Argentina 2, Mexico 1 [O.T.]: Unbelievable game. Maxi Rodriguez hit the goal of the tournament nine minutes into overtime, as the the popular favorites took everything the Tricolores had for 120 minutes. Both teams swapped goals in the first nine minutes, then exchanged body shots the rest of the way before Rodriguez hit his gamewinner. Those who have attached Team U.S.A. as "overrated" should note that Mexico is a team we routinely beat. Next up is an epic quarterfinal between Argentina and Germany, a rematch of the 1986 and 1990 World Cups.

The local paper had an op-ed piece yesterday by a local talkradio blowhard, who discovered the startling numbers Univision has been getting for its World Cup coverage and posited the notion that the Reconquista has occurred. Imagine, more people are watching Spanish language coverage on Univision than on ABC (a phenomenum that has been true in L.A. for the 25 years that the games have been broadcast). More people are tuning into Mexico's games than the U.S.' (bfd, most soccer fans in SoCal aren't American citizens, they're immigrants; why should they root for the U.S.?). Being a sports fan means developing a loyalty to a team, a loyalty that doesn't get abandoned simply because you move away. If a Mexican immigrant were to immediately abandon El Tris and start rooting for the U.S., that would be stark evidence he's untrustworthy and not fit to be a U.S. citizen, and he should be deported immediately. Who wants someone in our country whose loyalty is so pliable?