Well, as usual, I told you so. Greece's chilli-free yeeros was no match for the spicy hot South Korean kim-chi, while Nigeria's hot broth never quite hit the boil against an Argentine parrilla picante. So much for the entrees.
Thursday night's second course will answer a few intriguing questions. Maradona's motley mob face another stern test against Huh's happy heroes. Can Los Albiceleste lift their game a few notches and break down Korea's disciplined defence?
Will Messi finally hit the back of the net? Will Diego drop his pants if he does? Or can the classy Koreans smash their way into the second round with a major upset? One way or another, it should be a great game to watch.
As ever, all eyes will be on the sidelines, where a boxed, hyperactive Maradona looks desperate to get onto the pitch. Argentina's inability to put the Nigerians away - despite Enyeama's outstanding goal-keeping - should be cause for concern. As the UK press put it:
"You sense that Argentina could lose to the first well-organised team they meet..."
Indeed. This match could well degenerate into a battle of chaos versus control. While I've berated Pim for not letting the Socceroos play their natural game against Germany, Diego seems determined to do just the opposite. So is there more to his coaching ability than "have fun and pass it to Messi"? This game should tell us.
Meanwhile, Greece and Nigeria will be battling to avoid oblivion. Otto Rehengel insists his campaign still has wheels, but it's hard to see the unimaginative Greeks holding out Nigeria's talented attack for long.
Motivation might be a problem. Even if the Hellenic homeboys can somehow scrape a win, they will surely be blasted off the pitch in their final game against Argentina. So Greece's World Cup is effectively over already - they are playing for pride and their first-ever World Cup points.
A much more appetising confrontation awaits when the Super Eagles face South Korea in their last group encounter, a game which will most likely determine who follows Argentina into the second round.
I still fancy the silky Koreans, but Lars Lagerbäck's lads should be brimming with confidence, assuming things don't fall apart against Greece. In form and on a roll, either side could pose serious problems for whoever wins Group A.
