All they could do, after that, was applaud. There was no sense wallowing in disappointment, worrying about what it all might mean. Spain had victory snatched away at the last moment, denied a cathartic victory after dark, chaotic days by its nearest neighbor, and yet there was no bitterness, no sorrow: only admiration, and awe. Sometimes, it is not the winning, but the taking part.
There must have been a better World Cup group game than this compelling draw between Spain and Portugal on Friday. There will have been one played at a higher standard, one richer in drama, one more absorbing, though probably not all at the same time.