FIFA World Cup 2010: Day 5 (15 June 2010)

NEW ZEALAND 1 -SLOVAKIA 1

Ah, the romance of the World Cup! I was wondering why I even bothered with tuning in on this match until Winston Reid's last-minute-of-injury-time equaliser against the Slovaks. The Kiwi's first point ever in the World Cup Finals! Nothing beats the feeling of pride of scoring. Rating: 2/5 (for match), 5/5 for New Zealand's goal.

PORTUGAL 0 - IVORY COAST 0

The supposed Cristiano Ronaldo-Didier Drogba showdown petered into a drab no-score bore. Possibly one of the dreariest matches of a dreary World Cup so far. Safety first through-out. What happened to these so-called attack-minded teams? Rating: 1/5

BRAZIL 2 - NORTH KOREA 1

The giants vs minnows contest turned out to be more absorbing than imagined. For almost an hour, the Kims kept El Selecion at bay, until Maicon's terrific Kanuesque goal from an impossible angle. Only the Brazilians! North Korea are no pushovers and its late, late Ji Nam Yun goal was thoroughly deserved. Portugal and Ivory Coast, watch out! Image of the match: Jong Tae Se's pre-match waterworks. Rating: 4.5/5