Poor stuff again, isn't it?

Unless anything happens in the two minutes before half time, I think I'm off to bed. I'll catch up with the rest of it tomorrow.

Thank fuck for the half time whistle. This is by some distance the worst of the three matches I've watched today, and that would still be true even if the other two hadn't been very good.

Argentina look like a side low on confidence playing a tough opponent away from home, and Brazil have shown about as much of an inclination to try and break them down as some of their strikers do to lose weight.

The two moments IS mentions must both have happened during the five or ten minutes that my internet connection decided to crash for. If it hadn't come straight back up I'd have gone to bed. I wish it hadn't come straight back up.

What the bloody hell is Fernando Gago even doing on the pitch? An injured Verón would have had as much influence...

This is a little better. Who'd have thought giving Messi a free role and encouraging Román to play a bit further up the pitch would've had any effect?

Messi hared away from Gilberto a few minutes ago and got brought down for a free kick. Riquelme's just put a wonderful pass over the defence for Cruz, who controlled and then smashed the ball just over from about ten yards. Argentina now have a free kick on the left which is cleared, but they're looking livelier.

Not a lot, but a bit.

Brazil are shit. No exaggeration. Argentina were content with the stalemate but have seen so much of the ball in the early part of the second half, that they can do no more than try and play a bit. And they're playing quite well now.

Cruz has missed a great chance, and Juan has somehow got away with not being shown a second yellow card after taking Messi down from behind as he was attacking into the penalty area.

THAT'S how Argentina play football! Maicon more or less picked Messi up and dropped him on his side to get the ball off him then. And yet the ref says play on?

Masche needs to watch himself...

And this is what you get when you allow defenders to kick the shit into far more talented opponents. Messi looks hurt, he's staying on but it looks like Juan's got exactly what he's been aiming for for the whole second half. Someone order a spine for the ref...

...But he's got back up, kept playing, and almost just helped Argentina score the best goal of the World Cup qualifying campaign anywhere in the world so far (surely), had Agüero kept his finish down. It's still not a classic, but this is a much, much better second half than the first was.

Juan not being booked for that challenge on Messi was a disgrace.

Brazil have conceded an awful lot of free kicks in the second half. Not down to an over-physical or nasty approach, it's just that they're so cumbersome and can't challenge for the ball in a slick, controlled manner. It's legs flailing everywhere. Dare I sat it, Brazil are playing like donkeys.

Finished 0-0.

Poor stuff, Argentina the better side. Messi the centre of any good play on show, with numerous slalom runs through the Brazilian midfield and defence. He could/should have won it in stoppage time, firing at the keeper and over the bar on the rebound.

Brazil were jeered off the pitch by the locals. They look a deeply average side.

Not worth staying up til 4am for this.

What can I say, I'm dedicated.

And here are the fruits of my labours (that's a match report in case you're wondering).

Goodnight (or should I say good morning?).

Thanks for thst, Sam and IS. I don't think I'll bother catching up on the second half today.

Hopefully, a draw won't be enough to save Dunga's job.

Gracias, Sam. Cambiasso is still carrying a knock from the end of the Serie A season. I wonder if Hernan is now pleased that he was left out.

And in case anyone wondered why Bolivia were so keen on being able to play in La Paz . . .

SamLKelly wrote:

QUOTE:
And I wish I'd missed that horrible rendition of the Argentine national anthem. She's doing the Brazilian one now. This woman can't bloody sing at all!

can't decide who was more shite (or should that be shitter? haha), Gal Costa or Brazil? she's pretty famous in Brazil but she was awful on wednesday. and for those who missed it, here she is again! enjoy! haha http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Esportes/0,,GIM843370-7824-GAL+COSTA+CANTA+O+HINO+NACIONAL+BRASILEIRO,00.html

only Globo would put this on their site! haha

Thanks for giving us her name, Pitaco. I've looked at a few vids on YouTube and she is indeed a far better singer than last night would suggest. I can only presume she's been feeling worse than Riquelme lately, because she really did sound dreadful...

The strain is beginning to show on the Peruvians: