The 30 greatest moments of the World Cup: The wild 2006 clash when Portugal faced Netherlands
SOME games are remembered for brilliant goals. And then there’s Portugal’s 2006 World Cup clash with the Netherlands, which was so brutal it left a young Cristiano Ronaldo in tears before halftime.
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THE World Cup is supposed to be the pinnacle of the beautiful game — but sometimes the national fervour that fuels this tournament can overrun the football.
That sense of comradeship or collective injustice — plus the threat of nationwide ridicule once you get home — can make footballers do strange things.
Which leads us to the Battle of Nuremberg — the fifth instalment in our Greatest Moments in World Cup history series.
What was the ‘moment’: The Battle of Nuremberg
Which World Cup was it? Germany 2006
Countries involved: Portugal and Netherlands
When Portugal met the Netherlands in the quarter-finals in 2006, it all boiled over in a game that equalled the World Cup record for bookings — 16 — and broke the record for red cards.
It started simmering as soon as the second minute, when Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel was booked for flooring into Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Oranje’s tactics became clear when defender Khalid Boulahrouz did the same thing five minutes later.
The rough treatment saw Ronaldo substituted in tears before halftime — and the Portuguese weren’t happy about it.
Midfielder Maniche got one back on Van Bommel after 20 minutes and was third in the book — before scoring the game’s only goal three minutes later.
But it was too late — the broiling tension couldn’t be contained.
Portugal midfielder Costinha was the first to be sent off, booked for a foul on Philip Cocu, followed by his second yellow for a handball on the brink of halftime.
The second half picked it straight up; Portugal midfielder Petit was booked, followed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Luís Figo — who headbutted Van Bommel in a touchline fracas. “Jesus Christ may be able to turn the other cheek,” said Portugal coach Felipe Scolari, “but Luis Figo isn’t Jesus Christ.”
Keeping up with all this? Let’s speed it up…
Boulahrouz got his second yellow for a foul on Figo, which sparked another melee. Portugal’s Deco got booked; another brawl ensued during which Wesley Sneijder was cautioned.
Rafael van der Vaart got booked for dissent, goalkeeper Ricardo for time-wasting, leftback Nuno Valente for a poor tackle, Deco got his second yellow for delaying a free kick, and van Bronckhorst finished it off with his second yellow in injury time.
It was a game to remember — for all the wrong reasons.
RE-LIVE THE GREATEST MOMENTS:
DAY ONE: Diego Maradona’s Hand of God goal
DAY TWO: Roy Keane’s epic ‘f*****g” rant
DAY THREE: Luis Suarez’s extraordinary brain explosion
DAY FOUR: The greatest goal celebration in World Cup history
Originally published as The 30 greatest moments of the World Cup: The wild 2006 clash when Portugal faced Netherlands
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