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3rd & 7 37yd

Reached agreement with mosquitoes - we tape windows with bin bags and slightly fewer feast on us at night #Brazil2014 http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqBQE9pCUAAfv3d.jpg

by Ossian Shine via twitter 6/13/2014 3:16:41 PM
All is not entirely happy in the Cameroon camp. The country's star striker, Samuel Eto'o - who won the Champions League with both Barcelona and Inter Milan - has been accused of "high treason" by the country's Mutations paper.

One newspaper editorial accused the four-time African Footballer of the Year and his team mates of "high treason" as the fallout from their delayed departure to the tournament continued this week.

A strike by the World Cup-bound squad over money meant their expensively-chartered airline took off for Brazil almost 24 hours late as the players attempted to squeeze more appearance money out of their federation.

But what really rankled with the fans and media was the team's refusal to receive a symbolic flag from prime minister Philemon Yang at the end of their last warm-up international against Moldova in Yaounde last Saturday. Their German coach Volker Finke accepted it on their behalf.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 3:33:45 PM
Remote goal cameras are programmed and plated .. game Day+1 in Fortaleza, Brazil . @ Arena Castelão instagram.com

by mikeblake via twitter 6/13/2014 3:40:02 PM
A fact to add to your trivia belt: Rafa Marquez becomes the only player ever to captain his team in four World Cups.

by Ben Walsh via twitter 6/13/2014 3:48:19 PM
Former Barca teammates RT @RWhittall : Samuel Eto'o and Rafa Marquez warmly embrace. The best.

by Ben Walsh via twitter 6/13/2014 3:54:04 PM
#Brazil in the #WorldCup swing, but some host cities still scrambling to get ready => via @Reuters reut.rs/1oXERmO @bzbrad

by Todd Benson via twitter 6/13/2014 3:54:19 PM
The Mexican national anthem has just finished and we're onto Cameroon. The rain continues to pour down.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 3:57:57 PM
ITV's commentators pointing out that there has been a bit of coaching instability on the Mexican national side. Miguel Herrera is the fourth coach in 18 months.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:01:46 PM
And we're underway. Cameron pass the ball around calmly, then Enoh commits a foul and gives Mexico a free kick in their own half.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:03:22 PM
Mexico should have the first corner of the game. A cross is clearly deflected off Assou-Ekotto. Mexico maintain the pressure regardless but can't do anything with it yet.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:06:16 PM
Ohh, Dos Santos is almost free and away on goal, but he was coming back from an offside position. And not by a fine margin. Replay shows he was more than a yard offside. Mexico keep getting space and possession wide on the left. Hector Herrera's latest cross is dealt with, but Cameroon need to figure out what to do about marking Mexico's widemen.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:11:21 PM
And with that Layun gets 40 yards wide on the left to run to the byline and cut in a cross. Cameroon clear.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:12:21 PM
Disallowed goal! A cross comes in from Herrara, Dos Santos breaks free and side foots it in. The replay shows he was being played onside. It was a great cross and run to split the centerbacks.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:13:45 PM
Cameroon have no idea how to deal with the Mexican wing-backs. Mexico well on top.

by Michael Cox via twitter retweeted by BenDWalsh 6/13/2014 4:14:26 PM
Cameroon win a corner. Mexico clear it to the edge of the box, and it comes back to a very offside attacker.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:17:50 PM
#MEX heat map in the first 15 minutes of this match. #MEXvCMR #WorldCup http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqBeBPmCEAElT9x.jpg

by KICK via twitter retweeted by BenDWalsh 6/13/2014 4:20:53 PM
And with that, Assou-Ekotto makes a run down the left and feeds Samuel Eto'o near the penalty spot. Eto'o hits the post. A big, big chance for Cameroon. And they don't look like they will have many like it if the game continues as it has.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:24:07 PM
Cameroon win a corner. And the ball bounces int eh Mexican six-yard box for what seems like a half-minute. Somehow Mexico clear. Very lucky.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:25:39 PM
A very hard tackle from Chopou-Moting on Aguilar. No card but from the dangerous free kick Rafa Marquez is free at the back post. He tries to deliver an almost carbon-copy of his goal against Argentina in the 2006 World Cup, but only succeeds in taking an even better chance away from his teammate Moreno.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:29:52 PM
Another disallowed goal from Dos Santos! From a corner, the ball comes to the far post, Dos Santos taps it it. BUT the ball came off a Cameroonian head. That should have been 1-0. Or 2-0 for that matter.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:31:40 PM
This refereeing is insane! Blatter has clearly got a massive bet on the Cameroon win.

by Shaun Walker via twitter retweeted by ossianshine 6/13/2014 4:35:28 PM
Mbia is fouled on the wide right. Alex Song takes the free kick, which doesn't beat the first defender. Cameroon do something they haven't done much of yet, which is keep possession. Until Dos Santos wins it back and the game resumes normal course of Mexico building an attack.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:37:29 PM
Guardado takes an elbow to the face from Mbia. Very lucky not to pick up a yellow. Mbia seemed on the replay to judge where Guardado's chin was and decide his elbow should actually be occupying that space instead.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:41:54 PM
Enjoying today's game? Think about how much better it would be in Doha, Qatar where it was 108 degrees today. #2022Qatar

by Brian Sciaretta via twitter retweeted by BenDWalsh 6/13/2014 4:42:59 PM
Miguel Herrera is going through the full SAG handbook of dramatic outrage and lack of comprehension. He's also totally soaked.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:44:50 PM
Another chance for Mexico and another offside. Marquez puts in a great cross from the right and finds Peralta wide open at the far post. He was about a yard offside.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:48:03 PM
Cameroon, the epitome of inefficiency: hard work + poor shape.

by Kyle Martino via twitter retweeted by BenDWalsh 6/13/2014 4:48:35 PM
It's halftime.

Score: 0-0 asterisk 2-0.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 4:49:39 PM
The second half is underway. And here's the first half's most aggrieved man, Giovanni Dos Santos reacting to one of his two disallowed goals.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:08:47 PM
Peralta gets through alone on goal but his shot is well saved by Itanje. Mexico seemed determined to make up for the decisions that went against them in the first half. Alex Song that gets away with no card for a two-footed challenge on Dos Santos. No idea why that's not a yellow.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:14:08 PM
Still not a single card in this game, despite Cameroon's Nounkeu laying into Layun. Moments later, after an innocuous tackle, Alex Song pleads mortal injury. He is able to continue, to the shock of no onlookers.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:16:57 PM
It's finally here! Not a allowed goal, but a yellow card for Moreno bringing down Mbia with a professional and in no way dangerous challenge. Samuel Eto'o, Song, and Asssou-Ekotto takes it. A massive deflection almost leaves Ochoa stranded but it goes wide.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:20:41 PM
Techies in Silicon Valley might get better #WorldCup2014 lunch today than I will covering match in Cuiaba. @Reuters reuters.com/article/2014/0…

by Mary Milliken via twitter 6/13/2014 5:22:44 PM
And it's a GOAL. AN ALLOWED GOAL has been scored by MEXICO. Dos Santos' shot is saved but Peralta steps through and tucks it in. It's what Mexico deserve, or at least half of it.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:23:42 PM
In place for Spain v Netherlands. Lovely sunny day, pitch looks emaculate. Spanish squad just getting off the coach

by Neil Maidment via twitter 6/13/2014 5:24:28 PM
Just got to Cuiaba's #WorldCup2014 Pantanal arena, with improvised taxi taking half-finished roads. Wasn't a short-cut - was the main route!

by Mary Milliken via twitter 6/13/2014 5:25:51 PM
The 10,000 Mexican fans in the stadium are making a lot of noise. And now Eto'o has gone down. Play is stopped and he walks away seemingly able to continue.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:27:26 PM
But not gonna complain about Cuiaba #WorldCup2014 preparedness because 1) I'm at stadium; 2) atmosphere is great; 3) people here are tops!

by Mary Milliken via twitter 6/13/2014 5:27:37 PM
Sub: With Cameroon finally looking like they want to score, Mexico make a sub. Guardado off, Fabian on.

by walsh.benjamin 6/13/2014 5:29:58 PM
Another sub: Chicharito (aka Javier Hernandez) is coming on. Peralta comes off.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:34:36 PM
Nkoulou picks up a yellow card. A bad tackle: dangerous, on the very edge of his box, and starting from a very bad position. Nothing comes from the free kick.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:39:41 PM
Sub: Song comes off, and Webo, a striker, comes on. Cameroon win a corner right away. They'll play with two strikers it looks like. They might as well. Playing with Six defenders hasn't done much for them so far.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:41:45 PM
Mexico's Oribe Peralta celebrates his goal against Cameroon during their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match at the Dunas arena in Natal June 13, 2014. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

by Brian Tracey via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:45:45 PM
Cameroon's Stephane Mbia (back) fights for the ball with Mexico's Andres Guardado during their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match at the Dunas arena in Natal June 13, 2014. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

by Brian Tracey via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:47:30 PM
Ochoa with a great save! The goalkeeper has barely been involved in the second half, but he leaps halfway across his goal to hold on to a header from about six yards out. Pure athleticism on display.

by walsh.benjamin via Reuters 6/13/2014 5:53:31 PM

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