been fantastic fun.

9.39pm BST

37 min: Space for Alvaro Pereira down the left. The low ball whipped in is bundled out for a corner. Before it's taken, Forlan and Yepes nearly start that brawl I was wondering about, the former blocked off by the latter in the move that led to the corner, the Uruguayan striker then shoving back. But the referee's over quickly to demand they simmer down.

9.37pm BST

35 min: Cavani sticks out a leg and upends Zuniga. A common or garden foul. Aguilar turns up and thinks about starting a fight with Cavani. The pair repeatedly slap each other on the hands and arms. Grown men, these two. Throw a proper punch that'll start an entertaining bench-emptying brawl, if it means that much to you, or get on with your jobs.

9.34pm BST

33 min: Uruguay have gone up the gears. Cristian Rodriguez runs towards the Colombian box with purpose, but is upended on his face. Cavani takes the free kick, 25 yards out in a reasonably central position. He whips it towards the top left, but it's a little bit too high. A decent response to going behind from Uruguay.

9.33pm BST

31 min: Uruguay's Rodriguez - Cristian - is in position to head home, ten yards out, level with the right-hand post. But Cavani's whipped cross from the left, a carbon copy of the one he sent in for Suarez against England, is headed out of play by Aguilar on the right. The corner's cleared. But that's better from Uruguay, who have to come out now.

9.31pm BST

30 min: Now Rodriguez whips in a cross from the right with the outside of his boot, and nearly finds Martinez. Muslera comes out and collects. Or was he going for the top left? You wouldn't put it past him.

9.30pm BST

Well this came out of nowhere, and it is utterly brilliant! Colombia ping the ball around awhile in front of a solid light-blue line. Uruguay clear. The ball's headed back towards the area. Rodriguez, his back to goal, 30 yards out, chests down, turns, and meets the dropping ball, lashing an unstoppable volley into the top-left corner. That was in from the moment it left his boot. An absolute stunner!

9.27pm BST

26 min: A defiant atmosphere in the stadium, given how poor this game has been so far. Bedlam, bedlam, bedlam.

9.26pm BST

23 min: From a free kick 30 yards out, just down the left, the incredibly adventurous Zuniga has a lash. Nope! But Colombia are on top here, without quite threatening the Uruguayan goal. "Herr Murray," begins Mac Millings, so you know what's coming. And what's coming is nonsense. "We Germans are 100% behind your decision not to mention the infamous biting incident in today's text-based commentary. Yours, Mats Gummels." And five minutes later, he sends this. "Olá, Scott, We, the people of Brasil, also back you in your quest not to mention the quasi-cannibalistic act of a few days ago. Best wishes, Edson Arantes do Gnashimento." I know I shouldn't encourage him. But he's got needy eyes, like

Luis Suarez
Old Shep.

9.24pm BST

20 min: Cuadrado slips Zuniga into space down the right. His low cross is hacked out of play for a throw, which is upgraded off Godin for a corner. Colombia attempt that corner Manchester United tried against Chelsea a few seasons back - Inverness Caley Thistle attempted it last season too, though I forget who against - when one player pretends to place the ball in the quadrant, but taps it into play. Zuniga taps, then walks off. Rodriguez then walks over, pretending he's about to take, before dribbling with purpose towards the area. The officials pull him back. Bah. That's always a great move to watch. Anyway, the resulting corner is useless, which is just as well, because I've gone on a bit there.

9.23pm BST

9.20pm BST

18 min: Godin goes long, raking a high ball down the inside-left channel for Cavani to chase. The striker's got the jump on Zapata, and reaches the box first, but he can't quite take down the pass, which had a little too much juice on it.

9.19pm BST

16 min: Olé! Olé! Olé! It's all Colombia at the moment, and everyone in the Maracana seems very happy about it. Passing it around a lot. Ping, ping, ping. They're enjoying 71% of the possession. But not really going anywhere right now. Uruguay seem happy enough too.

9.16pm BST

14 min: Forlan has a pop from distance. He falls over while doing so, and the ball just about stays in Rio. Not a classic yet, this. Plenty of time to go. "ITV are all wrong," begins Hannah, who could have left it there and got an A+, but adds: "It's impossible to dislike Uruguay now that they've replaced their pantomime villain with Diego Forlán, who has to be one of the most likeable men in the entire tournament. I'm supporting Colombia, mind, but the romantic in me still wants Forlán and his beautiful blond curls to do something heroic. That man has the hair of a champion."

9.13pm BST

12 min: The right-back Zuniga is sent on a romp down the middle by a pass from deep-lying striker Martinez. Total football. Zuniga's shot from 30 yards flies straight at Muslera, who makes a song and dance of gathering, but manages it in the end. "Jeesy peeps, Scott," begins Simon McMahon. "Saw Elbow at Glastonbury last night, watched 'When Andy Won Wimbledon' this morning, Brasil win on penalties this afternoon, now Old Shep on the MBM. I'm an emotional wreck already. And happy birthday Evie McMahon too, 16 today. Well yesterday actually, but hey, it's the weekend. Who cares?"

9.11pm BST

10 min: Uruguay show a little something up front for the first time. Forlan hoicks a free kick from near the halfway line into the box. Cleared. But Uruguay come back at Colombia, and win a throw down the left. Alvaro Pereira Gary Nevilles one into the area, but Zapata heads clear. It's not particularly creative, but it's something.

9.09pm BST

7 min: Martinez skitters down the left channel. Cavani, chasing back, bowls him over 40 yards from goal. Miles out, but Cuadrado has a belt anyway. It's a fizzing effort, and clatters off the head of Yepes, up and over the crossbar. The defender, up to cause trouble at the free kick, was offside anyway. But Colombia have started well. And they're also surrounding the referee every time they're fouled, reminding the referee of Uruguay's reputation, and hoping a card comes out.

9.06pm BST

5 min: The excellent Rodriguez picks up where he left off against Japan: going for goal. He curls the free kick towards the top left. Muslera flicks away. Decent effort.

9.05pm BST

4 min: Cuadrado embarks on a determined run down the inside-right channel. His face hit the floor just outside the area, Alvaro Pereira the guilty man. Free kick in a very dangerous position, reward for the first positive act of the match.

9.04pm BST

2 min: A slow start, with both teams taking a feel of the ball. Enough time to point out that ITV's anti-Uruguayan riff has gotten really old. Already. Anchorman Adrian Chiles has been slagging them off since the start of the programme, in the style of the half-cut blowhard propped up at the bar who's best given a wide berth on the way to the lavvy. And now Andy Townsend is banging on about how nobody likes them. We get it, their striker did a bad thing. Can we move on? You wouldn't have caught Brian Moore braying on like this.

9.00pm BST

And we're off! The winners of this second-round tie will face Brazil in the quarters. You'd have to say that on the evidence of today's earlier match, whoever wins here should be the favourites. Brazil don't look like World Cup winners at all. Neymar's going to have to Maradona them to the title. Anyway, never mind that. Uruguay get the ball rolling. As you'd expect, there's a hell of an atmosphere in the Maracanã. If this is half the game Brazil-Chile was, we're in for a treat.

8.57pm BST

The teams are out! Colombia are in their shimmering yellow with fashionable blue-and-black sash, while Uruguay sport their famous light blue. To the anthems! And what a brilliant pair of ditties these are. Uruguays is a rare old production, all the stops pulled out. The full version lasts six minutes! A military strut which occasionally segues into full-on sassy sashay, it's rather more than just your bog-standard march. Its the sound of a country going for it! Its the sound of a country not stopping to think twice! Its the sound of a country saying: its on!!!

This sacred gift, of glory we've deserved: tyrants tremble!

8.41pm BST

Touching scenes in the Uruguayan dressing room. He's gone. But they've still laid out his kit.

8.07pm BST

Colombia, who let the reserves enjoy a run-out against Japan, name ten of the 11 who beat Ivory Coast to secure qualification. The striker Jackson Martinez, who scored twice in the 4-1 win over Japan, replaces midfielder Victor Ibarbo: Ospina, Zuniga, Zapata, Yepes, Armero, Aguilar, Sanchez Moreno, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Martinez, Gutierrez.
Subs: Vargas, Arias, Carbonero, Guarin, Ibarbo, Mejia, Balanta, Bacca, Ramos, Quintero, Valdes, Mondragon.

Uruguay's veteran striker Diego Forlan, 35, fills the gap left by You Know Who, while Maximiliano Pereira returns in place of Nicolas Lodeiro: Muslera, Maxi Pereira, Gimenez, Godin, Caceres, Pereira, Gonzalez, Arevalo Rios, Rodriguez, Cavani,

Suarez
Forlan.
Subs: Munoz, Fucile, Gargano, Hernandez, Stuani, Lodeiro, Perez, Ramirez, Coates, Silva.

7.30pm BST

Oh Luis, Luis, Luis. What have you done? Been a silly sausage, thats what! You sank in the incisors*, and that was the end of your World Cup, packed off home in disgrace, given four months to think on. Shame, shame, shame. And so very sad.

The gleeful nature of the resulting pile-on has been difficult to comprehend. Yes, the man deserves some sort of ban, and plenty of the opprobrium sent his way too. And cut slack was always going to be in short supply: he'd given plenty of folk good reason to dislike him in the past, by playing silly buggers, so no surprise a few are taking the opportunity to hoover up a wee toot of that most irresistible drug, schadenfreude. But even so. Proportion, please! Bottom line is, were all missing out as a result of this nonsense: one of the best players in the world wont be strutting his stuff at the peak of his powers at this World Cup. Imagine if the crafty so-and-so had ended up facing Brazil, with the ghosts of 1950 swirling around! What a story that encounter would have provided: a brand-new World Cup legend almost a nailed-on guarantee. Instead all weve got is some tawdry controversy. How terribly modern. How terribly depressing. Nobody's fault but his own, I guess, but still, what a waste. No place for Suarez in the Uruguayan World Cup pantheon alongside Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Alcides Ghiggia and Obdulio Varela (who would have dealt with Giorgio Chiellini by giving him a sharp clip around the ear, and got away with it too, but that's another story). Just a shame, is all, that well be left forever wondering. Oh Luis!

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 28, 2014 14:54

Colombia v Uruguay: World Cup 2014 live!

World Cup second-round game in Rio de Janeiro
Colombia top the group stage power rankings
Relive the 1950 Maracanaço with this!
Email your thoughts to scott.murray@theguardian.com

10.45pm BST

86 min: A final substitution for Colombia. The heroic Rodriguez makes way for Ramos.

10.44pm BST

85 min: From the corner, Godin guides a half-decent header wide right of the goal from 12 yards. How Italy will watch that and wonder. After the action, Godin gets involved in a shoving match with Yepes, who appears to like this sort of daft nonsense. The referee reminds the pair that everyone involved is over three years old, and we continue.

10.43pm BST

84 min: Ramirez hoicks a dismal free kick into the Colombian box from 40 yards out. Ospina wanders off his line, whistling, and claims. Easy. But he's thrown into serious action a few seconds later, when Uruguay come back at their opponents, Cavani lashing a fierce volley towards the bottom-left corner. The keeper, who has been fantastic tonight, tips round the post. Corner.

10.41pm BST

82 min: Uruguay attempt a little triangulation on the edge of the Colombia box. It doesn't come off, despite Cavani and Ramirez's best efforts, though Colombia took their time to interject and clear that. Nerves are beginning to kick in, by the looks of it. A Uruguayan goal now will really put the cat among the pigeons. "If we think that ITV's sense of moral outrage is bad here imagine what it'll be like for the Germany-Algeria game on Monday," shudders David Wall. "They've had 32 years to get wound up about that one."

10.39pm BST

80 min: Guarin comes on for Cuadrado.

10.39pm BST

79 min: A fairly aimless clank down the Uruguay right. But somehow, after a bit of pinball, it ends up at the feet of Maxi Pereira, clear in the area! He's never quite in control, though, and his attempted lift into the net is smothered by the outrushing Ospina. Hearts in mouths for Colombia.

10.37pm BST

77 min: Komik kutz here. Uruguay are trying to take a quick free kick down the right. Armero toe-punts the ball away. Problem is, Ramirez is coming in to blooter the set piece upfield. The ball gone, he connects with Armero's arse instead! Haw! A proper hoof up the trousers! That's a wonderful homage to the silent movies. Perfectly timed. Paul Merton could make an hour-long BBC Four documentary about that. Anyway, the yellow card comes out, for Armero, and also to Lugano on the bench, for excessive yap.

10.34pm BST

74 min: Stuani wins a throw down the right. He's been very busy. And Uruguay find the striker from the throw. His back's to goal, at the right-hand corner of the box. On the turn, he launches a strange looping shot towards the top left. It's dropping in, the ball flying along a glorious arc. Ospina, chasing back, tips over. Not 100% sure that was going in, but it wasn't far away. The corner, from the left, finds the head of Gimenez, who sends a lame effort miles wide left from the edge of the box.

10.31pm BST

72 min: Zuniga launches a cross into the Uruguayan area from the right. Martinez battles away at the far post, but can't get a run at the ball and misses. Goal kick. Another decent move, though, and Colombia not a million miles away from the goal that'd finish this.

10.29pm BST

70 min: Cavani, down the left, whips a cross to the far post for Stuani, who heads harmlessly wide right. The cross a little bit too high, in fairness to the substitute. "Is the Uruguayan team perhaps under the misimpression that the four-month ban on 'involvement in football' also applies to them?" quips Scott Martin, cracking wise while he can, with the scoreline remaining as it is.

10.27pm BST

69 min: But they've not shored it up very well, not instantly anyway. A free kick 25 yards out for Uruguay. A clever ball down the right channel from Ramirez forces Armero into conceding a corner. The set piece is eyebrowed just over the bar by Cavani, ludicrously left free on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. This isn't over quite yet.

10.26pm BST

68 min: Colombia respond by shoring it up, swapping striker Gutierrez for a defensive midfielder in Mejia.

10.25pm BST

66 min: The last throw of the dice from an increasingly desperate Oscar Tabarez: Hernandez for Gonzalez. "Colombia are so utterly going to finish third, aren't they?" writes Craig Smaaskjaer, staring into his crystal ball. "They are Sweden 1994. They are Croatia 1998. They are the plucky buccaneers, helmed by a balls mad and twinkly eyed genius bent on nothing but national glory and the acquisition of partaaay opportunities."

10.23pm BST

64 min: Cristian Rodriguez makes like a bomb down the inside left, then fires a heatseeker towards the bottom right. Ospina, at full stretch, parries magnificently. Uruguay's best effort. Their dander up, crosses are thrown in from both wings, right then left. Ospina punches the first clear, then smothers the ball from the second. This is better from Uruguay.

10.21pm BST

63 min: Gutierrez backflicks to release the excellent marauding full back Zuniga into the Uruguayan area. Godin slides in to concede a corner, else that'd have been a third goal. The set piece is banged clear by Maxi Pereira.

10.20pm BST

62 min: Cavani goes on a determined wander down the middle of the pitch, but he's got no support and soon enough is crowded out of it by four yellow shirts. "Forget Adrian Chiles's wounded sense of morality, the person I feel sorry for is Cavani," writes

Lee Dixon
David Wall. "He's sacrificed himself for Suarez for years, at times being played as a defensive centre-forward so that Suarez can be the focus of their attack, so much so that he's played himself out of the form he had at Napoli. At least for PSG Zlatan makes it worth his while."

10.18pm BST

59 min: Alrevalo Rios threads a low shot towards the bottom left corner from a position 25 yards out down the inside-right channel. It's a very decent effort, but one that's gathered well by Ospina. Colombia are very much in the ascendency here, but a Uruguayan goal would plant a few seeds of doubt. Remember: their last loss in competitive football came at the hands of Uruguay last year.

10.17pm BST

58 min: A frustrated Cavani stamps on the toes of Rodriguez. How petulant. The referee does nowt.

10.16pm BST

56 min: Gimenez is booked for Nigel de Jonging Guiterrez, 25 yards out. Rodriguez looks for his hat-trick goal, but for once his effort is devoid of wit, straight into the wall. "Thank God for Luis Suarez!" cries Gary Naylor, making a liar of me and the cast-iron GUARDIAN NO-SUAREZ GUARANTEE in the preamble. "England would have been on the end of this!"

10.13pm BST

54 min: Uruguay also have their concerns right now, of course. To this end, they replace Forlan and Alvaro Pereira with Stuani and Ramirez.

10.12pm BST

52 min: Uruguay haven't really done anything wrong, but they've conceded twice, blootered to a pulp by the first, impotently carved open by the second. Colombia are brilliant. Brazil - average Brazil - must be feeling very, very worried right now.

10.09pm BST

James Rodriguez is fast becoming the star of the 2014 World Cup. But this is a stunning team goal. The ball's shuttled right to left, three passes which find Armero free on the wing. He whips a deep cross to the far post, where Cuadrado heads back into the centre. Rodriguez is on hand to sweep home into an empty net, Muslera having left his position in the centre in a futile attempt to claim Armero's cross. That was staggeringly good football from Colombia, whose star man has five goals in the tournament now!

10.07pm BST

48 min: James Rodriguez with a free kick for Colombia down the left. Whipped in, and headed behind for a corner on the right that comes to nothing. "I, the greatest hero in Uruguayan football history, also applaud your silence on the recent unpleasantness. Yours, Alcides Ghiggiavitis." I don't even need to tell you whose email that is.

10.04pm BST

And we're off again! Colombia kick off, with Gutierrez, Martinez and Rodriguez running in a straight line down the middle in formation, with goalscoring intent. You don't see that too often. Uruguay aren't having any of it. They fly up the other end, Alvaro Pereira winning a corner down the left. It's sent straight into the hands of Ospina. A lively start to the half.

9.50pm BST

Half-time entertainment: Here's the legendary Uruguayan captain Obdulio Varela doing what Luis Suarez couldn't: brazenly working over an opposition player without shooting himself in both feet. (As told in the 1950 World Cup 'final' MBM from And Gazza Misses The Final, written by the excellent Rob Smyth and some other reprobate.)

28 min: O TAPA DE OBDULIO!!! URUGUAY'S CAPTAIN THROWS HANDS!!! Bigode has been tussling with Ghiggia down the right, and struggling to contain him, it has to be said. He's nudging the willowy winger in the back. Varela and Jair join in the tussle as the ball flies out for a throw. Varela takes a step towards Bigode and reaches to pat his opponent on the head, as he often does in matches. This time, however, he gives Bigode a little cuff round the ear! Bigode - the literal translation is Moustache - bristles at this. He's shaken by Varela's slap, as are the crowd. The referee demands the two players embrace, which they reluctantly do. Vuruguay colarela struts off talking loudly to himself, pulling at the front of his light-blue shirt with his fist, every inch the victor of that little spat. You sense he thinks he's put down some sort of marker and that the defender won't be so quick to foul Ghiggia again. Imagine being in Bigode's boots just there, with Varela - a man with biblical willpower and a face made of granite - approaching you, arm cocked, ready to clip you round the lug. Imagine the chill that would shoot down your spine.

9.49pm BST

And that's that for the half. Colombia just about the better side, though Uruguay finished it the stronger. Colombia are deservedly ahead, though, thanks to that shot by the ridiculously exciting James Rodriguez. That shot, looking again, just clipped the underside of the bar when it flew in. An absolute belter. "A thing of beauty when a volley goes in off the crossbar!" enthuses Ruth Purdue, who is very correct. Preach on, sister!

9.46pm BST

45 min: Colombia haven't done much lately. It's been all Uruguay, in fact. Looks like they'll be going in behind, but this is nicely balanced. We should have quite a second half to look forward to. "I've had a soft spot for Uruguay ever since Dario Rodriguez's ridiculously good volley from a corner in 2002," writes Matt Dony. "Being a Liverpool fan obviously adds further layers of emotion to my feelings towards the current crop. (Yes, I still like Suarez. What of it, Chiles?) If they're going to go out, though, it may as well be to that goal."

9.45pm BST

42 min: Forlan very nearly releases Maxi Pereira into the Colombian box with a clever reverse pass down the inside-right channel, but Armero steps in, having read the intention well. Then Forlan rakes a low ball down the left wing, and is inches away from sending Cavani clear on goal. But Zapata slides in to hook it away. More stunning defence. Why don't Uruguay always play like this? Forlan is dropping deep and causing a lot of trouble, his playmaker's hat wedged onto his turnip at a jaunty angle.

9.40pm BST

39 min: The corner's eventually taken from the left. It's headed on to Cristian Rodriguez, coming in from the right. He meets the ball first time and sends a rising volley towards the top left. Ospina parries brilliantly, and Cavani was lumbering in an offside position anyway. A terrible match up until the goal. Since then, it's been fantastic fun.

9.39pm BST

37 min: Space for Alvaro Pereira down the left. The low ball whipped in is bundled out for a corner. Before it's taken, Forlan and Yepes nearly start that brawl I was wondering about, the former blocked off by the latter in the move that led to the corner, the Uruguayan striker then shoving back. But the referee's over quickly to demand they simmer down.

9.37pm BST

35 min: Cavani sticks out a leg and upends Zuniga. A common or garden foul. Aguilar turns up and thinks about starting a fight with Cavani. The pair repeatedly slap each other on the hands and arms. Grown men, these two. Throw a proper punch that'll start an entertaining bench-emptying brawl, if it means that much to you, or get on with your jobs.

9.34pm BST

33 min: Uruguay have gone up the gears. Cristian Rodriguez runs towards the Colombian box with purpose, but is upended on his face. Cavani takes the free kick, 25 yards out in a reasonably central position. He whips it towards the top left, but it's a little bit too high. A decent response to going behind from Uruguay.

9.33pm BST

31 min: Uruguay's Rodriguez - Cristian - is in position to head home, ten yards out, level with the right-hand post. But Cavani's whipped cross from the left, a carbon copy of the one he sent in for Suarez against England, is headed out of play by Aguilar on the right. The corner's cleared. But that's better from Uruguay, who have to come out now.

9.31pm BST

30 min: Now Rodriguez whips in a cross from the right with the outside of his boot, and nearly finds Martinez. Muslera comes out and collects. Or was he going for the top left? You wouldn't put it past him.

9.30pm BST

Well this came out of nowhere, and it is utterly brilliant! Colombia ping the ball around awhile in front of a solid light-blue line. Uruguay clear. The ball's headed back towards the area. Rodriguez, his back to goal, 30 yards out, chests down, turns, and meets the dropping ball, lashing an unstoppable volley into the top-left corner. That was in from the moment it left his boot. An absolute stunner!

9.27pm BST

26 min: A defiant atmosphere in the stadium, given how poor this game has been so far. Bedlam, bedlam, bedlam.

9.26pm BST

23 min: From a free kick 30 yards out, just down the left, the incredibly adventurous Zuniga has a lash. Nope! But Colombia are on top here, without quite threatening the Uruguayan goal. "Herr Murray," begins Mac Millings, so you know what's coming. And what's coming is nonsense. "We Germans are 100% behind your decision not to mention the infamous biting incident in today's text-based commentary. Yours, Mats Gummels." And five minutes later, he sends this. "Olá, Scott, We, the people of Brasil, also back you in your quest not to mention the quasi-cannibalistic act of a few days ago. Best wishes, Edson Arantes do Gnashimento." I know I shouldn't encourage him. But he's got needy eyes, like

Luis Suarez
Old Shep.

9.24pm BST

20 min: Cuadrado slips Zuniga into space down the right. His low cross is hacked out of play for a throw, which is upgraded off Godin for a corner. Colombia attempt that corner Manchester United tried against Chelsea a few seasons back - Inverness Caley Thistle attempted it last season too, though I forget who against - when one player pretends to place the ball in the quadrant, but taps it into play. Zuniga taps, then walks off. Rodriguez then walks over, pretending he's about to take, before dribbling with purpose towards the area. The officials pull him back. Bah. That's always a great move to watch. Anyway, the resulting corner is useless, which is just as well, because I've gone on a bit there.

9.23pm BST

9.20pm BST

18 min: Godin goes long, raking a high ball down the inside-left channel for Cavani to chase. The striker's got the jump on Zapata, and reaches the box first, but he can't quite take down the pass, which had a little too much juice on it.

9.19pm BST

16 min: Olé! Olé! Olé! It's all Colombia at the moment, and everyone in the Maracana seems very happy about it. Passing it around a lot. Ping, ping, ping. They're enjoying 71% of the possession. But not really going anywhere right now. Uruguay seem happy enough too.

9.16pm BST

14 min: Forlan has a pop from distance. He falls over while doing so, and the ball just about stays in Rio. Not a classic yet, this. Plenty of time to go. "ITV are all wrong," begins Hannah, who could have left it there and got an A+, but adds: "It's impossible to dislike Uruguay now that they've replaced their pantomime villain with Diego Forlán, who has to be one of the most likeable men in the entire tournament. I'm supporting Colombia, mind, but the romantic in me still wants Forlán and his beautiful blond curls to do something heroic. That man has the hair of a champion."

9.13pm BST

12 min: The right-back Zuniga is sent on a romp down the middle by a pass from deep-lying striker Martinez. Total football. Zuniga's shot from 30 yards flies straight at Muslera, who makes a song and dance of gathering, but manages it in the end. "Jeesy peeps, Scott," begins Simon McMahon. "Saw Elbow at Glastonbury last night, watched 'When Andy Won Wimbledon' this morning, Brasil win on penalties this afternoon, now Old Shep on the MBM. I'm an emotional wreck already. And happy birthday Evie McMahon too, 16 today. Well yesterday actually, but hey, it's the weekend. Who cares?"

9.11pm BST

10 min: Uruguay show a little something up front for the first time. Forlan hoicks a free kick from near the halfway line into the box. Cleared. But Uruguay come back at Colombia, and win a throw down the left. Alvaro Pereira Gary Nevilles one into the area, but Zapata heads clear. It's not particularly creative, but it's something.

9.09pm BST

7 min: Martinez skitters down the left channel. Cavani, chasing back, bowls him over 40 yards from goal. Miles out, but Cuadrado has a belt anyway. It's a fizzing effort, and clatters off the head of Yepes, up and over the crossbar. The defender, up to cause trouble at the free kick, was offside anyway. But Colombia have started well. And they're also surrounding the referee every time they're fouled, reminding the referee of Uruguay's reputation, and hoping a card comes out.

9.06pm BST

5 min: The excellent Rodriguez picks up where he left off against Japan: going for goal. He curls the free kick towards the top left. Muslera flicks away. Decent effort.

9.05pm BST

4 min: Cuadrado embarks on a determined run down the inside-right channel. His face hit the floor just outside the area, Alvaro Pereira the guilty man. Free kick in a very dangerous position, reward for the first positive act of the match.

9.04pm BST

2 min: A slow start, with both teams taking a feel of the ball. Enough time to point out that ITV's anti-Uruguayan riff has gotten really old. Already. Anchorman Adrian Chiles has been slagging them off since the start of the programme, in the style of the half-cut blowhard propped up at the bar who's best given a wide berth on the way to the lavvy. And now Andy Townsend is banging on about how nobody likes them. We get it, their striker did a bad thing. Can we move on? You wouldn't have caught Brian Moore braying on like this.

9.00pm BST

And we're off! The winners of this second-round tie will face Brazil in the quarters. You'd have to say that on the evidence of today's earlier match, whoever wins here should be the favourites. Brazil don't look like World Cup winners at all. Neymar's going to have to Maradona them to the title. Anyway, never mind that. Uruguay get the ball rolling. As you'd expect, there's a hell of an atmosphere in the Maracanã. If this is half the game Brazil-Chile was, we're in for a treat.

8.57pm BST

The teams are out! Colombia are in their shimmering yellow with fashionable blue-and-black sash, while Uruguay sport their famous light blue. To the anthems! And what a brilliant pair of ditties these are. Uruguays is a rare old production, all the stops pulled out. The full version lasts six minutes! A military strut which occasionally segues into full-on sassy sashay, it's rather more than just your bog-standard march. Its the sound of a country going for it! Its the sound of a country not stopping to think twice! Its the sound of a country saying: its on!!!

This sacred gift, of glory we've deserved: tyrants tremble!

8.41pm BST

Touching scenes in the Uruguayan dressing room. He's gone. But they've still laid out his kit.

8.07pm BST

Colombia, who let the reserves enjoy a run-out against Japan, name ten of the 11 who beat Ivory Coast to secure qualification. The striker Jackson Martinez, who scored twice in the 4-1 win over Japan, replaces midfielder Victor Ibarbo: Ospina, Zuniga, Zapata, Yepes, Armero, Aguilar, Sanchez Moreno, Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Martinez, Gutierrez.
Subs: Vargas, Arias, Carbonero, Guarin, Ibarbo, Mejia, Balanta, Bacca, Ramos, Quintero, Valdes, Mondragon.

Uruguay's veteran striker Diego Forlan, 35, fills the gap left by You Know Who, while Maximiliano Pereira returns in place of Nicolas Lodeiro: Muslera, Maxi Pereira, Gimenez, Godin, Caceres, Pereira, Gonzalez, Arevalo Rios, Rodriguez, Cavani,

Suarez
Forlan.
Subs: Munoz, Fucile, Gargano, Hernandez, Stuani, Lodeiro, Perez, Ramirez, Coates, Silva.

7.30pm BST

Oh Luis, Luis, Luis. What have you done? Been a silly sausage, thats what! You sank in the incisors*, and that was the end of your World Cup, packed off home in disgrace, given four months to think on. Shame, shame, shame. And so very sad.

The gleeful nature of the resulting pile-on has been difficult to comprehend. Yes, the man deserves some sort of ban, and plenty of the opprobrium sent his way too. And cut slack was always going to be in short supply: he'd given plenty of folk good reason to dislike him in the past, by playing silly buggers, so no surprise a few are taking the opportunity to hoover up a wee toot of that most irresistible drug, schadenfreude. But even so. Proportion, please! Bottom line is, were all missing out as a result of this nonsense: one of the best players in the world wont be strutting his stuff at the peak of his powers at this World Cup. Imagine if the crafty so-and-so had ended up facing Brazil, with the ghosts of 1950 swirling around! What a story that encounter would have provided: a brand-new World Cup legend almost a nailed-on guarantee. Instead all weve got is some tawdry controversy. How terribly modern. How terribly depressing. Nobody's fault but his own, I guess, but still, what a waste. No place for Suarez in the Uruguayan World Cup pantheon alongside Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Alcides Ghiggia and Obdulio Varela (who would have dealt with Giorgio Chiellini by giving him a sharp clip around the ear, and got away with it too, but that's another story). Just a shame, is all, that well be left forever wondering. Oh Luis!

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 28, 2014 14:45

Algeria v Russia: World Cup 2014 as it happened | Scott Murray

Algeria deservedly make it out of the group stages at last, 32 years after West Germany and Austria denied them in Gijón at España 82

10.52pm BST

32 years and one day of hurt never stopped them dreaming! Algeria have finally made it to the second round of a World Cup! It was a thoroughly deserved result, too, responding to Russia's fine performance in the first half with an equally impressive one in the second. They kept plugging away, pinging their passes around without ever becoming desperate, and earned the equaliser their play deserved with plenty of time to spare. Whereupon they shut up shop magnificently. A small bit of controversy (copyright the 2010s) as Akinfeev appears to have had a green laser pointer trained on him just before the goal, but that's no excuse for him to start running around flapping like George Costanza in The Puerto Rican Day. This is all about Algeria, who progress from the group stage at last. Their second-round opponents, 32 years after West Germany and Austria denied them in Gijón at España 82? Why, Germany of course!

10.51pm BST

90 min +3: Algeria are buying free kicks in the middle of the park, it's very clever play. Russia have lost their discipline. This is surely over.

10.51pm BST

90 min +2: There will be one more minute of added time, thanks to those touchline shenanigans.

10.50pm BST

90 min +1: Slimani makes way, very slowly, for Soudani. At the restart, M'Bolhi nervously hacks the ball out of play on the left. It nestles in the Algerian dugout, and one of the chaps within hoicks the ball into the crowd! It's Cadamuro! He's booked.

10.48pm BST

90 min: There will be three added minutes.

10.47pm BST

89 min: Whistles pinging off the stands. It's all Russia. Algeria are holding a firm white-and-green line across the front of their area. Kombarov romps down the left and wins a corner. Samedov flips it into the area, and Kozlov heads wide right. He's been fouling, anyway, and the whistle goes. "Lev Gnashing," suggests Peter Nockolds from Moscow, while he can, while Russia is still relevant.

10.45pm BST

87 min: Ghilas is booked for an astonishingly agricultural lunge on Kombarov down the Russian left, level with the front of the box. It's a free kick in a very dangerous position. You can feel the tension halfway around the world. You can certainly hear the whistles. Kanunnikov lumps a hopeless ball straight down M'Bolhi's throat. The keeper couldn't have asked for anything more. What abject uselessness from Russia.

10.43pm BST

85 min: Algeria are, quite understandably having waited 32 years for this, are sitting back, keeping what they have. It's therefore attack versus defence. Russia aren't doing much with all the possession. They keep pinging the ball around, only for an Algerian boot to interject and skelp it back upfield.

10.42pm BST

84 min: Belgium are 1-0 up against South Korea now. What a game that sounds like. It's good news for both Algeria and Russia, though, as it categorically writes South Korea out of the picture. They're doing one! Russia, of course, still need a goal themselves, but this pretty much ensures things won't get complicated.

10.40pm BST

82 min: Russia waste a corner from the left by blootering it straight through the Algerian box and out of play. On the touchline, Capello wears a look best described as pensive.

10.39pm BST

81 min: The last roll of the dice by Fabio Capello, who replaces Kerzhakov with Kanunnikov.

10.38pm BST

80 min: Nothing's really coming off for either side right now. Russia try to spring Kokorin into the area down the centre of the park, but the striker miscontrols. Then Kozlov takes a throw deep in his own half, and steals so many yards the referee awards one to Algeria instead. Everyone's noggin has gone, as the business end of this match approaches.

10.36pm BST

77 min: Ghilas comes on for Yebda. "Bench-emptying brawls (66 min) will be coming in the next few rounds," promises Paulo Padilha, "as South American teams play each other. They'll be getting into what we in Brazil like to call 'the Libertadores spirit', which involves some rough tackling, lots of complaining, and the inevitable punch-up around the 88th minute." This is music to my ears. I can hardly sit still now.

10.34pm BST

76 min: Space for Samedov down the right, where Russia have been enjoying themselves against the booked Mesbah. His low cross nearly finds Kerzhakov, but is deflected behind the striker and hoofed clear. Time is running out for the 2018 hosts, but they're not betraying any feelings of desperation yet. They keep plugging away.

10.33pm BST

73 min: Feghouli in a little space down the inside-right channel. He sends a rising shot towards the top right, from a tight angle. Akinfeev parries, and claims, but he really isn't looking too steady. "That half-time list. Shouldn't it have come from Mac Fillings?" Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Tracy Mohr! Try the fluoride.

10.28pm BST

71 min: Brahimi goes off, with Yebda coming on.

10.28pm BST

70 min: Kerzhakov has been very lively down this right channel. He drops a shoulder as he enters the box, and launches a low heatseeker towards the bottom left. M'Bolhi gets down to smother well. That was a very decent shot. This game is far from over. It's providing excellent drama.

10.26pm BST

68 min: Dzagoev is on for every schoolchild's favourite, Shatov.

10.26pm BST

66 min: Kokorin goes up with M'Bolhi. The keeper crumbles to the ground as if dead. He is not dead. Kokorin attempts to pick him to the floor, and there's a minor brouhaha, but it's over as quickly as it begins. Shame, I do enjoy a good donnybrook. What I'd give for a bench-emptying brawl in this World Cup. The Suarez controversy just doesn't energise me one bit. Bench-emptying brawl, please, everyone! Preferably featuring one or two heavyweight haymakers, but I'll settle for a few rough slaps. Anyway, I digress.

10.22pm BST

64 min: Djabou cuts inside from the left and has a good old whack. The shot's straight at Akinfeev, who makes a light snack, if not a meal, of repelling. "Can I nominate Jim M(a)cLean(s) as manager of the Biters XI," writes Simon McMahon, squeezing every last drop out of this particular tube. And bringing things back to Dundee United, as usual.

10.21pm BST

62 min: Fayzulin, 25 yards out to the right of the D, looks for the bottom left with a fizzer. It's a fine, clean strike, and M'Bolhi fumbles. The ball rebounds a good ten yards away from the keeper, but he does well to spring up and smother before Kerzhakov can have a whack at goal. Meanwhile James Arrandale would like some of that hot half-time Millings action. Here's the latest biting satire:

10.18pm BST

The free kick's effectively a corner on the left. Djabou loops it to the far post. Akinfeev comes out to claim, but flaps, his second rick of the tournament after his misdemeanour against South Korea. Slimani is up, and heads into the unguarded net. Algeria are bound for the second round right now!

10.17pm BST

59 min: Both Russian full backs are in the book now. Kozlov is rightly shown the yellow card for some light rugby-union shenanigans on Djabou down the left. Another free kick in a dangerous position. From which ...

10.16pm BST

58 min: Kombarov is booked for a cynical tug on Feghouli down the right. The free kick's whipped to the far post, where Slimani heads weakly goalwards, Kombarov having made a nuisance of himself.

10.14pm BST

56 min: Oh Mandi! A Barry Manilow earworm for you there, and news of a stunning cross from the Algerian full back, who chases a lost cause down the right and manages to whip a cross into the middle seconds before it rolls out of play. Slimani is ready to head home from ten yards, but Ignashevich eyebrows away at the death. Brilliant defending, or Algeria were level.

10.12pm BST

54 min: Kerzhakov in a lot of space down the right. Algeria are playing a dangerous game here. He zips into the area and flicks a ball inside with a view to finding Kokorin, but Belkalem clears. The Africans are not the model of solidity right now. Another goal, and you'd imagine they'd be going home after the first round yet again.

10.09pm BST

51 min: Algeria look a bit light at the back, perhaps rolling the dice a bit too soon. No need to get desperate yet. Kerzhakov sashays in from the right and launches a shot that's deflected off Medjani's back and out of play on the left for a corner. The set piece nearly finds its way to Kokorin on the penalty spot, but the ball's just behind him, and Algeria clear. This is open as you like. Maybe a bit more open than Fabio Capello and Vahid Halilhodzic like, but they're not paying punters, so.

10.07pm BST

49 min: Brahimi goes on a whizz down the left. Denisov, perhaps not up to speed yet, clips him to the ground. He's lucky not to go in the book, to be quite honest. From the free kick, launched into the area, the ball's bundled out for a corner on the right. That's sent whistling through the six-yard box, but Akinfeev punches clear. Danger over for now. A strange start to the half, with Algeria doing most of the pressing, but having come closest to conceding.

10.06pm BST

47 min: Samedov races into acres of space down the inside right. What are Algeria up to? Their defence is all over the shop! Samedov exchanges the simplest of one-twos with Kokorin, in order to circumvent Halliche, Algeria's last man. He's clear in the area! But his attempt to lift the ball over M'Bolhi is blocked brilliantly by the keeper. Algeria owe their goalie a big one.

10.04pm BST

46 min: Algeria start the half on the front foot, pinging the ball around at pace, albeit with not much direction right now.

10.03pm BST

The teams are out! And, furthermore, about. No changes for Algeria. Russia make a switch, though, replacing Glushakov with Denisov. They're 45 minutes away from a second-round tie with Germany.

9.51pm BST

Half-time entertainment: A biters' XI, courtesy of everyone's favourite list-making obsessive, Mac Millings. God alone knows why he's suddenly come up with this idea.

9.48pm BST

Kerzhakov powers into the Algerian box down the inside-left, chasing a sliderule pass from Shatov. He toes it on the stretch, harmlessly, to M'Bolhi. And that's it for the opening 45. A pretty damn interesting game, if not quite a seat-of-the-trousers classic. Russia deserve their lead, and as things stand are going through to the second round along with Belgium. But Algeria have shown enough wit in attack to suggest they can get back into this, and claim the draw they require. Should be a very decent second half.

9.45pm BST

45 min: A free kick for Algeria down the left. Chance to load the box. Algeria do so. Brahimi curls the ball in, and it's met by Belkalem, level with the left-hand post, just inside the area. The ball flies harmlessly over the crossbar.

9.44pm BST

42 min: Djabou snaps at the heels of Kozlov down the Algerian left, as the Russian full back looks to shield the ball. It's magnificent pestering, and forces Kozlov into giving away a corner. Brahimi whips the set piece into the box. Slimani again meets the ball 12 yards out, but slaps a witless header straight at Akinfeev. He could have picked either side of the goal there. Very poor.

9.40pm BST

40 min: This is better from Russia, with Kerzhakov dropping a shoulder down the right and making off for the Algerian area. Mesbah opts to drag him down, and he's booked. No complaint, which is good of him. Kombarov takes the set piece, and this one is no use either, floated onto the head of Halliche, six yards out. The defender rams a clearing header upfield.

9.39pm BST

38 min: A free kick for Russia to the left of the centre circle. Kombarov hoicks the ball straight out of play to the right of the goal. Russia have been going nowhere fast for a while.

9.38pm BST

36 min: Bentaleb and Djabou one-two down the left, but the latter is flagged offside just as he romps off into space just outside the Russian area. Another move that comes to nothing, but Algeria are showing promise right now, their midfielders in the ascendency and playing with no little sass.

9.35pm BST

34 min: A bit of space for Brahimi in the middle of the park. He sends a daisy-bothering low roller towards the bottom left. Akinfeev gathers a shot that wasn't hit with any particular conviction, and certainly no pace.

9.34pm BST

31 min: A penalty shout for Algeria, as Kozlov attempts to divest Slimani of both his shirt and socks, as the striker spins through 180 degrees to the left of goal with a view to getting a shot away. Kozlov gets away with it: no penalty, and Slimani's stopped in his tracks. To be fair to the Russian full back, he didn't try to make off with either of Slimani's socks or boots, and we're also assuming that, if the tangle had continued any longer, he'd have also allowed the Algerian to keep his y-fronts on.

9.31pm BST

29 min: But Algeria are getting back into this. They win a corner down the left. The ball's thrown into the mixer. A flick on, and Slimani is able to wind his neck back before powering a header from a standing start, 12 yards out, towards the top right. Akinfeev is forced to tip over in the 'Spectacular' style. But it's all for naught, because there's been some minor infringement or other. Not sure what for, to be perfectly honest. Algeria seem similarly perplexed.

9.29pm BST

28 min: Feghouli in in a little space near the Russian box. He lays off to Brahimi, who hesitates. Djabou was in acres down the left, but Brahimi is crowded out. Chance gone.

9.27pm BST

27 min: Mesbah, making good down the left, takes a shot goalwards from distance. It wafts, rather than zips, towards Akinfeev, who gathers with a yawn.

9.27pm BST

26 min: Shatov picks up the ball to the left of the centre circle, and embarks on a huge semi-circular run infield. When he reaches the edge of the Algerian D, he unleashes a spectacular swerving, dipping shot towards the top right. M'Bolhi pretends he had it covered, but he's a lying get. That was whistling in if on target, but it curls inches wide of the right-hand post.

9.25pm BST

24 min: More of the red stuff is gushing out of Feghouli's noggin. He's already got a tight white bandage wrapped around his neep. Algeria will be desperate to ensure running repairs are sufficient until the break. Feghouli probably needs a stitch or two, but they don't want to lose their man for any stretch of time, especially as they conceded the goal while he was off the pitch in the first instance.

9.22pm BST

22 min: Medjani attempts to pitching-wedge a pass down the left for Djabou. He pulls out the 4-iron, however, and the ball whistles into the crowd behind the goal.

9.21pm BST

20 min: Samedov goes on another ramble down the right, cutting inside and trying to send Kerzhakov clear with a little reverse pass down the channel and into the box. The Russian striker's offside. Russia were bloody hopeless in their first two games, and what's a bigger crime in my book, boring to boot. But they've been adventurous and cute in this match so far, and that's since getting the goal they needed too. Very promising from their perspective. Algeria need to get their gamefaces on, and quick.

9.19pm BST

18 min: Russia are beginning to impose themselves on this match. Kozlov would be clear down the right had he not slipped over on greasy turf. Another phase. Samedov down the same wing. The ball's whipped in towards Kokorin, who can't replicate his goalscoring heroics, eyebrowing the cross out of play to the left of goal from a fairly promising position.

9.17pm BST

16 min: Samedov goes on a quick romp down the middle of the park. Bentaleb knocks him to the ground. From the free kick, Glushakov jigs down the left channel and into the area. He drops a shoulder, and very nearly busts himself clear on goal. But the ball clanks between his feet and Belkalem can shepherd the ball back to M'Bolhi.

9.14pm BST

13 min: Feghouli, now fully recovered, dances around in front of the Russian box, but goes nowhere. Then Brahimi bombs down the inside-right channel and reaches the byline, firing a low cross into the six-yard box which Akinfeev just about deals with. The first promising act of the match for the Algerians.

9.11pm BST

11 min: Russia look in total control right now. They're happy to cede possession to Algeria, because the Africans are doing nowt with it right now. Russia holding their shape very well, as you'd expect a Fabio Capello team not called England to do.

9.09pm BST

9 min: Algeria are somewhat stunned by that. Feghouli could be forgiven for being stunned too. He'd clashed heads with his own man, Medjani, and though he's back on, that wound was shipping blood for quite a while. He's back on now.

9.08pm BST

What a header this is! Shatov makes space for himself down the left, and whips a high ball into the Algerian box. Kokorin rises high, and plants an unstoppable header into the top left from 12 yards! Not entirely sure what the Algerian defenders were doing, but that was a crafty late run into the area from the striker, and a hell of a jump. That header was placed right in the corner, too. Russia are now in second spot, and Algeria's World Cup nightmare continues. As it stands, of course.

9.06pm BST

5 min: Feghouli has been clattered upside the head. Didn't see how that occurred. Suffice to say nobody seems particularly animated, so it will almost certainly have been an accident. He trots off to get the flow of blood streaming from his noggin stemmed. We'll see him again in a minute or two, writes Dr Murray, the Guardian quack who has no idea.

9.04pm BST

3 min: Algeria played some very pretty football against South Korea at the weekend, but they also liked to launch it occasionally, and with extreme prejudice. M'Bolhi larrups a goal kick straight down the middle, and Feghouli nearly breaks clear on goal. Russia have their offside trap sorted, though. Just. Fabio Capello could have been forgiven for shuddering as memories of England's park-standard defending against Germany in 2010 came momentarily flooding back.

9.02pm BST

And we're off! Algeria get the ball rolling. If they get through tonight, they'll most likely play Germany. Payback time for 1982? First things first, though. The opening exchanges are exactly that, possession shifting between teams a couple of times as everyone gets a feel of the ball.

8.55pm BST

The teams are out! Algeria in white and green, Russia in red. And then time for the national anthems. Algeria's brassy number could, in a parallel universe, be the national anthem of Yorkshire. T'one, t'two, t'one, two, three:

8.25pm BST

Algeria make only one change from the XI who conquered South Korea, Madjid Bougherra making way for Essaid Belkalem: M'Bolhi, Mandi, Belkalem, Halliche, Mesbah, Medjani, Bentaleb, Feghouli, Brahimi, Djabou, Slimani.
Subs: Si Mohamed, Bougherra, Ghoulam, Yebda, Lacen, Ghilas, Soudani, Zemmamouche, Cadamuro, Taider, Mahrez, Mostefa.

Russia replace Maxim Kanunnikov with veteran striker Alexander Kerzhakov: Akinfeev, Kozlov, Berezutski, Ignashevich, Kombarov, Glushakov, Fayzulin, Samedov, Kokorin, Shatov, Kerzhakov.
Subs: Lodygin, Shchennikov, Semenov, Kanunnikov, Denisov, Dzagoev, Granat, Mogilevets, Ryzhikov, Zhirkov, Ionov, Eshchenko.

7.39pm BST

Algerian football fans have waited a long time for this to come around. They've waited 32 years and one day, to be exact. For on 25 June 1982, West Germany and Austria played out the Nichtangriffspakt von Gijón the non-aggression pact of Gijón in which they slowed it down to stick with a 1-0 scoreline in favour of the Germans which saw both teams progress to the second round of España 82 at the expense of Algeria.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 26, 2014 15:00

Why we should hope that Brazil fail to banish the ghosts of 1950 | Scott Murray

Anything but victory in the World Cup final would bring despair to the host nation but it would keep a great sporting story alive

Ever since nearly 70,000 Uruguayans were packed into Montevideos Estadio Centenario to see their heroes win the 1930 World Cup final, with tens of thousands more locked outside waiting to hear word, it has been clear that the performance of the host nation is an integral part of any World Cup story.

There have been no full-on hosting misfires, which is not bad going since were up to tournament 20. Chile were minnows in 1962 but fought their way to the semis anyway, propelled by a joyously boisterous Santiago crowd. The Swiss side of 1954 never had a hope of winning the trophy but in losing their quarter-final 7-5 to Austria did their bit in raising the goals-per-game tournament average to a never-to-be-beaten 5.38. The 2002 competition surely the most eye-wateringly dull of all time would have been a total writeoff had South Korea not made their improbable run to the last four. Even South Africa, the only hosts never to make it past the group stage, signed off their 2010 campaign with a resounding victory over France, finalists four years earlier, providing the home support with enough puff to power their vuvuzelas until the party was over.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 26, 2014 12:59

Nigeria v Argentina: World Cup 2014 as it happened

Lionel Messi scores twice as Argentina claim top spot in Group F, while Nigeria, buoyed by a brilliant display from Ahmed Musa, also advance

6.56pm BST

And that's it! A brilliant performance by Lionel Messi. A brilliant performance by Ahmed Musa, too, but the Nigerians were otherwise second best. Just. They progress to the second round after a decent display here. But that's three Messi Masterclasses down, another four to go if Argentina want to win the 2014 World Cup. They've certainly got the team to do it, even if the defence isn't the greatest you'll ever see. For them, it's on! The final word, though, to Simon McMahon: "Nine goals in today's two games. NINE. And counting. We're up to the magic number again. Good old Bob Dorough. Good old Guardian Goals Guarantee!"

6.53pm BST

90 min +4: This stadium is crammed with Argentinian fans, and they are making one hell of a noise. Bedlam bedlam bedlam. They may be considering winning a World Cup in Brazil.

6.52pm BST

90 min +3: Di Maria attempts to score from the halfway line, floating a long ball goalwards from the right wing. It's not on target, and Enyeama had it covered anyway.

6.51pm BST

90 min +2: Pass pass pass. Everyone's happy.

6.50pm BST

90 min +1: There will be four minutes of added time. The first sees Higuain replaced by Biglia.

6.50pm BST

90 min: Higuain goes on a skedaddle down the right. He nearly rounds Enyeama on the outside, but the keeper stands firm. The striker turns back. Mascherano, from distance, has a whack. His rising shot is on target, but easily gathered by the keeper.

6.47pm BST

87 min: Ambrose on a romp down the right. He welts a shot goalwards. It's deflected into the side netting. A rare old atmosphere in this stadium right now. Yobo nearly gets onto the corner at the near post, but can't flick a shot goalwards.

6.46pm BST

85 min: Di Maria nearly puts a sheen on the scoreline for Argentina, streaming clear down the left channel. But his low shot is blocked by Enyeama.

6.45pm BST

84 min: Emenike, 25 yards out down the inside right, isn't a million miles from burying a shot into the bottom left. Nigeria would not be flattered by an equaliser. Though one's not strictly necessary: a couple of quick strikes in the other game, and Bosnia-Herzegovina still have that two-goal lead, 3-1 up against Iran. Nigeria are through, no worries about that.

6.43pm BST

82 min: Fernandez hacks out of play down the right. Corner. From the set piece, Emenike whistles a low ball through the six-yard box. Argentina's defensive response is nothing short of pathetic. All four members of their back line stand and watch the ball roll through the area. Mascherano is eventually forced to hack clear. Even then, a shot from Uchebo is soon coming back at them, though the effort's deflected out of harm's way. Argentina have been excellent going forward tonight, but the defence doesn't look all that, and a better team will give them pause for thought.

6.40pm BST

81 min: Odemwingie is replaced by Nwofor.

6.40pm BST

80 min: A high ball whipped into the Nigerian area from the left. Garay rises to meet it, and guides a header inches wide of the top-right corner. Enyeama was static, watching that go in, were it on target.

6.39pm BST

79 min: Musa is a star in the making. He scampers after a long ball down the left. He takes a touch inside and lashes a shot towards the bottom right. It's a fine effort, but one that's snuffed out almost at source by a stunning slide tackle and block from Zabaleta. Great play all round.

6.37pm BST

78 min: Free kick for Argentina down the right, the much-abused Lavezzi bundled over by Onazi. A clever training-ground set piece, a gentle scoop over the back line to release Lavezzi on the right-hand corner of the six-yard box. He shoots, but the effort's parried. Corner, which comes to nowt.

6.36pm BST

76 min: From the right-hand corner of the box, Odemwingie attempts to float a chip into the top left. Romero is behind it all the way, tracking back and plucking it from the sky.

6.35pm BST

74 min: A right wing cross into the Argentinian box, and Musa batters a volley over the bar from 12 yards. Zabaleta did well to hassle the Nigerian winger there, or he could have had his hat-trick. Still a decent effort.

6.34pm BST

71 min: Another pretty picture? Here's a graphic detailing which domestic league is best represented at this World Cup. It's ever-changing, what with folk sulking off home now every couple of hours.

6.30pm BST

69 min: Another corner for Argentina, this time down the right. It's easily mopped up by Nigeria, having not been contested with a huge amount of vigour by Argentina, it has to be said. A sense now that, with both teams happy in their own way, the earlier urgency has gone. A celebratory vibe in the stadium, contentment rather than excitement.

6.28pm BST

66 min: Babatunde is replaced by the giant Uchebo. Nothing comes of the long-awaited corner.

6.26pm BST

64 min: Now, before Messi went off, Argentina had won a corner down the left. But it's still not been taken. That's because Babatunde is down getting his left arm wrapped up very tightly. Looks like it's been broken by the Gigi Riva de nos jours - his own player, Onazi, who blootered the ball onto his hanging arm, and appears to have snapped it back in a painful manner. Ooyah, oof.

6.23pm BST

63 min: No hat-trick for Messi today. He's off to be wrapped in cotton wool, and put in a box under the stairs. Alvarez comes on in his stead.

6.21pm BST

61 min: Corner for Nigeria now. This is real end-to-end stuff. A bit of a wild scramble in the area, and Mikel attempts to hook a ball across Romero from the left-hand post and into the top right. But he doesn't connect properly.

6.20pm BST

60 min: Rojo is about six miles offside as he's sent scampering down the left by Di Maria, but he's waved on. His low cross is nearly bundled into the bottom left by Messi, after his hat-trick. Not quite.

6.19pm BST

59 min: It's now 2-0 to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and that's Iran pretty much out of it. Which means that Nigeria will be through to the second stage, whatever happens here.

6.18pm BST

57 min: Higuain very nearly rips past Omeruo down the right. He'd be clean into the area, the full back having committed himself, but loses his balance. A corner is all it'll be. And it's easily cleared.

6.16pm BST

55 min: Messi rolls a pass down the left-hand channel for Higuain. The striker looks to flick a shot over the advancing Enyeama, but the keeper sticks out a strong hand, and the ball clanks back off Higuain and out of play for a goal kick. I would say that more goals are almost a certainty, the way these two teams are going for it, but I'm all too aware of the strange powers of the GUARDIAN GOALS GUARANTEE, so will be keeping my trap shut.

6.13pm BST

52 min: Lavezzi, on the right, and Higuain, down the left, take turns to whip low balls across Enyeama's goal. On both occasion the keeper deals with the danger well. Argentina are in the mood for this now! The stadium is bouncing.

6.12pm BST

51 min: Poor Lavezzi. Now he's scythed down by Oshaniwa, who also goes in the referee's book.

6.11pm BST

... the defender, ten yards out and level with the left-hand post, heads powerfully down and into the bottom right! Another instant-response goal! This is turning into a mini-classic!

6.10pm BST

49 min: This is a brilliant game. Omeruo is booked for taking down Lavezzi, just to the right of the area. The free kick's cleared, only just. Di Maria, on the edge of the area, fizzes a ball towards the top left. Enyeama tips over for a corner. From which ...

6.08pm BST

Or, to put it another way, Musa 2-2 Messi.

A fairly quiet start to the half explodes all of a sudden! Garay and Fernandez aren't talking to each other, it seems. They're miles apart, and Musa is slipped clear into the box down the inside-left channel, as easy as you like! He makes no mistake, battering a shot under Romero and into the net. What a prospect this young man is!

6.05pm BST

And we're off again! Nigeria get into a huddle, a cheery Enyeama in the middle of it. Then they get the ball rolling. Meanwhile here's Nick Wood regarding Mikel wearing number 10: "Who can forget George Graham's use of the sweeper system when it was de rigueur in the 89/90 season? Steve Bould would don the number 10 shirt, sandwiched between Tony Adams and David O'Leary - not so much sweeping as being entirely stationary. I'm sure a clip of him wearing 10 scoring an own goal at Sheffield Wednesday inside 11 seconds is on YouTube somewhere." There's always somebody worse off, isn't there.

5.58pm BST

Half-time entertainment: Stevie Wonder on BBC. An up-to-date cover of Ary Barroso standard Aquarela do Brazil over on ITV. Perfectly serviceable World Cup TV theme tunes both, but I preferred the days of the bespoke composition. This BBC effort, from 1974, is absolute lunacy from beginning to end, and well worth two minutes of your time.

5.49pm BST

The little genius wants that place in the pantheon, doesn't he?

5.47pm BST

... curls exactly the same free kick as he hit two minutes ago, towards the top right corner. Only this time it whistles into the net. Sheer brilliance! He's nearly halfway along the road to making this World Cup his own!

5.46pm BST

45 min: Nothing came of that corner, but Argentina are soon coming back at Nigeria. Or, rather, Messi is soon coming back at Nigeria. He's a force of nature, but you already knew that. He slides past three challenges down the inside right before being cheesewired by the leg of Oshaniwa. Clank! Messi steps up, and ...

5.44pm BST

43 min: Mikel clatters into the back of Lavezzi. Free kick to Argentina, 30 yards out, on the right wing. Messi takes, and wheechs a curler towards the top right. It's going in, and Enyeama is forced to palm out for a corner.

5.42pm BST

41 min: Mikel lumps a long ball down the left. Musa has no chance of catching it. That doesn't stop the winger giving it a go, and he very nearly achieves the impossible with a fast sprint and acrobatic hoick. But it was futile. Ivan Sidzhakov (35 min) is not going to be happy.

5.40pm BST

40 min: Argentina go straight down the other end and win themselves a corner on the left. Fernandez meets it with a strong header, and forces Enyeama to tip over. It was probably missing, but just in case. The second corner is a waste of time.

5.39pm BST

38 min: The free kick is floated towards the far post, where Odemwingie desperately attempts to head a ball heading out of play into the goal from a ridiculous angle. He can't manage it, and in any case Yobo has been all elbows and knees, and it's a free kick to Argentina.

5.37pm BST

36 min: Free kick to Nigeria, down the right, 30 yards out, Mascherano having bundled over Emenike. But before it can be taken, Aguero crumples to the turf. He's got some sort of muscle problem, writes Dr Murray, the Guardian's resident quack, who in all honesty has no idea, and will be replaced by Lavezzi.

5.36pm BST

35 min: This is all Argentina right now, in terms of possession at least. Nigeria are holding them off comfortably enough, and when they do get close to goal, the dependable Enyeama is in the way. Elsewhere, unlike the aforementioned Bob Dorough (backing vocals: Simon McMahon), Ivan Sidzhakov is of the opinion that ten, not three, is the magic number. "It's just a number and all, I know, but a player in the John Obi Mikel mould to be wearing the number ten jersey is just a travesty," he opines. "I'm holding the Super Eagles in contempt of the game." He's jazz riffin'! On Mikel's pain!

5.34pm BST

33 min: A snapshot by Aguero, just to the right of goal. Enyeama does well to turn it around the post. His reward, from the resulting corner, is an elbow from Higuain in his trouser arrangement. If that's not in a very special place, it's a bit of pressure on the old bladder. I hope the keeper hasn't taken on too much water, because he'll be in a lot of trouble with 12 minutes of the half remaining otherwise.

5.31pm BST

30 min: Di Maria has been, Messi apart, Argentina's star of this World Cup so far. Here he unleashes a low shot, 30 yards out, and nearly finds the bottom-right corner. Enyeama tips it round the post, and nothing comes of the corner, though Rojo isn't that far from guiding a high ball into the left-hand side of the goal with his nipples. Wide. Goal kick.

5.29pm BST

29 min: Messi passes the ball out of play down the right, making a mistake like a bog-standard human being.

5.28pm BST

27 min: Nigeria are not in a mood to die wondering. First Emenike hustles down the left, and is unlucky not to win a corner off Garay as the Argentinian defender shepherds the ball out of play. Then another Nigerian attack, and Odemwingie, down the right channel, sends a rising missile towards the top left. It's only just over the bar, and I'm not sure Romero was getting to that if the shot was on target. A fine effort.

5.27pm BST

25 min: Di Maria takes a step down the left, and from the edge of the area drags a shot across the face of goal and out on the right. Messi, channelling his inner Gazza, failed to toe-poke home as he slid in.

5.25pm BST

24 min: Good news for NIgeria: Bosnia-Herzegovina are a goal up against Iran. Only an Iranian victory, coupled with a heavy(ish) Nigerian defeat, can deny the African champs a place in the second round. As things stand, advancement is very much on the cards.

5.23pm BST

22 min: Emenike looks to break down the right wing, but can't keep the ball in play. Nigeria haven't shown much in attack since their goal, but they've kept Argentina fairly quiet, and that's more than enough at the moment.

5.21pm BST

20 min: Free kick for Argentina, 35 yards out, just to the right. The ball's lumped into the box by Messi, a teasing effort towards the right-hand post, with Aguero and Higuain bombing in. Mikel gets there first, and nearly eyebrows a header past his own keeper! But Enyeama reacts well to gather.

5.18pm BST

17 min: Messi embarks on another jig, down the right, and wins the first corner of the game. He sends it straight into the arms of the excellent Enyeama. Not so good that time, but Argentina already look a different proposition from the clumpish, constipated version that struggled so badly against Iran.

5.16pm BST

15 min: Messi goes on a rococo ramble down the inside-right channel. A one-two with Aguero, and then Higuain is sent into the area down the right. He reaches the byline and whistles a low cross into the six-yard area, but Enyeama is down quickly to smother.

5.14pm BST

13 min: Are these words not enough? They're not enough, are they. Here's an ever-expanding picture gallery to satisfy your desire for visual stimulation.

5.12pm BST

11 min: Enyeama is a busy lad. He's forced to come off his line and clatter the ball clear, Yobo having put him in a little bother with a backpass, Aguero and Messi right up in the defender's grille. "The Guardian Goals Guarantee is pretty powerful magic," says Veronica Fleury. Yes, but we'll let Messi and Musa have some of the credit too. Zero goals, I tells ya!

5.10pm BST

9 min: Argentina get their chops up again, and nearly score twice in a minute. First Di Maria blooters a shot from distance; Enyeama parries well. Then Messi pitching-wedges a chip down the inside-left channel to release Higuain into the box. The striker attempts to round Enyeama on the outside, but the keeper stands up well and the eventual shot is into the side netting.

5.08pm BST

6 min: Argentina, not a little stunned by that opening, are knocking it around the back in order to clear their heads. Wow. Two magnificent goals. Messi's strike was memorable more in the making - step forward Javier Mascherano and Angel di Maria - but Musa's was simply astonishing. This is on! Simon McMahon will be happy.

5.06pm BST

One minute and 2o seconds later, the powerful and tricky Musa makes good into the Argentinian area down the left, takes a touch inside, and curls an unstoppable work of genius into the top right corner! Messi who?!?

5.05pm BST

Messi's already three steps along the road to heaven according to the 1986 Maradona Plan! First Bosnia-Herzegovina, then Iran, and now Nigeria. Mascherano sends Di Maria free down the left with a gorgeous sliderule pass. Di Maria clatters the post. The ball rebounds off Enyeama, who had made an excellent fingertip save, but Messi's romping into the area to follow up, and slams home!

5.02pm BST

2 min: Mascherano is on the floor, rolling around, after Odemwingie planted his studs on his ankle. Nothing malicious, just an innocent coming together in a contact sport. This sort of thing happens in football, as the much-maligned Luis Suarez has been desperately arguing.

5.00pm BST

And we're off! Argentina, whose fans fill the stadium, get the match underway with the time-honoured kick-off routine. Here's hoping for a goalfest. I'm not the only one. "I'll be honest, I'm becoming a bit obsessed about the average number of goals per game at this World Cup," begins Simon McMahon, who has been poring over the record books. (Cris Freddi's up-to-date Complete Book of the World Cup e-book is the essential tome, by the way; get on it now if you haven't done so already.) "In particular, the number 3. It really is the magic number. Not since 1958 has the goals per game ratio in a World Cup been above it and in the last two it's been below 2.5. Before yesterday the Brasil 2014 average was sitting at exactly 3, 108 goals having been scored in the 36 games played. Then we had Italy, Uruguay, Costa Rica and England. Columbia and Greece did their best, but we need 15 goals in 4 matches today to get us back on track. Perhaps you can give us the Guardian Goals Guarantee? That should do the trick." OK, Simon, I'll try my best: there will be a grand total of ZERO goals in today's four fixtures, and that's a SUPER SOARAWAY GUARDIAN GOALS GUARANTEE!!! That should see you right, you know what our predictions are like.

Also, seeing you've been channelling your inner Bob Dorough with this three-is-the-magic-number lark, I suppose I should put up the song in question. But what with it being the height of summer in London, I've got a Christmas carol theme going on. So this will have to do instead:

4.54pm BST

The teams are out! Argentina sport their storied sky-blue-and-white-striped shirts, with tradition-defying white shorts which are NOT ACCEPTABLE. Nigeria meanwhile are resplendent in their famous all-green get-up. And it's time for the national anthems!

Nigeria's is a mash-up of Elvis Presley's Wooden Heart and one of the versions of O Little Town of Bethlehem. I'll be straight with you, I didn't realise there were two versions until running it through a popular internet search engine. Anyway, let's sing, sing, sing!

4.22pm BST

Nigeria replace Victor Moses with striker Michael Babatunde: Enyeama, Ambrose, Yobo, Omeruo, Oshaniwa, Onazi, Mikel, Babatunde, Odemwingie, Emenike, Musa.
Subs: Ejide, Uzoenyi, Gabriel, Egwuekwe, Odunlami, Oboabona, Azeez, Nwofor, Uchebo, Ameobi, Agbim.

Argentina name an unchanged team: Romero, Zabaleta, Federico Fernandez, Garay, Rojo, Gago, Mascherano, Di Maria, Messi, Higuain, Aguero.
Subs: Orion, Campagnaro, Biglia, Perez, Maxi Rodriguez, Augusto Fernandez, Demichelis, Palacio, Alvarez, Lavezzi, Basanta, Andujar.

3.43pm BST

Here's Diego Maradona in 1986, match by match. One: sets up three goals against South Korea. Two: a volley past world champions Italy. Three: sets up another against Bulgaria. Four: hits bar and has goal disallowed against Uruguay. Five: England! Six: Belgium fall to another ludicrous solo goal. Seven: sets up World Cup winning goal.

And here's the wee man in 1990. One: shackled well by Cameroon, but had the good grace to look theatrically frustrated. Two: unpunished as the Hand of God turns goalkeeper against USSR. Three: sets up goal against Romania. Four: plays greatest through ball of all time to set up winner against biggest rivals while being mugged. Five: misses penalty against Yugoslavia. Six: scores penalty against Italy with exact replica of penalty against Yugoslavia, having already plunged the host nation into civil war by pitting Naples against the rest of the country. Seven: ah well, all good runs have to come to an end at some point.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 25, 2014 10:56

Nigeria v Argentina: World Cup 2014 live!

World Cup Group F updates live from Porto Alegre
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Iran live with John Ashdown
And you can email scott.murray@theguardian.com

4.22pm BST

Nigeria replace Victor Moses with striker Michael Babatunde: Enyeama, Ambrose, Yobo, Omeruo, Oshaniwa, Onazi, Mikel, Babatunde, Odemwingie, Emenike, Musa.
Subs: Ejide, Uzoenyi, Gabriel, Egwuekwe, Odunlami, Oboabona, Azeez, Nwofor, Uchebo, Ameobi, Agbim.

Argentina name an unchanged team: Romero, Zabaleta, Federico Fernandez, Garay, Rojo, Gago, Mascherano, Di Maria, Messi, Higuain, Aguero.
Subs: Orion, Campagnaro, Biglia, Perez, Maxi Rodriguez, Augusto Fernandez, Demichelis, Palacio, Alvarez, Lavezzi, Basanta, Andujar.

3.43pm BST

Here's Diego Maradona in 1986, match by match. One: sets up three goals against South Korea. Two: a volley past world champions Italy. Three: sets up another against Bulgaria. Four: hits bar and has goal disallowed against Uruguay. Five: England! Six: Belgium fall to another ludicrous solo goal. Seven: sets up World Cup winning goal.

And here's the wee man in 1990. One: shackled well by Cameroon, but had the good grace to look theatrically frustrated. Two: unpunished as the Hand of God turns goalkeeper against USSR. Three: sets up goal against Romania. Four: plays greatest through ball of all time to set up winner against biggest rivals while being mugged. Five: misses penalty against Yugoslavia. Six: scores penalty against Italy with exact replica of penalty against Yugoslavia, having already plunged the host nation into civil war by pitting Naples against the rest of the country. Seven: ah well, all good runs have to come to an end at some point.

View more on Scott Murray's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 25, 2014 08:22