Leander Schaerlaeckens: That will have to be all for me, I'm afraid. I'm off to do my grades on this game, to be up in the next hour. Maradona gives DeMichelis a big hug. All is apparently forgiven.

On that note.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Talk about Maradona being an incompetent coach will die down for another few days at least. His team looked splendid today.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina takes this one 4-1!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Game over!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Aguero with a stellar run, cutting in, out and juking his man before a shot whizzes just clear of the upper 90.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: OOOOOOOOH!!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Korea, bless their hearts, are scrapping for it until the very last seconds. But Argentina are of no mind to concede another.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Two minutes of added time.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Cleared.

Diego Zorrilla: Some quick math here: If Greece fail to beat Nigeria, Argentina will be the first team to advance to the second round

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Free kick to South korea.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi is away again. It takes several men to stop him once more. His head seems to be drooping a little. He wants a goal bad. And he deserves one on the strength of this came.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Maradona is cheering his players on wildly, trying to give them very last-minute instructions on how to keep it tight in the back.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: DeMichelis again misplays a ball, but it does no damage this time around.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi goes on a long dribble into the box but is chopped down in the box, apparently lawfully.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What would be do with you, Diego?

Diego Zorrilla: By the way, his father was a real tough defender. His nickname was Pipa, hence Pipita for Gonzalo

Diego Zorrilla: Higuain now top scorer of the World Cup. He could have played for France, since he was born there while his father played for Brest

Leander Schaerlaeckens: This game seems to be dying down a bit now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Higuain now off for Bolatti.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi played a beautiful chip to a Aguero who fed Higuain with his second easy goal of the game. He had but to nod it in.

ESPN Stats and Info: This is the first hat trick in the World Cup since Pauleta scored three for Portugal in 2002 against Poland. It's Argentina's first hat trick since Gabriel Batistuta vs. Jamaica in 1998.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Never mind. It was Higuain again. This is getting boring.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: 4-1!!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: MESSIIIIIII!!!!

ESPN Stats and Info: Should this result hold, Argentina will advance with a Nigeria win or tie later today against Greece. The Greeks would be eliminated with a loss to Nigeria.

Diego Zorrilla: With Korea going forward, there will be more space for Aguero and Messi. This could be fun!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed away as fingers keen on giving out.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Long South Korea free kick now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Attendance: 82174.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Higuain tries to chip the goalie but doesn't hit it hard enough from about 10 yards.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi playes Kun into space, gets a shot off, saved, another shot off, post, and hit in by Higuain for his second goal!!!!!

3-1!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Great play by Romero. He punched a long ball just before leaving his box and then chased it down to hoof it away.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez, who has been beastly, is off for Sergio Aguero.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi to Tevez and back to Messi, who dances on the ball. Argentina is holding the ball well, until Heinze hand-balls it to keep it from going it and gets a yellow.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ji-sung Park set up Nam-il Kim but his shot was really poor.

ESPN Stats and Info: Argentina has attempted almost twice as many passes as South Korea (369-190).

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina seems back in control here, but the South Korean breakouts are almost always dangerous. Here comes one now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Romero punches it away.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Kim eventually worms his way through for a long shot but it's deflected and out for a corner.

Diego Zorrilla: Lees from Tevez now, he's probably tired. And Argentina are now missing Veron, who would be ideal to slow down play and keep the ball under Argentine control

Leander Schaerlaeckens: As I type that, Higuain gets a shot off, but it lacked speed and direction.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina has regained control of this game.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Class of 2003, actually.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Maradona gesturing wildly after a call goes against Argentina.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The Koreans are really pushing here, but their long ball approach isn't really working. They lack the touch to haul it in half the time. This certainly is the best game we've seen yet. May all second games in the group round be so entertaining.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: St. John's International School in Waterloo, Belgium.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: IB was sheer hell. Don't remind me.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi swing it before the goal and Tevez got a touch but didn't manage to change its direction enough.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Long free kick now!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I did with my IB French final when I was in high school during World Cup 2002 :)

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A through ball is played too far ahead. Goal kick to Argentina.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Korea in Argentinean half now.'

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Stopped it dead right there.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A huge cheer erupts as Maradona stops a ball with his heel in the air. Superb touch. The maestro still has it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: They're certainly not just content to lose by 2-1 the way North Korea was. They're going after it! In so doing, they're also giving away space though. So a goal could come at either end at the moment.

Diego Zorrilla: A little less from Argentina and a little more from South Korea in the second half, don't you agree? And there's and old saying in soccer that goes something like "the goals you don't score on one end, end up being scored on the other end". Hope that doesn't apply to Argentina today...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm not sure this is way for him to break his scoring duck.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi on the ball now, again, very far from the goal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What a discovery!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: My sweater has a hood!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I can either type names fully or keep you posted on the game.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Didn't do a good job heading it to the ground.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed over by Heinze.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina with a corner now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Their best chance for an equalizer yet!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: C-Y Park broke out and Yeom's shot, inexplicably taken with the outside of his foot, went into the side netting.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: South Korea has been the better side for the last minutes and almost scored on a breakaway!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Free kick is deflected. Corner.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: There was a foul though and there will be a South Korean free kick after Mascherano collects what must be the millionth yellow card of his career.

Diego Zorrilla: Yellow card for Jonas Gutierrez... will miss next match, since he was also booked against Nigeria

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Park had it on the outside of the box but lost it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Agree.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Fat chance for Argentina! Tevez took a hard shot from an angle and the rebound almost fell to Higuain!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That Jabulani sure does travel. Romero put half a foot through it and it traveled three quarters of the field.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Don't beat yourself up man, at least you do something that's contributing to society.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Rodriguez whipped it over to Tevez, who played Di Maria into space who crossed it to Higuain, whose shot was well saved by Jung.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Fantastic move by Argentina!

Diego Zorrilla: Stats from the first half: Argentina had 62% possession

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A high Korean ball is headed on, but Romero gets to it before anybody else.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez played a nice ball in to Higuain, but he can't get it past his man.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The Koreans seem at rather a distinct disadvantage at the moment, staring straight into the lowering sun.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: How did you know I went there? I do.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Compliment accepted?...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: 26. Since June 5th.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Corner for Rodriguez.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi! He was well into the box but his shot was blocked.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: On the field meanwhile... Korea is deep on Argentinean territory but the cross didn't arrive.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Fat guy also back, no food for me though.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Huzzah.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: John Brewin, my best friend at the moment, has just come back with some potato chips!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: We're back on. Let's talk soccer.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Get in line.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: UPI, The Washington Times, The Guardian, World Soccer and anybody else that would pay me.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Not quite, but sure.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Love for Indiana. That's where they shot Indiana Jones, right?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I don't know that he hasn't already. He's been very good today. It's just that he's been flattened within three seconds every time he's gotten the ball.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ha!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Quietly hoping he'll not come back at all or come back with a heap of food. My cough drop hasn't kept me full for very long.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ok, the fat guy next to me just walked off. So now I can exhale again.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: See, now that's exactly the sort of comment I like to post.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Leander is the first and only king and ruler-for-life of the CoverItLive. Except for when someone else is doing them.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Don't ask me, I still can't believe I got it either.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tony, after the World Cup, I'll be living in Westchester... Nice try though.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Last one:

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm setting a dangerous precedent here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: You can't really say that for sure. Other things would have happened, you know? It's simplistic to make that assumption.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A comment I posted did. Not me. I think we're in for a treat in the second half here. That goal was great for the game.

ESPN Stats and Info: This is the first game of the tournament with three goals at halftime.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I've been found out!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He hasn't scored yet. But that would explain a few goals.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Can't blame this one on the Jabulani, Sam. That was just shocking defending.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: There's a role for everybody in this world.

ESPN Stats and Info: Argentina is 24-1-0 at the World Cup when leading at halftime. The only loss was in the 1930 World Cup Final against Uruguay. Argentina led 2-1 at halftime and lost 4-2.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I am not against ugly people. Who else will make pretty people look pretty?

Diego Zorrilla: Demichelis played a great game against Nigeria and was having an easy game today... that mistake puts South Korea back on track

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Cublicle mates, Dre deserves a raise for being a go-getter and proactive. He really hits the ground running and fills out a mean TPS report.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Let it never be said that he wasn't generous.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That should make the dressing atmosphere entirely different to what it would have been without that goal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Shocking scenes!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: And that makes it half-time!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He found himself alone against Romero, who's had nothing to do yet, after DeMichelis flubbed a ball that was headed on after a goal kick and beat the keeper.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chung-yong Lee!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: GOAL!!! South Korea!!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: *Shouldn't be a factor, I meant of course.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A lovely Messi chip from the edge of the box beats the keeper but goes just wide. I counted seven red jerseys surrounding him.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Not really, so many players play in Europe, where much of the season falls in the winter, that it should be a factor.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez's play, like his face, isn't pretty. But it's damn effective... like his face?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez stomped his way up the field, with ball in tow, until he stumbled over an opponent and was called for a foul.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Well, that's cleared up then isn't it?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez with a good header in the box, but it bounces off an opponent's head.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A bad clearance by Jung sends the ball to Di Maria, whose shot requires a good save by the former.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: There's a huge Argentinean flag with both Maradona's and Che Guevara's likeness on it. I was always under the impress that Che was loved in all countries but Argentina, his home nation, where's he's considered a terrorist.

ESPN Stats and Info: Argentina has never tied or lost after having a two-goal lead at the World Cup.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'd say the stadium has filled up to about 95 percent capacity now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Long free kick by Park, the goal-scorer earlier on, hits the wall.

Diego Zorrilla: The song says something like: "Come with me, you'll find a friend... and with Maradona leading, we'll be champions"... sounds much better in Spanish, though ;)

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What are the Argentineans singing, Diego?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The free kick was played short, Rodriguez beat the offside trap by inches and Higuain had but to head it in.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I think it was Higuain!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: GOAL!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Long free kick for Messi by the corner flag.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It takes two Koreans to wrestle Tevez to the ground here. They're resorting to spineless kicking.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: This is all Argentina right now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez flips it on to Gutierrez, a right back on the day but fighting his natural urge to play out on the wing, and Gutierrez fumbles it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez is having a strong game thus far. He's all kinds of useful

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Maradona is actually wearing a suit.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Di Maria's pass into the box is misdirected. Promising Argentina chance gone.

Diego Zorrilla: Messi is playing far away from the box, I agree. But he is also being stopped with tactical fouls as soon as he starts racing towards goal

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Touche.

ESPN Stats and Info: That was the second own goal in South Korean World Cup history (Cho Kwang Rae vs. Italy, 1982) and the first time Argentina has received benefit from an own goal in 67 World Cup matches.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi rolls it to Tevez whose thunderbolt whistles inches over!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: If typos start creeping in you'll have to forgive me. My fingers are slowly freezing into useless sticks.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi earns a free kick 25 yards from the goal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Jung needs to punch it out to keep it away from Tevez.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm not sure how effective Messi can be so far removed from his second home, the goal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Di Maria makes it to the back line but his cross is harmless.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi, it must be said, is plying quite far away from the goal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez on a long run, crosses it to Higuain who attempts a bicycle kick! But he can't can't connect.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The injured Walter Samuel is coming off for Nicolas Burdisso.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Possession does tend to trump speed.

Diego Zorrilla: There was big talk before the game on how to deal with the speed of the South Koreans. Argentina have done it quite simply so far, with almost complete ball control

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Long free kick to Argentina. Messi chipped it into DeMichelis who found himself wide open, but he was about two inches too short to nod it home.

ESPN Stats and Info: That was the second own goal of the tournament (Daniel Agger, NED vs. Demark).

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Correction, the goal appears to have been by Chu-young Park.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A long shot by Ki narrowly misses the upper 90!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Poor Cho. He wasn't expecting Tevez, who was wide open, to miss the header and it bounced off his shin and into the goal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi on the run now and Rodriguez with a long shot that blasts over.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He wasn't expecting it I think and it came off his leg.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Yong-hyung Cho taps it past his own goalkeeper after Tevez misses the header completely.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: OWN GOAL!!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Free kick to Argentina from the side of the box. Messi behind it...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Di Maria loses it to the backline, after which Tevez runs over an opponent.

ESPN Stats and Info: The 2010 World Cup tournament so far has had the 2nd-lowest crossing accuracy percentage from open play since 1966.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Di Maria tries to reach Higuain through the air but falls short.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ji-sung Park gets a shot off sorts off, but it's skied, kept in by a teammate and converted into a throw-in in South Korea's favor.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He tells me he's been on a while, but when you're as self-absorbed as I am, you don't notice these things.

Diego Zorrilla: Argentina-England: great World Cup rivalry, with games in 1966, 1986, 1998 and 2002... two each way (66 and 02 for England)

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The good Diego...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Diego is here!

Diego Zorrilla: The song, basically, says: "If you don't jump/sing, you're an Englishman"

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Good atmosphere here today.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The Argentineans -- as is their want -- are jumping in the stands and erupting in song.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Di NMari gets a good cross in, but it's headed away by Young-pyo Lee.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Messi is brought down and Ki-hun Yeom incurs a yellow.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: South Korea outside the Argentinian box loses it to Messi and consorts.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I don't like my hot dogs medium-rare to be honest.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Like American ones, but less cooked.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina now off on the right! Higuain gets a shot off, but it was a tough angle.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I don't know that I see a 2002-type run in the works, but this team looks like a possibility to advance.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina is dominating possession early, with South Korea happy to sit back a little. The latter is in possession now and is really a handy team.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: True.

Diego Zorrilla: Five minutes and Korea have barely touched the ball and haven't yet ventured across midfield... interesting

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Had one. (If it wasn't flown in.) It wasn't bad.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tevez sets up a nice attack, by scrambling past man after man and gets Di Maria a shot in the box, which goes a foot or two wide.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed away.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Argentina happily zipping it around and earning a corner.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: And now Messi on the run.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Di Maria with a bit of trickery.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: We're underway.

Diego Zorrilla: Hi there. Lots of Argentine flags again... haven't seen any other country bringing so many, have you?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Please...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Didn't have time to grab anything before the game. My last meal was breakfast at our hotel. I just didn't want to let you all down. So I'm suffering in your name.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: By the way, 10 South Koreans had their hands on their heart but one gave a salute. Did he serve in the military or something? Does anybody know?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Serious amount of Argentinians here. Light blue is definitely the dominant color. Quite a bit of red too. And quite a few empty seats. Ticket sales disappoint again. Or people changed their minds after they saw prices here. Either way, I'd say this stadium is not 90 percent full.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ok, that's done.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Anthem time. BRB.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Cruyff :)

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Don't do that to me. I'm starving.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Flags coming out. Fun time had by all.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Some didn't get one... I wouldn't know hot to feel about that.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Kiss of God?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Maradona gives a few players in the tunnel a big smooch on the cheek before they head out.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Jealous.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: People behind me are eating sandwiches.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Thanks for your predictions every one.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: We all miss him dearly.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chris flew out to Capetown this morning. So my partner in rhyme isn't here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm a firm believer that it's up to parents to set the example and separate rights from wrongs. Athletes are only human, as we well know.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What do people out there think about the outcome?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It depends on South Korea. If they can show the form they did against Greece, this could be a close game, I think.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I don't. I like Maradona. He's a buffoon, but he keeps things interesting. It's hard to find a coach who will actually speak his mind. It makes our jobs as journalists a hell of a lot easier.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm out with the common folk today, in other words.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: If only. Press boxes in enclosed spaced, not all that different from luxury boxes, are distinctly American. In the rest of the world, the press box is basically a bleacher seat in the upper deck with every other row knocked out to fit tables.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What time is it there?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Hello, us army in iraq.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Every team has its first game out of the way now, so nerves and the innate desire not to lose should be less of a factor here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: For the record, it is 46 Fahrenheit here. But I assure you, in the top of this stadium, seemingly designed to keep the wind in, it feels a hell of a lot colder.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: More illegible, that is.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Cold, Mr. Spaniard. I'm pondering breaking out the gloves, but they make it really hard to type, and could make my copy illegible.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: They were both a lot better than I thought they would be. There, how's that for a diplomatic answer?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Haha, make me pick sides in one the world's longest-running conflicts why don't you?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That's exactly the sort of compliment I'm talking about.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: This is the second coldest game I've been to thus far. And easily the coldest day game.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Barrett, I think you're selling South Korea short here. They looked great against Greece -- not the best of teams, I know -- and there isn't as big of a difference in level between Argentina and South Korea as there is between Spain and Switzerland. This should be a very watchable game.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: In CoverItLive shout-outs that is of course.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Tough one to call here. 4-2 to South Korea at the moment.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Fired up for this one. Chiefly because of that little fella.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I am, Quyen. I really, really am.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I know it's early there, but it looks like I'll be covering this game by myself, so I'll be counting on you -- yes, you! -- to help me out here. Questions, comments, compliments, all very welcome. As are flowers.

ESPN Stats and Info: Argentina have won both of their encounters against South Korea, including a 3-1 victory during the 1986 World Cup first round.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm already seeing serious patches of the light blue and white out there. But there is also a sizable section of South Koreans here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The teams, Argentina on the one hand and South Korea on the other, are out on the field and warming up. Which they'll need to do lots of.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I'm coming to you from the absolutely freezing Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Good morning, everybody! And welcome to the first game of the second round of games of the Group phase.