Goodnight. OK, that's it from me. Thanks everyone (especially Bob in California) for your time and your emails and enjoy tomorrow's No Football. In a bid to keep the shivers, shakes and sweats of withdrawal at bay, make sure to download and listen to our World Cup Daily podcast, which I'm off to record with James Richardson and others just as soon as I put the full stop at the end of this sentence.

Peep! Peep! Peep! It's all over in São Paulo, where 10-man Belgium have won 1-0 to top Group H and earn themselves a second round match-up with the USA. Meanwhile in Curitiba, ALgeria have drawn 1-1 with Russia, which means the African side go through to the last 16, where they will face Germany.

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90+3 min: The ball's crossed in to the Belgium penalty area, but it's too far ahead of Ji, making it easy for Courtois to claim the ball.

90+1 min: Divock Origi shooots feebly straight at Kim in the Korea goal at the end of a counter-attack that came in the wake of a period of a sustained assault on the Belgian goal. I'm not quite sure how they didn't score, the pick of their three good scoring opportunities was a mid-air Lee Keun-ho flick at the near post, which Thibaut Courtois was forced to bat away.

87 min: Eden Hazard comes on for Belgium and wins a free-kick soon after, courtesy of an ill-timed challenge by Lee. He takes the free-kick from outside the penalty area, picks out Vanden Borre on the bye-line with a sneaky through ball. The Belgium defender tries to drive the ball across the face of ball, but it's blocked and breaks to Hazard. He steadies ahimself and shoots from the edge of the penalty area, but Kim dives to make the save.

85 min: Anthony Vanden Borre takes the ball in to the corner in a bid to run the clock down, but is dispossessed by two opponents, who send the ball up the far end of the field in a last- ditch effort to claw their way back in to the game. They attack down the right flank, but the final ball into the box is poor.

84 min: Lee Keun-ho attempts to bamboozle Lombaerts with a clever step-over on the edge of the Belgium penalty area. It doesn't work and the defender stands firm while the ball runs through to his goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois.

82 min: South Korea keep trying, galloping forw2ard down the right flank courtesy of Lee Yong, the right back. He crosses to Ji, whose shot lacks conviction. A lot of his shots at Sunderland lacked conviction too. He's at Borussia Dortmund now, having failed to cut the mustard on Wearside. No, really.

78 min: That was tough on South Korea. They'd had a period of sustained pressure when Belgium broke, with five attackers taking on four defenders. Too much faff in the final third made it seem as if they'd messed up a good scoring opportunity, but in the second phase of play, Orgigi shot low and hard from distance, Kim could only parry in front of him and Vertonghen was on hand to poke home the rebound. Replays show he was marginally offside.

76 min: Belgium attack on the counter and Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen puts them ahead, following up to slot home the rebound after Korean goalkeeper Kim had spillled a low drive from Divock Origi.

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74 min: Both teams are giving it a right go, here. Ten-man Belgium are creating chances, but certainly aren't having it all their own way. Ji wins the ball on the left flank, down by the corner flag and plays it in to Kim Bo-kyung. He's attempts to infiltrate the Belgium penalty area are thwarted and South Korea are forced on the retreat.

73 min: South Korea substitution: former occasionally ineligible Sunderland player and Manchester City player Ji Dong-won comes on for Son.

72 min: Belgium win a corner and the ball's floated towards the back post, where Divock Origi rose highest to meet it with his head. The ball cannons off the head of a defender and over the bar, but the referee awards a goal-kick.

69 min:Lee Chung-yong tries to tee up Lee Keun-ho with a chipped pass into the penalty area. It's too high for the substitute, who is forced to watch the ball fly over his head.

68 min: Marouane Fellaini, who's been chesting down balls for fun all night, tries using his head for once. It's a bad idea. Having peeled off his marker at the far post, he heads wide from three or four yards out after getting on the end of a fine delivery from Kevin Mirallas.

66 min: South Korea substitution: Kim off, Kim on. More specifically: massive striker Kim Shin-Wook off, Cardiff City midfielder Kim Bo-kyung on.

64 min: With South Korea's Son Heung-min charging from his own penalty asrea to the edge of Belgium's with the ball at his feet, you'd fancy him to score. Jan Vertonghen slides in to dispossess him with a perfectly timed tackle.

64 min: Belgium attack on the break, with Nacer Chadli making ground up the left flank before moving the ball on to Liverpool target Origi. He turns and squares the ball, but gives it away and allows South Korea to counter-attack.

61 min: As things stand in Group H, Belgium will go through as winners, while Algeria would be runners-up. Belgium substitutes: Nacer Chadli and Divock Origi on, Adnan Januzaj and Dries Mertens off.

60 min: Kim brings a smart save out of Courtois with a header.

59 min: From that near miss by Belgian, South Korea embarked on a lightning attack. Son scorched down the inside right and attempted to pick out a team-mate with a cross that hit the cross-bar.

58 min: Algeria equalise against Russia in the other game.

56 min: South Korea play it forward from the back, but gift possession to Kevin Mirallas on the halfway line. He gallops forwards, plays the ball wide to Mertens, who stings the palms of Kim in the Korean goal with a low drive.

54 min: Januzaj dinks a nice pass along the deck to Fellaini from the right flank to the edge of the penalty area. Fellaini takes a touch and is brought down by Kim Young-gwon after the ball had gone. He appeals for a penalty, but doesn't get one. I thought it was outside the area and so did ITV pundit Andy Townsend, which means it almost certainly should have been a penalty.

51 min: Good stuff from South Korea, who are doing their best to take advantage of their extra man. Lee Chung-yong curls an excellent cross into the Belgian penalty area, where the substitute Lee Keun-ho leaps to try and head it goalwards. Marouane Fellaini, who looks at least a foot taller than him, jumps to try and put him off and the diminutive Korean heads over the bar.

48 min: Moussa Dembele gets booked for an act of petulance after conceding a free-kick by knocking over Ki. I think he prevented the Swansea City midfielder from placing the ball to take the free-kick he'd just won. On ITV, Clive Tyldesley reminds us that yellow cards stay with players until after the quarter-finals, at which point their slates are wiped clean.

46 min: There's a break in play as Hong Jeong-ho does himself a mischief as he attempts an acrobatic clearance over his own head when the back-pass to his goalkeeper looked the less dangerous option. He goes down looking in all manner of pain, but is eventually fit to continue. I thought he'd pulled a muscle or hamstring there.

Second half: South Korea get the ball rolling, having made a change at the break Han Kook-Young is withdrawn from midfield, to be replaced by a striker, Lee Keun-ho.

Bob from California writes again ... to correct a spelling: "At least your correspondent has learned (not learnt) how to spell," he writes. Over to you, Oxford English Dictionary, to get Bob up to speed on irregular verbs: "‘Learnt’ is more common in British English, and ‘learned’ in American English."

In other important news: ITV anchor Adrian Chiles and his panel of pundits: Lee Dixon, Ian Wright and Gordon Strachan have all put on trousers and moved into a studio, having spent the build-up to the game outside on the decking wearing shorts.

An email from JR in Illinois: "Bob from California probably should not have taken offence at your little jibe about Americans," he writes. "It's not that your (joking) comment was insulting, it's that it's not based in reality. Most Americans fall somewhere between not caring about the World Cup and actively hating soccer altogether. Maybe Bob would be able to tell where you are from if you told him to stick it up his bollocks."

It's half-time: Ben Williams blows his whistle for half-time and the players troop off. It's scoreless in São Paolo, while Russia lead Algeria 1-0 in the other Group H match in Curitiba. As things stand, Belgium and Russia would go through to the second round. A point otnight will be enough for Belgium to win the group, but they'll have to earn it with 10 men after having Steven Defour sent off just before the break.

44 min: Belgium's Porto midfielder is sent off during his first appearance at the tournament. He casually went into a challenge two-footed and caught an as yet unidentified South Korean on the shin. As two footed lunges go, it looked fairly innocuous and malice-free, but it was dangerous nonetheless.

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42 min: Defour heads a bouncing ball down the left touchline and it's flicked inside to Dries Mertens, whose been one of Belgium's more lively players this evening. He tries a long-range effort from the inside left channel but doesn't trouble Kim unduly.

40 min: Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois takes a kick-out.

40 min: Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-Ygu takes a kick-out.

39 min: "Earlier today I had a heated discussion with my other half who was adamant that I shouldn't want the USA to get through," writes Zubin Mistry. "I countered that they are plucky underdogs and insisted that football fans in the USA aren't humourless flag-waving triumphalists. Now I'm going to have to sabotage our wi-fi to make sure she doesn't see Fun Bob from California's comments. Apologies for any offence caused by the typo a sentence back: I meant humorless flag-waving triumphalists."

37 min: A minute or two before that free-kick, Hong Jeong-ho was booked for attempting to wrestle Kevin Mirallas to the ground.

35 min: Januzaj is bundled over by Ki a couple of yards outside the Korea penalty area, well right of centre, alm ost in line with the right side of the penalty area. After deliberations involving about six different Belgium players, Mertens tees up the ball for Vertonghen, whose shot is charged down.

33 min: Steven Defour picks up the ball on the edge of the South Korea penalty area and plays a short slide-rule pass between two defenders for Mertens to run on to. He opens his body and attempts to curl the ball around the goalkeeper and inside the right upright, but his technique is woeful and he skews the ball horribly wide.

31 min: From the corner, South Korea go close again. With the ball about to cross the line, Courtois and Dries Mertens combine to keep a son back-header out in a frantic near post scramble and concede another corner. These are desperate times for Belgium, who appear to be buckling under relentless South Korean pressure.

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29 min: Ki picks up the ball in midfiield and advances into Belgium territory. The defenders back off him, so he continues his run, before taking the ball a couple of yards right and unleashing a venomous shot. Thibaut Courtois saves brilliantly to keep the ball out and concede the corner.

26 min: Anthony Vanden Borre gifts possession to Ki Sung-Yeung with a wayward pass from deep inside his own half in the direction of Marouane Fellaini. The Korean midfielder tries a shot from distance, but his low drive fizzes wide of the left upright.

24 min: Belgium win a throw-in deep in South Korea territory and the ball's hurled into the penalty area. A scramble ensues and the ball breaks kindly for Dries Mertens on the edge of the six-yard box. It couldn't have sat up more kindly for him, but with the goal at his mercy, he somehow manages to shank his effort high over the crossbar.

23 min: Fun Bob from California (six min) is back. "From a guy whose team has been relegated to the trash heap two times in a row," he writes. "Enjoy the rest of the tournament…from the sidelines." I was mistaken. Bob clearly does have a sense of humour, if not the foggiest idea what nationality I am.

20 min: With the Korean back four up near their own halfway line, Marouane Fellaini plays a throw ball from deep for Kevin Mirallas to chase. He gets in behind the defence and latches on to the ball, but is promptly flagged for offside.

18 min: Ki and Koo combine down the centre after Moussa Dembele had given the ball away. With three or four white shirts ahead of them, what looked a promising attack breaks down when a loose pass goes to the feet of a Belgian defender.

17 min: Belgium win a free-kick about 35 yards from the South Korea goal. Jan Vertonghen decides he fancies his chances and has a pop. High and wide.

15 min: With Anthony Vanden Borre attempting to drive into the South Korea box from the right wing, Kim Young-gwon dives headfirst in front of him and brings him to ground without making any noticeable effort to get the ball. That's one of the strangest attempts at a tackle I've ever seen and was surely a penalty, but none is awarded. Vanden Borre looks genuinely confused.

13 min: Good pressure from South Korea. Son Heung-min gets in behind the Belgian defence and looks ready to pull the trigger, only to pause and wait for a team-mate to get up in support. He eventually crosses to the right flank and Belgium eventually clear.

10 min: An ambitious effort from South Korea centre-half Kim Young-gwon, who gets on the end of a free-kick in to the Belgium penalty area and slashes high and wide on the volley from a narrow angle after finding himself in the Belgium penalty area.

8 min: There's some pushing and shoving in the Belgium box and South Korea claim a penalty. None is forthcoming. At the other end of the pitch, Belgium win a free-kick a good way out from the South Korean goal. The ball's sent in to the mixer, where Korean goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu punches clear acrobatically and unconvincingly.

7 min: In Group H's other match, Russia have gone a goal up against Algeria. As things stand, South Korea would need to beat Belgium 2-0 to progress to the last 16.

6 min: "Your comments about Americans is uncalled for," writes Bob from California, who seems to have a great sense of humour. "Why aren’t you just glad that more of us (at last) are interested?" It makes no different to me whether or not you're interested, Bob. But please continue taking everything very seriously. This is football, after all.

4 min: Belgium win a throw-in halfway inside their own half, which Lombaerts chucks towards Fellaini. He gets the flick on to Mertens, who sends a cross into the penalty area. South Korean left-back Hong Jeong-ho heads clear.

4 min: Moussa Dembele needs treatment after an accidental clash of heads with Kim Shin-Wook. He's OK to continue.

2 min: Korea advance down the right flank, with Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers. Lee's loses it and Belgium embark on an attack in the time it takes me to type his name.

1 min: Belgium kick-off, with Marc Wilmotshaving made seven changes from the team that beat Russia 1-0; some enforced and others in order to rest players such as Eden Hazard.

Not long now: The teams are in the tunnel in São Paulo, with Belgium lined up in black shirts, black shorts and black socks. South Korea's wear white shirts, white shorts and white socks. Referee Ben Williams leads them out and picks up the match Brazuca from the official plinth en route to lining up for the national anthems.

So here we are. Group H. The Group of Meh. In the wake of a day's excitement incorporating a convoy of cash, player expulsions from the Ghana camp, the banning of Luis Suárez and the widespread confusion of countless Americans who aren't sure how many more matches their team needs to lose to win the World Cup, here we all are trying to feign enthusiasm for the denouement of Group H. Whoop!

Meet tonight's referee

His name is Ben Williams, he's from Australia and predictably enough, this introductory video filmed by Fifa features a didgeridoo sound-track.

South Korea: 21-Kim Seung-gyu; 12-Lee Yong, 3-Yoon Suk-young, 5-Kim Young-gwon, 20-Hong Jeong-ho; 16-Ki Sung-yeung, 14-Han Kook-young, 17-Lee Chung-yong, 9-Son Heung-min, 13-Koo Ja-cheol; 18-Kim Shin-wook

Belgium: 1-Thibaut Courtois; 5-Jan Vertonghen, 15-Daniel Van Buyten, 18-Nicolas Lombaerts, 21-Anthony Vanden Borre; 8-Marouane Fellaini, 14-Dries Mertens, 11-Kevin Mirallas, 19-Mousa Dembele, 16-Steven Defour; 20-Adnan Januzaj

Referee: Benjamin Williams (Australia)

Belgium national anthem: Here's what singer-songwriter Kate Nash made of the Belgium anthem.

"I love the lyrics," she declared. "'Our heart and soul are dedicated to you. Our strength and the blood of our veins we offer.' This is the kind of thing I want to hear from my next boyfriend. I also love the idea that it was originally written by some young people in a cafe. I’m a fan of epic crescendos so I’m glad that’s how the piece ends. If I was in charge of re-recording, I think I would add more swooping crescendos that don’t come down – they just keep getting bigger. All in all, I feel like I should be windswept and on my way to overcoming something emotionally difficult when I’m listening to this anthem. It sort of has a 'be the bigger person' vibe. It feels sonically stoic, proud and dignified."

South Korea National anthem: Here's what rapper Lethal Bizzle had to say about it when we asked him for a critique before the tournament started.

"I didn’t know anthems were so long," he said. "Normally at a football match it’s about a minute, and this is about three and a half minutes long. The weird thing about anthems is that they all sound very similar, all those big melodies and stuff. Why are they all sung in an operatic style? I don’t understand. That’s not where it is right now. To be fair, at first it had that epic appeal to it, almost like the Champions League opening music. Me personally, that’s not going to get me excited for a game. I want to hear DMX or something. 2Pac maybe. Something energetic that’s going to get you hyper. I might as well fall asleep as listen to this. The last international match I went to was England v Ghana at Wembley. Both of those anthems, they’re nice and simple – about one minute, it’s done. Maybe the Koreans do a short version, a bit of an edit. I hope so."

South Korea National anthem:

Belgium: Here's your guide to Belgium and its football team. For example, did you know the country's name is derived from a Roman province in the northernmost part of Gaul and that Belgium is home to a carrot museum and the world's deepest swimming pool? You do now.

South Korea: Everything you need to know about South Korea and their football team is here. Well, not everything, but more than enough to pass yourself off as an expert if you're in the pub, including references to cloned dogs, spicey kimchi and the precursor to football known as "chuk guk".

Good evening (BST) everybody. Welcome to this evening's coverage of South Korea v Belgium in Säo Paulo, which is being played at the same time as Group H's other closing match: Algeria v Russia in Curitiba. With two wins under their belts, Belgium need just a point to wrap up top spot, while South Korea can still progress but must win tonight and hope the outcome of the other match goes their way.

• If Algeria and Russia draw, South Korea need to win by at least three goals.
  
• If Russia beat Algeria, South Korea need to beat Belgium by more.
  
• If Algeria beat Russia, South Korea are out no matter what happens.
  

So, calculators and abacuses at the ready; kick off is at 9pm BST, but I'll be here with team news and build-up long before that.