Once more a match turned on a refereeing error, when after Mexico had made a bright start at Soccer City, Carlos Tevez’s opening goal, which looked a yard offside, was allowed to stand. Mexico, who had just seen Carlos Salcido strike the bar from 40 yards, were completely unhinged by the decision, conceded a second when Ricardo Osorio passed straight to South Africa’s deadliest marksman, Gonzalo Higuain. There were scuffles in the tunnel at half time but when Tevez drove home an unstoppable second that should have been that. Mexico, who had lost Argentina at two previous World Cups, kept attacking and brought themselves a measure of compensation with Javier Hernandez’s wonderfully-taken goal. But one more Argentina will meet Germany just as they did in the 1986 and 1990 finals and in the 2006 quarters. Diego Maradona's side will be favourites but this game demonstrated serious Argentinian weaknesses at right-back and centre-half which Joachim Low's side might be more able to exploit than Mexico were.