Mexico - 0 Angola - 0: This city had been heaving with Mexicans for three days, empty bottles of Sol piling up upon the improvised bars that have sprung up on every street corner, though it must have felt as if the hangovers had set in to pound prematurely last night.
The side from Central America may still top this group this morning, but it will be hard to escape the sense that a glorious opportunity has been carelessly passed up.
A point against Portugal in their final group match will see them into the next round, though this was hardly a performance of a side likely to induce panic in opponents much beyond that stage.
The din bellowed by those sporting sombreros, their numbers dominating this arena, before kick-off had been those of a country convinced of imminent victory.
El Tri began this game top of the group following a swashbuckling success over Iran, while their Argentinian coach Ricardo La Volpe was wearing his lucky Chinese dragon tie. Yet, if the quality of the fashion wear was distinctly dubious, so too was the quality of football on offer.
The flurry of early chances had all been Mexican, the Barcelona centre half Rafael Marquez scuttling a free-kick on to the outside of a post before the quarter-hour and Carlos Salcido, charging forward, looping a shot on to the roof of the net.
But, for all the occasional sloppiness of Angola's club less goalkeeper Joao Ricardo, the Mexicans' neat, fizzed passes rarely threatened to prise the Africans apart.
Indeed, had Jamba not inadvertently knocked down Marquez' centre for a startled Guillermo Franco to gather, spin and force Joao Ricardo to block from point-blank range, the sense would have been that Angola had steadily bridged the gulf between the sides.
What Luis de Oliveira Goncalves' side lacked was a goal threat, a pair of long-range shots from Mendonca - one from 35 metres, the other from the halfway line - almost comical in their opportunism, as well as their accuracy.
The Varzim striker finally found his range early in the second period though, by then, the chance merely served to puncture Mexican pressure. Franco again, fed by Omar Bravo's flick, should have converted when clear only for Joao Ricardo to paw away, with Jesus Arellano's follow-up scrambled from the line by Jamba.
La Volpe and Jose Fonseca have endured a fractious relationship - the coach branding the striker "stupid" for his criticisms after a friendly against France. Yet, the introduction of the team's top scorer in Concacaf qualifying was greeted with cheers from the stands.
He was soon featuring against 10 men, Andre Macanga handling to prompt a second yellow, with Fonseca immediately slamming a shot into the side-netting before Bravo prodded a loose ball against the post.
The frustration was palpable.
... Guardian Service
SUBSTITUTIONS
MEXICO: Arellano for Zinha (52 mins), Fonseca for Franco (74 mins), Morales for Pineda (78 mins). Subs Not Used: Borgetti, Castro, Corona, Garcia, Guardado, Ochoa, Perez, Rodriguez, Suarez. Booked: Pineda.
ANGOLA: Mantorras for Mateus (68 mins), Rui Marques for Figueiredo (72 mins), Miloy for Kalanga (83). Subs Not Used: Airosa, Buengo, Edson, Flavio, Lama, Lebo-Lebo, Love, Marco, Mario. Booked: Delgado, Macanga, Kalanga, Ricardo.
Referee: S Maidin (Singapore).
