Match 27: Argentina vs Iran, 5 p.m. BST

[Pangaea]

Nah, there's just gonna be people burning pictures of Messi in the streets of Tehran

Checks location.

Makes sense.

[Pangaea]

Not a pussy, just bias. Just like yesterday for Costa Rica today's penalty would have been 100% signed if it was for the big team.

Can't recall decisions from all matches, but seems like there can be some of that old pattern of small teams not getting the decisions, while the big teams do. But in this ref's defence, the penalty call wasn't as stonewall wrong as Brazil's and the non-call on Costa Rica. Have to wonder what might have happened if Iran went 1-0 up at that point though.

What this World Cup is showing, however, is that the difference between the teams, even the presumed poor ones, is smaller now than in previous World Cups, where you often had a whipping dog or two in the group stage. That's not often the case any more, with many upsets or close upsets in this WC in particular.

[Pukey]

If Nekounam had had sense and cleared the ball instead of showing stinking dribbling, Messi wouldn't have scored.

And if my aunt had balls she'd be my uncle

[PMLF]

Messi vs 11 Iranians:

[kontermann]

congratulations Argentina on winning 1-0 against IRAN by a goal in the 90th minute

[RubenJ]

congrats to Germany for being dominated by Ghana