Damien O'Mara

I think it's important for the host nations to get up and running particularly Mexico and Canada to try and have a bit of interest prolonged interest in the tournament.

Mexico

dealt well with the pressure last night against South Africa, like a South African team that have never gone beyond the group stages of the World Cup.

And I think based on last night's evidence, they're probably unlikely to do that again.

So the hosts are up and running and probably up and running with a bit of style, which will continue to generate a fair bit of interest in Mexico, one would hope.

There's been a couple of law changes around.

Some of it is aimed at speeding the game up.

So in terms of players going down injured and goalkeepers going down injured and substitutions and whatever else, there's going to be a couple of interventions around VAR and what VAR can look at.

And obviously the referees are under pressure to impose restrictions.

FIFA's justice on players.

I thought the first two sendings off last night were probably fairly accurate.

The third one, I thought, was a bit hidden.

So the first South African sending off was a professional foul.

I don't think too many people could have had complaints about.

The second one was a tussle between two players.

And when you watch the replay, albeit in slow motion, it did look like the South African player had kind of slapped out at the Mexican opponent.

The sending off late on, the Mexican sending off was...

one of those good old-fashioned let's take one for the team tackles laid on to try and stop an African attack.

I thought that one was harsh, but two of the three I probably wouldn't have much issue with.

Yeah, I don't want to dismiss this, but, you know, part of these major events, be it the Olympics, be it World Cups, you know, are protests.