Leander Schaerlaeckens: Indeed.

Thanks as always for bearing with us as we weeded through our own messy thoughts to get to some analysis, and thanks for all your comments.

See you tomorrow!

Chris Jones: Good night. Get your rest. Tomorrow's a big day.

Luke Cyphers: On that note, g'night everybody!

Jeff Carlisle: That's some fine company for the Indomitable Lions.

Chris Jones: Done and done.

Chris Jones: Honduras avoids being the worst team in the World Cup; Cameroon and North Korea the only teams to go 0-for-3.

Jeff Carlisle: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Huh?

ESPN Stats and Info: This is the first time in history that five South American teams (Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, Brazil) have made it to the knockout stage. Only six teams from Europe (Spain, Germany, England, Netherlands, Portugal, and Slovakia) have qualified. In 2006, ten teams qualified from Europe.

Luke Cyphers: Great game tonight. For a while.

Chris Jones: Spain will play Portugal on Tuesday... Brazil will play Chile on Monday.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile to face Brazil.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain will play Portugal.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain and Chile are the last two teams to qualify for the Round of 16.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Sweet relief from the torture that was the final 15 minutes.

Chris Jones: Switzerland-Honduras is over... Spain wins Group H, Chile advances in second.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Final whistle.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: David Silva looks annoyed at his compatriots that they haven't given him a chance to come on.

Jeff Carlisle: Germany vs. Austria, 1982 anybody?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: This is getting embarrassing, Spain is really not just tapping it back and forth without any Chileans even considering taking it off them.

Luke Cyphers: Which means two minutes extra Spanish possession.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Two minutes of extra time between Spain and Chile.

Jeff Carlisle: The ESPN bigwigs would be so pleased.

Luke Cyphers: Fabregas with a whiff.

Chris Jones: Honduras nearly puts Switzerland out of its misery...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: In blog-form, in GameCast, and in CoverItLive.

Luke Cyphers: Chile content to let them play keep away.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: We'll all be there by the way.

Jeff Carlisle: Spain playing keepaway here, as they have for the last 20 minutes or so.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain and Switzerland rest assured in the knowledge that if they stop playing altogether, they both advance.

Chris Jones: Running out of steam here... USA-GHANA! Tomorrow! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Honduras's Wilson Palacios misses next match... Could be another twenty years easily.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Del Bosque looks as bothered by Spain's performance as he did at the press conference after their game against Honduras.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Say what you will of the South Africans on the soccer field, but they coordinate a mean group dance in the stands, as they are now doing at the Switzerland-Honduras game!

Luke Cyphers: That's like my relationship to my readership.

Chris Jones: Plaque possesses 42 percent. And Justin Bieber, 2 percent.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Like that fat Spaniard they just showed banging his drum and getting absolutely nobody to join in with him.

Luke Cyphers: It will sing.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: How is that column coming, Luke?

Jeff Carlisle: Except for Villa. He wants another goal.

Luke Cyphers: Spain is procrastinating.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain has had 56 percent of possession here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Or procrastination activities.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Never mind. Go back to your respective jobs.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Offsides.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: No it doesn't.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Honduras goes ahead!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: If you turn the Austrian flag upside down you get ....

Luke Cyphers: Spain goes to the Nine Corners offense.

Chris Jones: You think you're baffled? I thought I was going to the World Series.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Paredes is offside on a promising run.

Chris Jones: Danny has clearly spent too much time alone today.

Luke Cyphers: Spain will go to Pique's. After the game for a beers.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The Chileans have held up well in a 10-man situation.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Martina Hingis returns.

Chris Jones: Swiss just miss!

ESPN Stats and Info: Xabi Alonso finished today with 86 touches, second most in the game (Gerard Pique-115 and counting) and the second highest total (308) in the tournament behind Argentina's Lionel Messi (313).

Chris Jones: U.S. -- Ghana could easily go to PKs. And England -- Germany...?

Jeff Carlisle: Fans are trying to get awave going, without much success.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That was a slam dunk contest ball off the rafters, only with the alley oop.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Vertically, that is.

Luke Cyphers: Aaaiir...

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A lay off from Fabregas to Iniesta, but the latter absolutely launches his shot.

Jeff Carlisle: Bielsa looks as if he is aging before our eyes. This can't end soon enough for him.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Orellana with a Ronaldo-esque shot from distance, which goes well wide and gets him chastised by Bielsa too.

Luke Cyphers: Agreed. Spain is getting better as the tournament goes on.

Chris Jones: I like Spain in that game. I don't think Portugal are that strong -- despite the score against North Korea.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Xabi Alonso is off for Javier Martinez.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain heaves a cross to Villa, whose reach it is out of.

Chris Jones: So stoked, Sean. Can't wait for that game. Argentina-Mexico should also be good.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ramos goes on a sizzling run through the Chile defense but is shielded off well.

Luke Cyphers: But still pretty great.

Chris Jones: Spain-Portugal? Awesome. Brazil-Chile? Less awesome.

Chris Jones: I'm an optimist by nature.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Never just a bad shot.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It's always the keeper, isn't it Chris?

Chris Jones: Nice stop by the Swiss keeper to keep his team's slim hopes alive.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Honduras misses a huge chance!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed away.

Jeff Carlisle: Still 0-0 in the 70th minute in the other match.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Wins a corner.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain wins the ball and Villa is on the run.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile on the counter, which isn't much of a counter anymore.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Alexis Sanchez off for Fabian Orellana for Chile.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Villa wins a corner, again penetrating deep into Chilean territory.

Luke Cyphers: This is pretty amazing to watch from Row X. It's like geometry, but it moves.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Iniesta dribbles to the back line before the ball ping-pongs back and forth between several Chilean defenders and falls to Xabi, whose shot is blocked.

Jeff Carlisle: Luke's prediction is come true. Chile look like they're running out of gas. Can't get out of their own half.

Luke Cyphers: Iniesta is sick

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He is all kinds of dangerous. As per usual.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Villa again gets the ball with him in the box, he chests it down but can't get to it as it's tackled away from him.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Cesc and Busquets combined well and played a lovely through ball to Villa, who misplayed it.

Chris Jones: Switzerland fails to convert on a good chance... They're in trouble.

Luke Cyphers: Spanish foot skills clinic.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: David Villa tries to back heel a ball into the net -- to no avail.

Luke Cyphers: and compress.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Could be from where Estrada kicked him?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Torres has the mother of all ice packs on his left leg.

Luke Cyphers: I think all these Spanish midfielders are going to wear out the Chileans, though.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: South Dakota would have beaten France this year...

Chris Jones: Not if we keep losing to Trinidad & Tobago.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile is trying here, and considering that they're a man down, they're moving good advances.

Luke Cyphers: It was proof that Canadians can be insufferable drunk jingoists. Just like us!

Chris Jones: Good times, Luke. Good times.

Luke Cyphers: How about that Olympic hockey, though, huh?

Chris Jones: Qualified once, in 1986. Three and out. Didn't score a goal. But lost only 1-0 to France!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A good attempt on a through ball to Villa, but the Chilean defense closed it out.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A striker off for a midfielder for Spain, which hasn't controlled the ball as well as it usually does.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Fernando Torres is off for Cesc Fabregas!

ESPN Stats and Info: As of right now, the 2.1 goals scored per match is the lowest ratio in a tournament all-time.

Chris Jones: How do you think I feel? Stupid Canada.

Jeff Carlisle: Costa Rica is especially proud Chris.

Chris Jones: Honduras has 1 shot on goal. For the entire tournament. Doing CONCACAF proud,

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Nice flop by Puyol there, whose face was barely touched, in intrusion of personal space nevertheless meritorious of going down.

Chris Jones: Honduras has had one shot on goal. The entire tournament. Making CONCACAF proud.

Jeff Carlisle: Peredes with an arm swing to the noggin of Puyol. He's back up though.

Luke Cyphers: Villa's feeling it, though.

ESPN Stats and Info: France was the only other team to score in the tournament down a man (vs. South Africa).

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Villa with a chance, but no go.

Chris Jones: 1 for 127.

Chris Jones: Good ol' Stats.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A wide-open header nodded wide by them!

ESPN Stats and Info: Since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1998, the 101 goals scored in the group stage thus far are the lowest total by 16 goals.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Honduras with the fat chance!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile seems rejuvenated.

Chris Jones: That's a good Stats.

ESPN Stats and Info: Working on it...

Chris Jones: Stats?

Chris Jones: Switzerland now needs 2, I believe. Major delay there -- a clash of heads in the box. Two players down.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Off the knee of Pique, who seems to have been deflecting a lot of things today.

Jeff Carlisle: Casillas looked to be completely unsighted as well.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Millar's shot was deflected!

Luke Cyphers: I was just about to write that if Chile weren't down a man, it would still feel like they were in this match.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Curled it in from the edge of the box!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What a shot!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: 2-1!!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Also on for Chile is Paredes for Valdivia.

ESPN Stats and Info: Andres Iniesta's goal was the 100th goal of the tournament.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Millar, who has come on for Gonzelez, misses entirely a good feed in the box.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: And we're back underway here between Chile and Spain too.

Chris Jones: The Spain-Chile game is nearly three minutes behind Switzerland-Honduras. I call shenanigans!

Jeff Carlisle: I think Chile's second half strategy will be to pray for Honduras.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Which one could just as easily identify as the Honduras game.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The Switzerland game is back on.

Chris Jones: Thanks for the halftime country joy, everybody. Banglajeff seriously almost made me mess myself.

ESPN Stats and Info: Correction: Chile up 2-0 in that game, USA equalized, and Chile scored three unanswered to win 5-2.

Chris Jones: So I don't risk the wrath of people thinking I'm playing favorites, several posters have suggested CHILE CON CARNAGE as a possible headline. That's good stuff.

ESPN Stats and Info: Chile's World Cup record when they've conceded two or more goals is 1-10-1. The lone victory came in 1950, when Chile trailed 2-0 to the United States and scored three unanswered goals to win.

Luke Cyphers: I'm thinking they're more Fly Girls, Jeff.

Jeff Carlisle: Luke-raine.

Jeff Carlisle: The spawn of the Solid Gold Dancers is now entertaining us.

Chris Jones: Not ringing a bell.

Paul Grant: Northwest Jeffitories.

Jeff Carlisle: Not Jeffrica, but Jeffghanistan.

Jeff Carlisle: I like that one. One big, ungovernable, wasteland.

Luke Cyphers: The defending set the stage for Rodriguez, Jeff.

Chris Jones: Greece played in the World Cup?

Luke Cyphers: Schaerlaeckens is a disputed territory in the lowlands.

Jeff Carlisle: And not Rodriguez?

Luke Cyphers: MVPs for Espana: Pique, Xabi Alonso, Capdevila, for absorbing all that early pressure.

Chris Jones: Sorry, that fits with none of our names.

Jeff Carlisle: The creativity of our readers knows no bounds.

Jeff Carlisle: BTW, 0-0 at half between Switzerland and Honduras.

Chris Jones: Halftimes all around.

Jeff Carlisle: That was good NYC.

Chris Jones: Stats has a way of killing hope with reason.

Luke Cyphers: And Joe, I salute you.

Jeff Carlisle: After three yellows and a red, you'd think Chile would back off at this point, but the challenges are still flying in.

Luke Cyphers: The first will be for diving, I predict.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain has yet to incur a single booking this tournament.

ESPN Stats and Info: Spain has never gone from two goals up to a loss at the World Cup, and have not gone from two goals up to a draw since 1994 vs. South Korea.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Two minutes of extra time here.

Luke Cyphers: First time this match has caught its breath. Those were two really nice goals.

Chris Jones: Switzerland pressing but still scoreless there.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Iniesta's cheeky little through ball almost reaches Torres.

Chris Jones: Exactly.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: They'll always have that.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Some Chileans don't appear bothered about the carnage on the field and happily wave at the cameras.

Chris Jones: I'd rather be a hot dog.

Luke Cyphers: Luketenstein.

Jeff Carlisle: Chile's players are asking for cards after every foul now. Can't say I blame them.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: If you were though, Luke, what country would you be?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Beausejour and Vidal combined for a counter-attack but the cross was headed away.

Luke Cyphers: I'm glad I'm not a country.

Chris Jones: If I'm Brazil, I'm pretty happy right now. If I'm Portugal, not so much.

Luke Cyphers: Chris, Bielsa is known for creative formations.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The whole game turned on that bad clearance by Bravo and Villa's subsequent goal.

Chris Jones: If Chile advances, I'm not sure they'll have enough players left.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: How quickly the comfy situation turned dire for Chile.

Luke Cyphers: Wonder if that's a makeup call for the one where Torres got hammered in the box.

Chris Jones: No score there after 39 minutes.

Chris Jones: If the score here stands, now Switzerland needs only to win by 1 to eliminate Chile.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Disgraceful refereeing here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It appears to have been, Jeff.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: David Villa fed Iniesta with a ball back at the top of the box. Iniesta slotted into the far corner. Meanwhile, Estrada accidentally walked into Torres's heel after which the latter went to eart and Estrada got his second yellow.

ESPN Stats and Info: Estrada's second yellow was the 12th booking for Chile at the World Cup so far, while Spain has had zero.

Jeff Carlisle: If indeed that was the call.

Jeff Carlisle: That was incredibly soft. Estrada just clipped Torres' heels and he went down like Kader Keita

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I think Estrada is off for a second red card.

Jeff Carlisle: Torres got knocked down and Ponce is in trouble here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A red card has left a pocket.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Something odd is happening here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Iniesta!

Jeff Carlisle: Doesn't matter now.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: GOAL!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He had every right to claim a penalty there.

Luke Cyphers: Another clunky touch by Torres. No penalty though?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Torres wrestles for the ball in the box and is knocked over but doesn't get the penalty.

Luke Cyphers: Maybe a tournament saver.

Luke Cyphers: Massive hustle by Pique

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed away by Alonso.

Jeff Carlisle: Beasejour waited to long to pull the trigger on that one.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Beausejour on the break chips it over Casillas but just wide of the goal. Touched by Pique though. Corner.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Close for Chile!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Pique heads it over, competing only with Ramos for the ball.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Iniesta wins Spain a corner.

Jeff Carlisle: Torres' touch has just been off for the entire tournament. Villa set the table nicely there for him and he just killed the attack.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Smack her with one.

Chris Jones: That's dork squared to the infinite dorkness.

Jeff Carlisle: There's a woman sitting near me who screams every time Chile gets near the box. I think I'd rather listen to the vuvuzelas.

Luke Cyphers: So strange watching Spain sit and counter.

Chris Jones: No score in Switzerland-Honduras after 30 minutes.

Luke Cyphers: Chile drives their crosses low.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed away by Xabi Alonso.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Corner to Chile.

Jeff Carlisle: Sanchez is frightening with the ball at his feet. Wins a corner for Chile.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That one went OVER the backboard.

Luke Cyphers: Aaaiirrr Baaaalllll

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Villa's free kick would have been on target, if the goal had been built on top of two other goals.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ponce and Medel are now out of the next game.

Chris Jones: That's dork point of order.

ESPN Stats and Info: Villa is now Spain's all-time leading World Cup scorer with six goals.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Estrada takes out Iniesta and gets Chile's third yellow, after Ponce and Medel.

Jeff Carlisle: He's already on a yellow and he fouls Iniesta I think.

Chris Jones: A little unlucky, Jeff, that the ball ended up on the feet of Spain's best finisher. So much keeper hate.

Jeff Carlisle: Estrada is in trouble here.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: What's with this mindless dork-on-dork violence?

Jeff Carlisle: As great a finish as that was, that was a monumental blunder from Bravo. He should have either stayed put, or put the ball out for a throw-in.

ESPN Stats and Info: David Villa now responsible for Spain's last four goals, including all three goals in this World Cup.

Chris Jones: That's dork anger.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It was a pretty finish. My point was that Chile has been the better team, that's why it was undeserved.

Luke Cyphers: They took what Chile gave them

Chris Jones: That was a really pretty finish, Leander. That was way harder than it looked -- to hit the net from 40 yards.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I was just writing how Chile was putting on a clinic in how to keep Spain off the ball and from getting into a rhythm.

Luke Cyphers: Great run by Torres on the long ball. Was that Xabi Alonso's pass?

Jeff Carlisle: From at least 40 yards. What composure.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Undeserved early lead for Spain.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Bravo had come far out of his goal to clear a ball, which rolled to Villa who on a single touch curled it into the vacant net.

Jeff Carlisle: Incredible!

Luke Cyphers: Wow

Luke Cyphers: Villa

Leander Schaerlaeckens: GOAL!!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Booted away by Capdevilla.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Headed out by Pique.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Valdivia behind it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Long free kick now for Chile after Ramos commits a foul.

Chris Jones: That's dork multi-tasking.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A hops to the back line and gets a cross of. For his trouble he was rewarded with a ball straight into Bravo's hands.

Luke Cyphers: Nice run

Leander Schaerlaeckens: There's Villa!

Chris Jones: Yellow to Estrada. Three cards for Chile already.

Chris Jones: That's dork logic.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That was dirty. A red would have matched the viciousness of that move much better.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Ponce sticks his cleats back into Torres as the two get up!

Jeff Carlisle: Ponce just received a yellow. He'll miss the next match.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It wobbles even in one's hands!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: And again, as Chile plays it out.

Luke Cyphers: Jabulani strikes again!

Jeff Carlisle: That's the second throw-in that has slipped out of a Spain player's hands. Where's the stickum when you need it?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He gets to do it again.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Capdevilla fumbles a throw-in and then complains to the ref about fumbling it.

Luke Cyphers: Has anybody seen David Villa?

Luke Cyphers: Gonzalez: Big ups.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Inches over Gonzalez's head.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Valdivia out on the right with a great cross!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A header from that fella who put Spain to the sword with two big chances goes just wide!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Switzerland almost scores!

Chris Jones: That's dork heaven.

Jeff Carlisle: So far, Ponce and Jara have done well containing any long passes.

Luke Cyphers: Chile's putting lots of folks forward. Spain might think about some long ball to Torres.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spain is underwhelming in these last minutes and often resorting to kicking at Chilean legs.

Jeff Carlisle: Chile have had a surprising amount of possession so far. They are playing Spain, right?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Sanchez attempts a very clever chip which Casillas struggles to handle!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Beausejour (beautiful journey) makes the back line but his cross is off.

Luke Cyphers: Suddenly, Chile's in control.

Chris Jones: Weird hair metal-French soccer crossover there. Cover it Live: Bridging divides since a little over two weeks ago.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: If I could grow one like that I would, shave it off, and then grow it over again. Just because I could.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Del Bosque's really is a fabulous moustache.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Deflected and sailed into Casillas's hands.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Estrada with a good shot from distance!

Chris Jones: No score in Switzerland-Honduras after 11 minutes.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Very clever runs and a good step-over lead to a nice chance. But the finish wasn't there as Gonzalez slipped.

Luke Cyphers: Pretty, though.

Jeff Carlisle: Beausejour's ball was just a fraction behind Gonzalez.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Lovely attack which almost ended in a Chilean goal!

Luke Cyphers: And a great attack.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile with a nice spell of possession now.

ESPN Stats and Info: After the first two group games Spain had attempted a tournament high 37 shots.

Chris Jones: Interestingly, both keepers are captains tonight. At least I find that interesting.

Jeff Carlisle: I swear it looks like Chile are playing with four forwards. It's madness I tell you. But fun.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Which I suppose you could blame either on my being underinformed or Chile overperforming.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile has surprised me most thus far this tournament.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: It's pretty much all Spain.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chile is not holding the ball the way it likes to.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Bumble, bounce, skip, hop, cleared.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Xavi to lift it into the box.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Free kick for Spain.

Chris Jones: In the first two games, Casillas has looked pretty shaky in the Spanish goal... I'll be curious to see how he plays tonight... If Chile gets a shot.

Jeff Carlisle: Almost a catastrophic defensive error by Chile.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: A loooooong ball from Capdevilla got Torres on the run. But Torres couldn't find the room or the bounce to get a good shot off.

Luke Cyphers: There's a hair comment on Torres coming, I can feel it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Torres misses!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He looks like he'll be attracting a lot of attention tonight. Both from the ball and from opponents.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Torres with yet another touch slips away after getting onto it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Torres gets his head on a long free kick but nods it well over.

Luke Cyphers: Wasn't Puyol the bassist for Winger?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I hope my hair looks half that good when I'm your age in two years.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Don't get down on yourself man. It always has good volume and looks shiny.

Luke Cyphers: What's left of it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Other than Luke Cyphers. Whose hair is also lovely.

Chris Jones: English is his third language.*

*True.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: If he doesn't go on to become a shampoo brand poster boy I don't know who will.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Carles Puyol's hair is luscious as always.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: This game is a gogo.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The ground rules now are: no whingeing, no swearing, no puns on Chile and... we've made an executive decision to no longer post compliments. We're getting a little weirded out. Us writers aren't used to being loved. We are accustomed only to paranoia.

Jeff Carlisle: Spain: Casillas; Ramos, Pique, Puyol, Capdevila; Busquets, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Torres, Villa

Chris Jones: Spain in dark blue... Looks weird.

Chris Jones: If I see another Chile pun posted in the comments, I'm going to lose it.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Silence fell...

Jeff Carlisle: See? I speak the truth.

Jeff Carlisle: Chile lineup: Bravo; Ponce, Isla, Medel, Jara; Vidal, Valdivia, Estrada; Sanchez, Gonzalez, Beausejour

Luke Cyphers: Love the Chilean anthem. A combination of martial music and Warner Bros. cartoon themes. Peppy!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: I think Chile will score.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Another anthem.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Their style is not dissimilar to Spain's.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Both. The coach brought on a flag that was recovered from the rubble after the earthquake. That and they're actually a good team.

Chris Jones: Now you've infamy with a whiny comment, Brian. Life's not fair.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Chilean anthem...

Chris Jones: Potentially forever.

Jeff Carlisle: I don't know what the Chiki part means, but Rodriguez definitely looks like Dracula.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Never.

Chris Jones: If it's upset city tonight, then Chile advances in first place (to play Portugal in the Round of 16); the rest will be tied at 3 points each and it will come down to goal differential. Honduras would have to win by A LOT to get in. Spain is up by one on Switzerland.

I can't wait till all this math is done. Where's my Tab?

Jeff Carlisle: Marco Rodriguez aka Chikidracula, is tonight's match referee.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The bran muffin character was added only for the second season, as such, we regular cast members kind of look down on it.

Luke Cyphers: About that video, gotta love the love from (as Keith Jackson would say), "Chilly LINK'-un NuhBRAASKK-uh."

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Jeff will be on the tunnel beat all night.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Our somewhere doing actual journalism, I believe.

Jeff Carlisle: The players are in the tunnel.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Our GameCast is developing its own cast and subplots! I hear the Fat Lady is suspecting of the murder of the Guy on the 47th Floor.

ESPN Stats and Info: Spain have won the last 38 games in which they have scored, a run stretching back to 2007.

Chris Jones: It's good stuff, Jess.

Jeff Carlisle: I love it when a plan comes together.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Or was I born too late?

Chris Jones: We just call it bacon.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Isn't this how A-team episodes start?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Here.

Luke Cyphers: Huh?

Jeff Carlisle: Yo.

Chris Jones: Present.

Jeff Carlisle: Ah, Leander, you're psychic powers are indeed finely tuned.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: That's a bit of a niche distinction isn't it? "Internet-savvy"?

Luke Cyphers: I've always wanted to be part of a cult.

Chris Jones: If Switzerland wins 2-0, and Chile loses, Switzerland is through. In fact, if Spain beats Chile by 1-0, Switzerland wins the group.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Is this Game 47 per chance, Jeff?

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Indeed. That's the mark of true GameCast fandom, knowing what my last name is supposed to sound like. Hint: it's very gutteral.

Jeff Carlisle: For the 47th time this month, Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved" on the stadium PA.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Now please don't set about attempting to break that record just for the sake of it! It's heard enough to keep up!

Luke Cyphers: Half of whom are wondering how to pronounce Leander's name.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: The record is 18,800, set during Algeria-USA when, as mentioned, but to be repeated again by a proud GameCaster, we had a million readers.

Chris Jones: Marco, for Brazil-Portugal, we got 11,500 comments. Getting posted is like winning the most worthless lottery in the world.

Luke Cyphers: Yeah, that's me, Mr. Futbol.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Luke, I know you mean only good when you post things like that, but with all of your proper soccer analysis you're exposing us as the frauds that we are.

Luke Cyphers: Sometimes the lineup sheets tell a tale: Chile has four guys on yellow cards tonight, two guys suspended, while Spain has zero. Maybe the Spaniards really are all about finesse.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Spanish win and the Swiss win by the right margin, and the Chileans could still be knocked out, in spite of winning both of their games and sitting in first.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Let's get to a little mail.

ESPN Stats and Info: Chile has scored exactly one goal in their last five World Cup matches, while David Villa is responsible for Spain's last three World Cup goals.

Chris Jones: And while we're waiting, I'm sure most of you have seen this already, but for goosebump awesomeness, and to get you jacked for tomorrow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Since Carlisle is insisting on actually talking about soccer, scroll below this commentary feed to check out the lineups and the live standings.

Luke Cyphers: Roll out the Roja carpet.

Jeff Carlisle: Stay chatting my friends.

Here at Loftus-Versfeld Stadium, it's difficult to tell who has the edge in fan support, since both sides are usually decked out in smashing red ensembles. Player intros revealed a heavy presence of Spain fans.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: So it's not cool then, Luke.

Chris Jones: Hey everybody. This game ought to be a little better than Brazil-Portugal. And we'll try to keep you updated on Switzerland-Honduras while we're at it.

Luke Cyphers: We were waiting a long time.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Going against every rule of GameCast and saying stuff before being introduced by the Master of Ceremonies.

Luke Cyphers: Speaking of cool, that's a great weather segue: It's very pleasant tonight in Pretoria/Tshwane

Leander Schaerlaeckens: And hence are also introduced Luke Cyphers and Jeff Carlisle.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: We're not late! We're cool.

Jeff Carlisle: Seriously.

Luke Cyphers: What took you guys so long? I'm usually the late one.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: He's a little shy about saying stuff, after we discovered that 1 million of you logged into our USA-Algeria GameCast.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: With me here is best gal-pal Chris Jones.

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Excitement abound!

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Here we are again!