What a strange, low-scoring tournament. Another 1:1 today, another 0:0 as well. Maybe we’re learning something about the futility of international soccer rankings. For all of the hype and all of the collections of superstars on display, these teams haven’t played very many games together, even in qualifying. Even the teams with the most firepower – Brazil, Portugal, et cetera – aren’t set to blow opponents away.

Notes on the matches today – which were exciting, if not in the traditional goals-for-all way:

New Zealand 1:1 Slovakia</p>

</span>Ah, my second-favorite type of goal: the late equalizer! My favorite is the late winner, of course – but for New Zealand, a tie has to feel a little bit like a win. The “All Whites” (kind of an unfortunate nickname for a tournament in South Africa, really) were said to be the weakest team in the tournament; in their one previous World Cup experience, 28 years ago, they’d lost all three matches. And after 90 minutes had gone from the clock, they looked to be continuing that record, thanks to a Robert Vittek header for Slovakia early in the second half.

With one of three added minutes to go, Shane Smeltz picked up the ball on the left wing for New Zealand. He dipped left, as if to head towards the end line, then cut back onto his right foot, as if to drive to the middle of the field – then swung a perfect ball in to the middle of the penalty area. The Slovakian defenders somehow got caught flat-footed, leaving Winston Reid alone in the middle of the penalty area.

What must that moment have been like, for Reid – to see the ball floating in his direction, to know that all he had to do was turn it on goal” I can only imagine. Reid won’t have to; he headed the ball just inside the post, turned, and sprinted for the stands, waving his shirt above his head, having scored by far the most exciting goal of the 2010 World Cup thus far.

Ivory Coast 0:0 Portugal

It was the match with the most hype today – the first clash in the Group of Death. Brazil, Portugal, the Ivory Coast, and (the afterthought) North Korea enter; only two can survive. With Brazil, as always, picked by everyone to advance, a winner from this match would have the early edge on qualification from the knockout round. Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Didier Drogba! What a show!

In the event, both keepers were hardly tested. Ronaldo hit the post early on, but also dived about ten times and was openly mocked by announcer Ian Darke for his lightness on his feet. Drogba came on late, and had a chance in injury time, but managed to drag his shot from six yards away about forty yards wide of goal (it wasn’t even moving in the same compass direction as the net). And we got a draw that settled nothing, and that could mean that the question of qualification between these two nations is settled based on their results vs. North Korea.

Speaking of whom…

Brazil 2:1 North Korea

For all of the jokes about the North Koreans, and the fact that their only fans are paid Chinese volunteers, and the fact that they tried to slip in an extra striker as a goalkeeper… okay, they’re sort of a joke. But they’re not a bad team. They held Brazil scoreless in the first half, and were only undone in the second half by a goalkeeping error (not covering his near post) and a beautiful goal (which happens to everybody who plays Brazil.) Meanwhile, they scored one of their own late in the second half, and had a few slight chances for more.

At the very least, they looked as good or better than another certain team which faced the Brazilians in South Africa.

The North Koreans got stuck in the hardest group of all, and they may very well end up with zero points in this World Cup. But they don’t look like the pushovers that everyone assumed them to be.