Match Report
The table read 4th (New Zealand, 0 pts) against 1st (Portugal, 7 pts), 7 points apart. The last five rounds placed New Zealand no better than 8th for form, against 4th in the standings. Per game in the league, New Zealand were scoring 0.33 and conceding 2.67, Portugal 2.33 and 0.67, against a competition average of 1.42 goals per team per game.
New Zealand entered with four losses in a row. The five-game form split read 1/15 points for New Zealand against 10/15 for Portugal.
Saint Petersburg Stadium in St. Petersburg staged the fixture, a ground that holds 68,000. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Portugal led 2-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 0-4.


