Exeter City's historic centenary match with Fluminense ended in a 0-0 draw.
The match, to celebrate 100 years of the Brazilian national team's first ever game against a touring Exeter City side in 1914, kicked off at Laranjeiras in beautiful Brazilian sunshine but to the chorus of 'We Are Exeter'.
More than 150 travelling Grecians had made the longest away trip to watch City take on the Fluminense XI featuring players in the first team squad combined with promising youngsters.
City faced up to this with Christy Pym in goal, a back five line of David Wheeler, Scot Bennett, Pat Baldwin, Jordan Moore-Taylor and Craig Woodman, with Matt Grimes, Liam Sercombe and Matt Oakley in midfield and Tom Nichols and Jimmy Keohane up front
Fluminense started the game with over a minute of possession but at least that gave the City side the chance to find their legs.
The Brazilian patient passing and then sudden bursts was in evidence in those early stages but ironically City had the first chance when Nichols set up Keohane for a shot that was blocked.
City defended neatly without the ball against the Fluminense and then Keohane had another opportunity when a cross from Sercombe found him in the box. No defender was able to block but the ball went wide of the near post.
Fluminense had been having the majority of the ball with a handful of crosses and shots which did not trouble Pym in goal but it was City again who created another chance on 24 minutes when Secombe and Keohane linked up once again for the latter to tuck in from an offside position.
Wheeler had been performing well as, effectively, the right-wing back, giving Ailton a tough time, a bit too tough in one instance when the left back stayed down after a challenge.
Then Marlon bravely blocked a Keohane run and felt the effects but any clash was purely coincidental.
City were certainly warming to the task and blotting out Fluminense, who were restricted to shots from distance from No. 10 Gustavo Scarpa. His final shot of the half from a short corner curled delightfully over Pym only to find David Wheeler in an excellent position to make a goal line headed clearance.
Half-time was reached at 0-0 with the feeling that City have grown into the game and benefited from having the more experienced.
The second half opened with a bit more freedom from both sides but the Grecians created several quick opportunities. Nichols pounced on a through ball to net but, for a second time, the offside flag had been raised.
Then Liam Sercombe suffered from a bobble as we was in the act of shooting which lifted his shot over the bar and Nichols found himself in the area on the left and his fierce right footed sot was beaten away by the keeper for a corner.
Substitutions then started, totally understandable in the heat, which disrupted play initially whilst the players adapted. Edson and Gustavo Scarpa were behind much of Fluminense's good work, combining at free kicks won around the area but the end product wasn't there, shots drifting wide or being blocked or mopped up by Pym.
As the changes continued City moved to a 4-4-2 style which again settled and coped with any Fluminense threat. The final change saw a certain Paul Tisdale take the field, as he did at Sheffield Wednesday but sadly there was no Troy like run from anyone down the length of the pitch to score. Instead, Matt Jay tried to do it from a closer position and looked to have sprung the offside trap only for the assistant to deny City again.
Pat Baldwin provided the final notable action, robbing Yuri in the penalty box amid penalty claims. The referee wasn't interested and rightly so.
Before the game, it had been agreed that City would pick up the trophy on offer if there was a draw and Scot Bennett had the honour of receiving it and dealing with a traditional Brazilian press scrum.
So there is a trophy to come back to England after a very satisfying and competent performance at Laranjeiras and a fittingly competitive match to celebrate the centenary of Brazilian football.
