Nil-nil not entirely pointless

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This article was published 26/06/2010 (5945 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DURBAN — Scoreless, yes.

But pointless, no. Not technically, anyway. They each secured one.

And passionless? Hardly.

Mexican referee Benito Archundia was digging into his pocket for more than just a few spare rand to tip the guy who’d promised to watch his car while he was gone, flashing seven yellow cards in a tetchy first half alone.

The ramifications certainly weren’t dire and circumstances made the spectacle a touch less compelling than the names above the marquee would suggest, nevertheless the glamour was lathered on with a trowel.

Like so much in life, though, the reality didn’t live up to the billing.

It’s not as if there was nothing to play for.

Portugal’s indifferent performance means a Round of 16 date against reigning Euro champions Spain on Tuesday in Cape Town, an adversary anyone would dearly want to avoid. For topping the group, Brazil booked a showdown with Chile on Monday in Johannesburg.

Hopefully, both of those matches are somewhat more compelling than Friday’s snoozer at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

At every touch from the preening Portuguese peacock, Cristiano Ronaldo, he of the languid expression and Ed Grimley haircut, the level of vuvuzela noise level rose, if such a thing is possible. No one’s obliged to always admire the man’s theatrics (or those thousands upon thousands of step-overs), but he certainly oozes star power, and it’s approaching Beckham-like proportions.

Both sides had already qualified for the knockout stage — barring a seven-goal uprising by the Ivory Coast or something equally daffy — so a draw always seemed on the books, but 0-0 certainly wasn’t what the 62,712 who’d come to witness a spectacle, to be amazed and astonished, had envisioned.

The blind worship turned to dissatisfied wrath and the two sides were booed off the pitch, somewhat throwing into question Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz’s post-match contention that those lucky folks had just witnessed “a great show, a football feast.”

“Today is a day to celebrate,” he went on, “because Portugal qualified with a great deal of merit. When you play against a Brazil side that has beautiful and great players, you have to give everything…

“Brazil played very strongly at the start but after their period of domination, Portugal started to the control the game. In the end, we attacked and they defended.

Brazilian boss Dunga must’ve been at a different stadium than Mr. Queiroz. Or maybe have rocketed off to a different planet.

“No, we are not happy,” he said flatly. “Brazil always plays to win and we tried to attack until the end.

“Portugal didn’t want to attack, they wanted to defend. My team is always ready to go forward and that was the case today. The Portuguese team defended from midfield backwards.

— Canwest News Service