Key events<\/p>\n
48 min: Swiss free-kick, smashed in by Vargas, and headed behind with some element of panic. Vargas\u2019s corner is almost as dangerous. And results in another.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 47 min: Mike Wilner gets in touch: \u201cThe halftime adverts are on here in the USA. Messi is in most of them. He doesn\u2019t say a word, just dribbles a ball around the product. Beckham is in the rest of the ads. He won\u2019t shut up. Go figure.\u201d<\/p>\n Becks\u2019 on a lot of TV back home, too. Both of them are, in fact.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 46 min: Qatar<\/a> take the kick off, and smash the ball out of play, as is the vogue.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019re just about back, but here\u2019s Jonathan Wilson on Japan.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe unspoken question for Japan was always: why? Why could South Korea have outstripped them like that? South Korea\u2019s first attempt at a professional league, staged in 1983, had comprised largely sides representing corporations and banks, and was won by Hallelujah, a club run by evangelical Christians. It had only had a truly professional national league from 1996, by which time the glitzy JLeague, with foreign stars such as Gary Lineker, Ram\u00f3n D\u00edaz and Zico, had been running for three years.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Even Christina Unkel is questioning why Fifa is not showing why the penalty is not offside. She doesn\u2019t seem to think it was onside, and in her polite way, says it\u2019s a \u201cmiss\u201d for the governing body. Gary Neville compares the decision to that of a \u201cdictatorship\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Dan Zilic gets in touch: \u201cGerman TV referee (Thorsten Kimh\u00f6fer) says that they have semi-automated offside in the stadium. He thinks that either didn\u2019t work or the camera angle was too confusing. But he says it looks like clear offside. But he also said the line ref didn\u2019t raise the flag either. Thanks for the fun commentary.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hugh Molloy gets in touch: \u201cThe irony of the Qatar (population 3m) playing in front of so many empty seats when the actual World Cup<\/a> in Qatar was played to packed houses across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half-time: Qatar 0-1 Switzerland<\/p>\n The direction of traffic and weight of possession is much as expected, though Qatar\u2019s Edmilson has had two serviceable chances. Switzerland<\/a> will want more, far more, from the second half.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40+6 min: Embolo does well again, spinning, and drawing away defenders. Aebischer shoots at goal but there\u2019s defenders in the way. That second goal won\u2019t come.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+5 min: The Swiss have not been too convincing, and concede another corner. It\u2019s cleared but they have been casual.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45+3 min: Neat turn from Embolo, and Vargas forces another fine save.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.53 EDT<\/p>\n 45+2 min: Xhaka has been pulling the strings, as expected, if quieter than at Sunderland. Different climate, of course.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 min: Qatar hoping to go into the break with just a single-goal deficit but six minutes are added on\u2026.Ndoye gets a shot in, and hits it well. Too well? Abunada saves. He\u2019s had a decent game barring the penalty.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 44 min: This time the Qatari\u2019s creativity with the corner leads to over-complication and the ball being cleared.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43 min: Afif springs into life, and Edmilson Junior seizes on a fine pass, to force a fine save from Kobel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42 min: A Swiss yellow for Zakaria for a foul on an escaping Yusuf. Zakaria is playing off the right, as an attacking full-back, when he is normally a midfielder.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min: The Swiss frustrated in their search for a second, with shooting from a far too narrow angle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min: They\u2019re doing a Mexican wave, so called in the UK because of the 1986 World Cup<\/a>. Other parts of the world call it a mere \u201cwave\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 min: Charles Antaki gets in touch: \u201cIt\u2019s just struck me that – possibly for the first time ever on a football field – we have a player whose name, spelt backwards, is the same as the organisation under whose auspices the game is being played. Step forward Afif\/Fifa for the award.\u201d<\/p>\n Is there a Aefu playing football? A Lobemnoc?<\/p>\n Qatar’s Akram Afif. Photograph: David Gonzales\/IMAGN IMAGES\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.58 EDT<\/p>\n 35 min: Embolo carves a chance for Ndoye who gets his feet under the ball and blasts into the stands. Another goal is surely coming soon.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 min: A decent Freuler cross, nodded away, and then Ndoye cuts in to have his cross-shot blocked. The ball keeps coming back to the Swiss team. The estimate of 65% possession seems low.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min: Again, the atmosphere is low on energy. And the seats at the bottom of the stand visible from the cameras are in no way full. What happened to 104 Super Bowls?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31 min: Pedro collided with Ahmed, his teammate but will be OK to continue. He leaves the field but not for a minute. Collisions with teammates are OK, by the ever lengthening letter of the law.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 29 min: Qatar<\/a> have a corner. And are delighted. They take their time, and go short, Afif\u2019s ball is decent and causes problems. Qatar\u2019s Pedro has gone down hurt.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27 min: Will that break change things? Qatar<\/a> go long, their goalie hoofing the ball up to Abdurisag. Afif? Not seen much of him yet.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 min: Matthias gets in touch: \u201cGenuinely, how is that not offside? I will be using this decision (and the lack of replays) as further evidence of Fifa\u2019s untrustworthiness and corruption next time a decision goes against Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n Our drinks break is accompanied by a drum session that sounds like Santana\u2019s percussion section falling down a hill. Then comes the world\u2019s worst record: House Of Pain.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 24 min: Another chance for Switzerland<\/a> to boom in a set piece. It\u2019s knocked behind and we have a drinks break, as the first quarter ends. Why not change ends?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 min: Joe Pearson gets in touch: \u201cEven though Alan Parsons is English, the use of \u201cSirius\u201d is nearly as American as (venture capitalism) apple pie, having been used by the Chicago Bulls as walkup music since the Jordan years.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 21 min: Christina Unkel, ITV\u2019s VAR expert, says the tech came up with the decision. She doesn\u2019t appear to wish to question its fallibility. As she does so, Zakaria has a shot saved. Abunada, by the by, was booked for his foul for the penalty.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 19 min: Edmilson Junior is the son of Edmilson, a Brazilian player, though not the the 2002 Brazilian World Cup<\/a> winner. Qatar are rueing that early chance.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18 min: We\u2019re going to need to see that penalty offside again. Fifa appear reluctant to show it.<\/p>\n