Klose than close.

Group  F

Argentina  1        Iran   0

Messi (90)

Iran can count themselves very unfortunate to walk away from this game with absolutely nothing.  It could have been so different if the referee had given the Iranians a stonewall penalty in the second half, but no, yet again the official who was so far behind play doesn't give it.  The biggest tournament in the world and FIFA think it right to have referees and assistants who are not good enough to ref and assist over Wanstead flats on a Sunday morning.  But then again its not about football for FIFA is it, that's why the 2022 world cup is in a fucking desert.  

Any way back to the game and Iran don't get a creditable draw which their performance at least deserved, instead little Lionel Messi does one thing in the whole game deep into stoppage time and gives this average Argentina side all 3 points, with what has to be said was a very good finish.  That's football, when you have a player up against you like Messi you cannot switch off at any time, because he just doesn't and that is what's  keeping Argentina in this tournament.  Big players win you world cups and Argentina have one of the biggest if not the biggest name in world football in him, Uruguay have it in Suarez  and Portugal have it in Ronaldo, a player like Roy Race from Roy of the Rovers, a player who can do nothing for 89 minutes and then one piece of magic in the last minute wins the game, although every time Roy Race got the ball  you thought he would pull out a Racey's rocket.

So Argentina will progress to the knockout stages without playing particularly well in both games, as for Iran they will now have to beat Bosnia and hope Argentina can beat Nigeria in their final game to give them any chance of getting through.

Group  F  

Nigeria  1         Bosnia    0

Odemwingie (29)

Peter Odemwingie's first half strike was enough to put Edin Dzeko's Bosnia out of the world cup.   The Nigerian's were deserved winners, although Bosnia did have a goal chalked off wrongfully for off side when the game was at 0-0, yet another piss poor decision from the officials.   

Group   G

Germany  2          Ghana  2

Gotze (51)                        Ayew A (54)

Klose (71)                        Gyan (63)

The first half of this game nearly sent me to sleep, but a pulsating second half full of incident saved me from an early night.  Ghana could and probably should have won this game but you always know that Germany never give up.  You could be 3-0 up against them with ten minutes remaining and you would still be thinking they are not out of it yet.  Germany are one of the most hard working teams left in this competition and their resilience and team work will be the major component that pushes this well oiled machine through to the knockout stages and maybe all the way to the final.  

Ghana will now have to rely on Portugal beating USA later today and hope that they can beat Portugal in their last game to stand any chance of getting through.  I can see Portugal losing today and joining England and Spain on the plane next week, in-turn taking the hard working black stars with them.

So tonight sees Portugal take on USA, so will we see a winking wanker and a Portugal win or will we hear USA, USA, USA, GET IN THE HOLE, and see a big crying baby.  I'm hoping for the latter but I might put my ear plugs in!!!