Live Blog: Korea and Mexico in Rostov

Although World Cup games often happen while I am working, the obstacles are now removed and I can watch them as much as I want to until Monday.

6:16 p.m. (58 minutes into the game) South Korea vs. Mexico is a highly entertaining game. Mexico: The billiard-like passes between the teammates; their lack of the listless passivity that has dragged down most of the best teams in the Cup; the brilliant goalkeeping of Guillermo Ochoa; the ease with which they run at the South Korean goal with three or four opposing players thronging around them, successfully preventing the ball from being taken away... All of this left me starry-eyed after the first half. The South Koreans aren't lousy either, just not the same type of 'soccer gods' who seem to have been playing soccer from their cradles and kicked a ball as soon as they could drink from a baby's bottle.

6:20 p.m. (62 minutes into the game) Hirving Lozano just sprang what looked like 4 feet into the air to catch a pass from a teammate with his feet, in front of the South Korean goal. It didn't bring any advantage for Mexico as far as I could tell, but it was truly beautiful. ..sigh.. But now he's been injured and, although he is no longer getting medical attention, he was hobbling around on the field for a while — and just looked terribly young.

6:23 p.m. (65 minutes into the game) Chicharrito has scored a goal for Mexico, so it's 2-0. This time it wasn't an 11-metre penalty. Apparently there was fouling going on, so it's an 'unclean' goal, per the television commentator, which is sad — I missed that scene.

6:30 p.m. (72 minutes into the game) I wonder if South Korea has had many more shots on Mexico's goal than vice versa. In the first half it looked like the Mexican team was purposely letting the Korean team do a lot of the running. ... Another yellow card after another foul, this time by the Korean team. (I don't remember the Mexican team getting yellow cards, but perhaps I missed one.)

6:34 p.m. (76 minutes into the game) Guillermo Ochoa to the goaltending rescue again... I admire his skills so much, although he just nearly gave the ball away with a too-complacent pass to a teammate at his goal. He has clashed knees with a Korean player and doesn't look very happy.

6:37 p.m. (79 minutes into the game) Yet another handball, a few minutes ago. Another yellow card as a Mexican player lies on the ground, again — a Korean player 'clotheslined' him across the throat...

6:47 p.m. (89 minutes into the game) It looks like a Mexican player has been bonked in the nose by a Korean player's arm... I will say that on the whole the Korean players seem friendly enough before, during and after their teammates' fouls. Speaking of which...

6:50 p.m. (90 +2 minutes into the game) The Korean team has now scored a goal against Mexico. 1-2. I guess it's well-deserved after all their effort. But admittedly I still yelled 'Noooo.'

6:53 p.m. Game ended. The Korean team looks sad, but they didn't do badly — at least in this game; I haven't seen their others.