Live The Pitch

After 11 months at the helm, Diego Maradona will not be retained as Argentina move forward after the World Cup this summer.  Maradona led Argentina to a quarterfinal appearance this summer, but were embarrassed 4-0 by eventual 3rd place nation Germany.

The Argentine Football Association decided to not keep Maradona based on major coaching differences they had with moving forward.  The main issue was the coaches under Maradona.  Maradona wanted to keep all his assistants from this summer but the Association did not not see it the same way.  The Association offered Maradona a new 4 year contract to lead the team into Brazil but he insisted on  keeping his entire staff.

Maradona will be missed on the pitch, as he was always entertaining on the sidelines and in the press room.  With his outgoing personality, controversy followed him everywhere.  Honestly I am surprised that he was even offered a new deal after the way they left the World Cup.  After the defeat to Germany, Maradona was involved in a heated exchange with some German fans before having to be subdued by his daughter.

The Group B winner and runner-up was also decided today with Argentina and Greece playing at the same time as Nigeria and South Korea. For me it was a no-brainer, I’m watching the team with arguably the best player in the world on it. Messi did not disappoint either but good thing I had the other game on my laptop because it was a terrific game as well.

Lionel Messi is just on another level than anyone on the field. In the first half he showed his amazing first touch when he took a very high ball out of the air and turned onto goal before being fouled just outside the box. This was the tactic for much of the game as Greek defenders were forced to just pull Messi to the ground after he burned them.

Argentina would take control in the second half to finish off Greece 2-0.  Martin Demichelis pounced on a loose ball inside the six and buried it in the upper corner to make it 1-0.Second half sub Martin Palermo would also get a goal in the 89th minute to make it 2-0, when Messi’s shot came off the Greek goalkeeper to a waiting Palermo for a first time finish.

Nigeria would give South Korea all they could handle in the other group B match that finished  2-2.   Nigeria pushed players forward and were unlucky not to get a winner.  South Korea showed they are a team with a lot of discipline and great athletic talent. They will surely  cause defenders nightmares in the rounds to come.

South Korea would get goals from Lee Jung-Soo and Park Chu-Young.  Jung-Soo attempted to head the ball after a cross was sent into the box but misplayed the shot so poorly that the ball  hit his shin and went into the net. It was hardly a thing of beauty but they all count. Chu-Young scored on a brilliant free kick that puzzled goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, beating him to the far post.

Nigeria received goals from Kalu Uche and Yakubu Aiyegbeni.  Uche hit the net first in the 12th minute with a great first time finish.  Aiyegbeni would get a penalty kick goal in the 69th but Nigeria just didn’t have enough steam for the winner.

With today’s games complete the round of sixteen is starting to take shape. Argentina and Mexico will be facing off and Uruguay will be playing against an elated South Korean side. This was the first time that South Korea has made it to the knockout stages in a World Cup not held on Korea soil.

Check out David Mathew’s culturally insensitive World Cup goal round up at Deadspin.com to see highlights of the goals. The music he adds is HILARIOUS!!- Your Culturally Insensitive World Cup Round Up For June 21

In the first match of the day, Diego Maradona’s Argentina squad defeated South Korea 4-1 behind a beautiful hat trick from Gonzalo Higuain.  South Korea scored an own goal in the 16th minute to start the scoring for Argentina before Higuain would take over.  The Real Madrid striker would score in the 33rd , 76th, and 80th minute to lead his country to victory.  Higuain is the first player to net a hat trick since 2002.

South Korea scored their only goal in the 45th minute when Lee Chung-yong punished Martin Demechelis for his huge mistake in front of his own goal.  Argentina dominated the match in all aspects and only allowed South Korea 2 shots on goal.  Argentina look like a major contender to win the tournament.

In the second match of the day, Greece defeated Nigeria 2-1.  Nigeria took the lead in the 16th minute when Kalu Uche struck a great free kick from about 40 yards out that confused the Greek goalkeeper and went into the net untouched.  With Nigeria controlling the match throughout the first half  things turned to the worse when Sani Kaita idiotically kicked a Greek player to recieve a straight red card in the 33rd minute.  It was the right decision by the referee to issue the red after seeing that Kaita deliberately kicked him.

Greece would then take over the match with their man advantage and score their first ever World Cup goal in the 44th minute when Dimitrios Salpingidis found the back of the net after his shot deflected off a Nigerian defender.

Vasilis Torosidis pounced on a terrible mistake by Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama to get the match winner in the 71st minute.  Enyeama had a great performance in the match but couldn’t handle the weak shot from distance that he fumbled to Torosidis.

Nigeria have been eliminated from the tournament with two losses now.  Greece will need some help to advance, but are surely still in the mix for a spot in the knockout stage.

In the final match, underdogs Mexico defeated France 2-0.  Mexico dominated a lifeless French team in all facets of the game.  France failed to combine together and looked like they did not want to be there.  Mexico got both goals in the second half by two substitutes.

The first goal was scored by Javier Hernandez in the 64th minute when he found himself in behind the French defense as he beat the offside trap.  Hernandez would take a few touches around French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to pass it into a wide open net.

The game was put out of reach by Mexico in the 79th minute when they were awarded a penalty kick that Cuauhtemoc Blanco slotted in.  It was a good call by the referee as Eric Albidal clearly took out Pablo Berrera inside the box.

This is a monumental victory for Mexico on this great stage.  Mexico now have the inside track to get to the next round and if they continue to perform this way they can go a long way.  France on the other hand will need a lot of help to make the knockout stage.