I know I should use exclamation marks sparingly, but two days in a row! Scroll down on the Grauniad's minute-by-minute report of the Saudi-Spain game to the half-time analysis -- that's me again, that is. More on Mr Noise Reduction another time.

End of the round redbreast matches, down to the final four-squared. Time for a rhyme for those heading home:

Goodbye, Paraguay
Iran but I fell
Ivory coasted
Costa Rica as well

Serbs split from Monte
Poles headed south
Trinidad dead
Left US down in the mouth

Tunisia detuned
Croatia's race run
Angola went AWOL
Japan's setting sun

Korea's on the slide
Saudi non-started
Togo had to go
Czechs choked & departed

So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, goodbye, and bring on the knockouts.