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If La Furia Roja play anything like this in the World Cup, they are going to take some stopping... as for Argentina, by God are they dire without Lionel Andres Messi in their ranks.
That's all from me, Anirudh Menon, as angry as I was with Messi not starting, Spain's exhilarating brilliance has made me a very happy man. Damn, I love this game.
89' UFF! FEISTY END TO THIS GAME! Pavon slams into Koke with an ugly, ugly tackle that reeks of a red card and several men in white take exception to it. Plenty of pushing and shoving ensues but Koke's calmness helps defuse the situation. How that was not a red card, though, only the ref will know - and Pepe Reina makes sure the fourth official knows what he thinks of it all.
88' Carvajal hands the ball right back to Spain from the freekick - Guests are Gods, after all - but Messrs. Martinez, Meza and Acuna are unable to make much of it
85' Interesting! Martinez gets hammered into by Ramos and Azpilicueta just outside the Spain box, and it's a position that Meza and Acuna like the look of.
84' OOOO! Acuna's first act is to dance past Koke and win a corner off Carvajal... which, like most things Argentina have tried tonight, comes to nothing.
83' Azpilicueta and Ramos almost play themselves into trouble inside their own box but Marcos Alonso steps in to save their hides. Sampaoli throws on Marcos Acuna for a tired, and disgusted looking, Gio Los Celso
81' Lo Celso tries to thread a ball out to Martinez but Koke reads it with absurd ease. The PSG man then tries to bully the Atleti lad off the ball, but Koke laughs at all that nonsense and passes it out to Carvajal - who gets slammed into by a frustrated Meza.
78' Spain are smacking Argentina up their faces now. Vazquez toys with half the Argentine defence before playing in Alba, who's cross is blocked for a corner. Leo Messi's seen enough and he walks off.
OH MY GOOD LORD! SPAIN ARE GIVING ARGENTINA A SPANKING FOR THE AGES HERE! Otamendi gets lazy on the ball, for what joy only he'll know, and Isco closes him down like a starving wolf. The ball bounces out to Aspas, who plays it back to him and Isco makes absolutely no mistake as he passes it into the net for a THIRD TIME! Hattrick Isco, and he's earned that kiss of the boot from Sergio Ramos. What a player, by jove.
Hahaha! ROUTE ONE FOOTBALL FROM SPAIN! We've seen it all now. De Gea pumps it long, it bisects Rojo and Mercado and Aspas has the simple task of running at Cabellero and smacking it into the goal.
71' AH! THEY HAVE! The Wanda Metropolitana stands up to applaud the Catalan as he's replaced by Cesar Azpilicueta. Pique applauds them in return. A nice touch, that
70' OOO LA LA PIQUE! Pavon presses the hell out of Pique and charges in on him as he recieves a De Gea ball to feet, a second and a 180 degree swivel later, Pavon's going one way and the ball the other. What a player this man is. STOP BOOING HIM, FOR F***'S SAKE
69' Argentina win ANOTHER freekick on the edge of the box - this one's sent deep looking for Tagliafico, but Carvajal does well to nip in ahead of him.
67' OOOOO! Things have gotten a bit feisty here. First Carvajal and Otamendi get into a shoving match before Tagliafico and Isco crash into each other and Meza gets involved, riling Isco up further... Ramos plays peacemaker as he carries Isco away from the spot. No, seriously, Sergio Ramos.
65' Meza is playing rather well, though, and he almost plays in Martinez with a peach of a ball; but Pique scrambles it clear. Argentina press high with rabid intensity - much more like Sampaoli this and they win another freekick on the edge of the box.
63' OH! SOME EXCITEMENT FROM ARGENTINA! Lo Celso looks to backheel a through ball into Pavon's path - but he gets upended, just outside the box. Freekick in a promising position...
THAT, THEN, IS EMPHATICALLY VERY MUCH THAT.
SPAIN 6 - 1 ARGENTINA
If La Furia Roja play anything like this in the World Cup, they are going to take some stopping... as for Argentina, by God are they dire without Lionel Andres Messi in their ranks.
That's all from me, Anirudh Menon, as angry as I was with Messi not starting, Spain's exhilarating brilliance has made me a very happy man. Damn, I love this game.
Toodle-ooo!