Thursday June 17th Group B Argentina on course with Higuain hat-trick Argentina 4 South Korea 1 (Johannesburg) A hat-trick from Gonzalo Higuain left Argentina on the brink of qualification with the 4-1 thumping of South Korea. A free-kick crossed into the box in the 16th minute went in off the shin of Park Chu young for an own goal. A murderous shot from Tevez in the 28th minute whistled over the bar and 5 minutes later Argentina were 2 up when a free-kick was crossed to Burdisso who flicked it with a header onto the head of Higuain to nod in from close range. Jung Sung ryong palmed a cross onto the foot of di Maria in the 39th minute but saved well from his shot, and with a minute of the half left Messi dribbled outside the box and chipped the ball wide of the post, but Demichelis was dispossessed by Lee Chung Yong who knocked it passed Romero with the last kick of the half. In the 52nd minute Tevez passed the ball to di Maria who lifted it Higuain but the Korean keeper made a great point-blank save and got down to save from Tevez a minute later. South Korea had a great chance in the 58th minute when Lee Chung Yong and Yeom Ki Hun combined in a swift attack ending in the latter poking the ball wide. In the 78th minute Messi saw his shot blocked by Jung Sung Ryong but he knocked the return off the post for a tap-in by Higuain and 2 minutes later Messi found Aguero who lifted the ball onto the head of Higuain to complete his hat-trick	Higuain opens his account with header
Nigeria pay for petulance Greece 2 Nigeria 1 (Bloemfontein) A Nigerian red card turned the game around giving Greece the first ever World Cup goals and win in their history. Tzorvas in the Greek goal was deceived by a free-kick from Ucho after a quarter of an hour giving Nigeria a deserved lead, but in the 33rd minute Sani Kaita kicked out at Torosidis and was promptly shown a red card after which Greece began to push forward and within 6 minutes Salpingidis received the ball in the box but couldn't slot it past Enyeama. Two minutes later a corner was flicked on at the near post towards Samaras whose effort was cleared off the line, but a minute from the break a shot from Salpingidis took a wicked deflection and Greece were level. A teasing cross from Uche was tipped over the bar 3 minutes after the break. In the 59th minute a defensive header from Yobo fell to Gakas in front of goal but Enyeama blocked brilliantly and Nigeria broke swiftly into the Greek half with Tzorvas saving from Yakubu and Obasi putting the rebound wide of an empty goal. In the 68th minute Salpingidis floated a cross onto the head of Kyrgiakos who picked his spot but Enyeama dived majestically to keep the ball out, but 3 minutes later the Nigerian keeper spilled a shot from Tziolis and Torosidis was on hand to score what turned out to be the winner for Greece.	Obasi misses open goal
Group A Mexico hit fading France Mexico 2 France 0 (Polokwane) The future of France in this World Cup looks bleak after losing 2-0 to Mexico. Salcido got into the box from the left in the 27th minute but his shot was blocked by Lloris and in the 54th minute Malouda had his shot knocked over the bar, with Perez beating away a shot from Ribery a minute later. In the 64th minute Javier Hernandez beat the offside trap and rounded the keeper to roll the ball in for Mexico who made it 2 when veteran player Cuauhtémoc Blanco slotted the ball home from the penalty spot after a foul on Barrera 13 minutes from time.	Hernandez gets past Llores to score for Mexico

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