Graffite Fails To Follow Script In Bore Draw As Two Favourites Stroll Through

“You’ve a neck like a jockey’s bo***cks” this correspondent was once told by former Irish manager Mick Mccarthy, so I don’t like to disagree with the barnsley bruiser who’s take on this match was “Turgid & Boring”. When the fourth official signalled five minutes McCarthy guffawed “Get Em Off”. It was that sort of game. The match had been picked as one of the most mouth watering match ups in the group stages given the two sides’ historical penchant for a spot of invention & flair.Ronaldo cut a misanthropic lonely figure upfront like Heathcliffe awaiting Cathy on a windswept night on the moors. A fairly functional Brazil side under the pragmatic Dunga weren’t too bothered, both sides knew barring a staggering ten goal swing they were through to the knockout stages- so a bore draw was engineered with energy saved for the bigger days both sides hope are to come.

Brazil were the more positive of the two sides but were only able to fashion a handful of chances, the best of which fell to striker Nilmar but was superbly saved by goalkeeper Eduardo.

The draw means the South Americans finish top of the group and will look forward to the second phase with confidence, even though this could present them with an earlier-than-expected clash with the closest rivals for their world number one status, Spain.

Portugal’s 7-0 thrashing of North Korea in their previous match ensured that despite this defeat, and the Ivory Coast’s 3-0 victory over the North Koreans in the group’s other game, they progressed to the knockout stages in South Africa as runners-up.

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz made four changes to the team from Monday with Pepe and Ricardo Costa coming into defence, and Danny and Duda in midfield.

Having overwhelmed their opponents four days ago, Queiroz’s men reverted to a more conservative style designed to stifle their opponents and its efficiency resulted in an anti-climactic and fractious game where the number of bookings outweighed clear-cut chances.

Portugal defender Pepe and Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo were both booked during a running battle, which resulted in the latter being substituted just before half-time, seemingly for his own protection.

Brazil defender Juan was one of five other players booked but it could have been worse when he handled 40 yards from goal from a long ball seeking to release Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo clear down the right.

Ronaldo, operating in a lone attacking role was Portugal’s chief threat but this primarily constituted a series of long-range efforts from 40 yards-plus which even for a player of Ronaldo’s quality were wildly optimistic.

When the Real Madrid man was allowed to run at goal he twice met with strong challenges from Lucio, the first of which was a superb block from a shot on the left, but the second, from a similarly aggressive run on the right, inadvertently deflected the ball across goal to Raul Meireles only for the midfielder to shoot wide.

Ironically, the last time Portugal had been beaten prior to this match was a 6-2 thumping by Brazil in November 2008 but a repeat of that scoreline was never on the cards between two sides with one eye already on the next round.

To this end, Brazil rested Robinho, bringing in Nilmar up front to partner Luis Fabiano, who scored a hat-trick in that 6-2 win and bagged a brace in their previous group game against the Ivory Coast.

The attacking duo were central to all of Brazil’s best attacking play.

They combined on the half hour with Fabiano crossing for Nilmar at the back post, who looked certain to score only for Eduardo to produce a superb point blank save to push the ball on to the post and deny him.

Shortly after, Fabiano found space at the back post by headed wide from a deep right-wing cross from the marauding Maicon.

With the game seemingly petering out to provide a satisfactory share of the spoils for each side, Brazil substitute Ramires broke from the script and struck a shot from 25 yards in injury-time which took a deflection and was goalbound until Eduardo intervened with a good one-handed save to preserve Portugal’s 100% clean-sheet record in the tournament.

Bob "The Voice" McKenzie Twitter: @BobTheVoice About: