Wrap up: Full time in both matches. Argentina go through with a 100% record. A draw is good enough for South Korea to progress. They deserve it, they were were a lot more positive than Nigeria and Greece. Let’s face it, those two teams were both rubbish.
Argentina didn’t have to get out of second gear to beat Greece today, but even after making seven changes looked impressive. They are currently my tip to win the World Cup. In the next round they will face Mexico, while South Korea will play Uruguay.
Thanks very much for joining us this evening.
Join us again for our match tracker tomorrow.
Good night, and don’t let the bed-bugs bite.
Full time
Palermo struck the ball home after Tzorvas parried Messi’s excellent shot. The Greek goalkeeper doesn’t deserve to be on the losing team.
Goal Argentina
Nigeria are piling forward. A win will put them through on goal difference, the way results currently stand. It’s amazing they still have this chance after losing their first two games. Victor Obinna just had a great shot from outside the box, that went just wide.
“As well as football, The Greeks also very good at following directions,” says the Fray from Limerick, “wasn’t that English fan of Greek descent.” Very topical Fray. RTE have switched matches now and are covering the last five minutes of the Nigeria and South Korea game. As the Argentina match has become meaningless after that Argentina goal, we’ve decided to do the same at JOE.
The time and scoreline has disappeared on RTE. It’s like watching football in the ’80s all over again.
Martin Palermo comes on for Diego Milito. I am obliged now to mention that he once missed three penalties against Columbia in the Copa America.
Demichelis’ header is accidentally blocked by Milito, before Demichelis smashes it in to the top corner. Greece are all but out now.
Goal Argentina
Moras and Tzorvas just had a terrible mess up, giving away a terrible corner. “Samaras might not be very good but the way he’s tormenting Demichelis & co, I fear for Argentina in this tournament,” says Russell from Ballinasloe.
Yakubu just scored a penalty for Nigeria in the other match. It came only a minute after a terrible miss by him. South Korea are still second in the live table though.
Di Maria comes on to replace Maxi Rodriguez. Argentina had a case for a penalty a minute ago, Kyrgiakos was pulling Milito’s shirt. Another good save from Tzorvas from a Messi free-kick. From the resulting corner Bolatti hits a shot from inside the six yard box which Tzorvas saves again.
The Greeks also invented automatic doors. Yes the Greeks actually had automatic doors in a temple in the first century AD. They were powered by steam. How amazingly advanced they were! Now if only their football wasn’t so primitive.
Wide and wild and wide again by Samaras. Is there an argument to be put forward that Samaras isn’t very good?
Milito has the first shot on target of the second half, straight into the hands of Tzorvas. With the form he’s in tonight, it was never going to beat him.
Double subsitution for Greece. Ninis comes on for Katsouranis. Patsa comes on for Torosidis. That’s Patsa, not pasta. Pasta is what I had for dinner here at JOE offices. It wasn’t, I’m not a great cook. You’d think pasta would be easy, but I can mess even that up.
News of another goal in the Nigeria match. South Korea have taken the lead. The scorer was Chuyoung. Greece have to go hell for leather now.
The Ancient Greeks had some other great inventions as well as the alarm clock. They invented an eight-sided ink pot with an opening on each side, which can be turned so that any face is on top, dip in a pen and ink it-yet the ink never runs out through the holes of the side. It was called a gimbal.
Samaras had a magnificent chance. Demichelis slips, leaving Samaras to get in behind him. He seems to have almost too much time and hits it wide. It would have been a travesty if he scored. An absolute travesty.
Match kicks off. A substitution for Greece, Spyropoulos comes on for Karagounis.
Another classic RTE moment. Bill says “we have to go for a break,” there is a five second pause, before Bill says, “Oh we are staying here.” It’s one of the reasons we love RTE’s coverage so much.
“I think Argentina know that they are through, and are just playing the ball around. Greece seem happy to get a 0-0,” says John Giles. I agree, but you wonder why Greece are so happy with the scoreline. The way it stands they will be going out. They are just hoping that Nigeria will do them a favour.
Half time
Great shot by Rodriguez, saved by Tzorvas. Followed by a brilliant shot by Messi, again saved by the Greek goalkeeper. Magnificent performance by Tzorvas so far. Greece had kept Messi very quiet up to that point.
Greece have a slight chance from (wouldn’t you know it) a free-kick. 66% of the ball for Argentina now. I must note that I have nothing against the country of Greece. Just their football team. How could anyone hate the country that gave us philosophy, astromomy, and the alarm clock?
Great news for Greece haters like me. Jungsoo has equalised for the South Koreans against Nigeria. That puts them ahead of Greece on goal difference.
Argentina went close again from a corner. Bolatti almost got a foot to it. Nigeria are still 1-0 up against South Korea, it’s all still going Greece’s way. Is it too much for me to hope that Argentina go bonkers and bang in about nine? No offence to any Greek fans, but I hate your football team.
Free kick to Argentina, Veron hits it low and straight into the wall. Aguero then gets a chance but the keeper saves it. Just waiting for the match to spark into life.
Since Maradona is playing Messi, I wonder if Higuain was disappointed not to be starting. He is a contender for the Golden Boot after all.
This has the feeling of an end of season friendly so far. I’m not disappointed in Argentina, they’ve very little to play for. They are also bossing it, with 69% of the ball. How did Greece win Euro 2004 again?
18′
Great chance for Kun Aguero, brilliant save by Tzorvas in the Greek goal. The corner is cleared, Veron takes a great shot which is again saved brilliantly by Tzorvas. He doesn’t look bad, that Greek goalie.
Nigeria have taken the league in Durban. Uche scored. That moves Nigeria into third place in the live table, just a point behind Greece. I told you we’d have excitement.
Some quick Greek counter attacking, but Samaras isn’t good enough to beat three men. They get a corner though, which is probably where they are most dangerous. It’s crossed in but cleared easily.
Messi is fouled by by Sokratis, and gets a freekick. Messi rolls it to Maxi Rodriquez who fires it straight at the first defender. Not a lot of action in this first ten minutes, though Argentina have most of the ball.
I will be keeping an eye on the other match too. That one is currently 0-0, but South Korea have been the better team.
Greece have started off as defensive as you would expect. I would’ve liked to see them give it a go. With the amount of changes Argentina have made. they’ll never have a better chance of beating them. And a draw probably won’t be good enough for them to progress.
01′
The Greeks kick off, and play the ball back to the keeper who boots it out of play. Typical Greece.
Samaras starting up front on his own tonight. “Expect all out attack from the Greeks then” I think sarcasticallly. Interesting that Messi is starting despite all the Argentina changes. Will they regret that if Messi gets injured?
All four teams in this group can progress tonight. If Argentina beat Greece, and Nigeria beat South Korea, then there will be three teams on three points. It’ll all go down to goal difference. We could be in for an exciting night. Lets hope it’s as exciting as this afternoon.
“Its funny all the talk of Maradona and Argentina before hand, and they’ve probably been one of the best behaved teams in the tournament” says Tom from Kerry. Definitely Tom. Maradona talked of the importance of fair play before the tournament, and people laughed. Who is laughing now?
Seven changes for Argentina, with only goalkeeper Sergio Romero, central defender Martin Demichelis, winger Maxi Rodriguez and star man Lionel Messi retained from the 4-1 win over South Korea. Messi takes the captain’s armband, becoming Argentina’s youngest World Cup skipper.
Among those to come into the side are Juan Sebastian Veron, who missed the game against the Koreans with a calf injury, Champions League final hero Diego Milito and Diego Maradona’s son-in-law Sergio “Kun” Aguero.
There are two changes for Greece, with Vangelis Moras and Giorgos Samaras in and Dimitris Salpingidis and Fanis Gekas out.
Greece: 12-Alexandros Tzorvas; 11-Loukas Vyntra, 5-Vangelis Moras, 16-Sotiris Kyrgiakos, 15-Vassilis Torosidis, 6-Alexandros Tziolis, 8-Avraam Papadopoulos, 19-Socratis Papastathopoulos 7-Giorgos Samaras, 10-Giorgos Karagounis, 21-Kostas Katsouranis.
Argentina: 22-Sergio Romero; 2-Martin Demichelis, 3-Clemente Rodriguez, 4-Nicolas Burdisso, 5-Mario Bolatti, 8-Juan Sebastian Veron, 20-Maxi Rodriguez, 15-Nicolas Otamendi, 10-Lionel Messi, 16-Sergio Aguero, 19-Diego Milito.
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
