Portugal may have lost Wednesday's World Cup semi-final 1-0 to France but they ran out the clear winners in the battle of the benches.
MUNICH: Portugal may have lost Wednesday's World Cup semi-final 1-0 to France but they ran out the clear winners in the battle of the benches.
The respective coaches could not be more different.
While Luiz Felipe Scolari - who saw his record run of 12 successive wins in the World Cup finals come to an end - prowls up and down like a caged lion in Munich zoo his Gallic counterpart Raymond Domenech stands stock still, sphinx-like, reflective, thumb and finger joined as if he's contemplating a work of art back home in the Louvre.
Being Scolari - whose likeness to Hollywood great Gene Hackman is unreal - must be an exhausting business, just watching him leaves you short of breath.
The Brazilian, who could have auctioned his seat on e-bay such was the little use he made of it, would lose a fortune on the poker table, his feelings as transparent as a sheet of cling film.
On the 28th minute Domenech was the target of his ire.
Big Phil, his moustache twitching in the warm night, pointed and shouted in his direction after the Frenchman made diving gestures following a fine piece of theatrics from Cristiano Ronaldo bang smack in front of the French dug out.
Nine minutes later the master motivator was barking at referee Jorge Larrionda for not awarding a foul in Portugal's favour.
His mood darkened when Zinedine Zidane slotted home the 33rd minute penalty, thrusting his hands angrily into his pockets as former France legend Michel Platini raised his aloft in the stands.
And Scolari's humour hardly improved when a member of the French bench executed the international 'up yours' sign at him when Portugal's claims for a penalty were denied three minutes later.
If he ever gets tired of the day job Scolari should consider the metier of traffic policeman such is the skill with which he directs his men left and right, front and back.
Little wonder that as well as Big Phil he's known as the Sergeant Major.
But the tough guy has a softer side, as he was seen with tears in his eyes when Portugal qualified for the knock out stages, although he moved quickly to deny any Ronaldesque display of emotion.
"Maybe my eye colour changed, but that's it," insisted the man who once told a referee after a row over a decision: 'I'll wait for you outside'.
On 75 minutes Scolari did something completely out of character.
He sat down. But it was only a temporary lapse and seconds later he was back up on his feet, his face dripping with frustration as a Figo header flies high after a messy clerarance from Fabian Barthez.
As the clock ticked and Portugal's hopes of reaching their first ever World Cup final slipped away he turned on his bench who are up in arms over something, ordering them to sit down.
Sportingly he had greeted Domenech before kick-off but he wasn't feeling so charitable towards Larrionda, storming up to the Uruguayan after the final whistle and jabbing his finger at him.
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