A cursory glance at the schedule for the first few days at these European Championships mightn't have prompted too many neutrals to start making travel arrangements to Liege yesterday. However, even with two ageing teams, some quickly fading stars and a referee who was little more than a law of the jungle merchant, those who made the journey were well rewarded.
Match official Kim Milton Nielsen's attitude to the proceedings contributed much to the enjoyment levels. His refusal to punish anything other than the most obvious and generally most trivial fouls helped play along nicely - partly by eventually persuading the Romanians that staying on their feet in the first place was the best policy.
Of course, it also went a long way towards costing them the game. When Adrian Ilie was tripped inside the box by Lothar Matthaus late in the first half, with the score already 1-1, Nielsen dismissed his penalty claim out of hand. Within a matter of seconds the Romanian striker, as well as Gheorghe Hagi who had provided the through ball, had been booked for dissent. They were the only two to be shown yellow cards in a game that wasn't short on rough and tumble. Gradually, you began to get the idea that you were witnessing the latest UEFA experimentation in making the game more television friendly.
To be fair, the first half didn't need much improving, as both teams had clearly come to town looking to make a game of it and, having started quickly, the pace only changed as those famous old legs from both nations gradually obliged their various owners to slow it down a bit.
None of which is to say that it was flawless stuff. Far from it, but the errors and astonishing number of times that possession was carelessly given away actually served to make a hectic tussle more exciting. From almost the very first minute there was the sense that anything could happen.
From the fifth minute the Romanians even led for a while, although defensive errors by Thomas Linke and Jens Nowotny contributed almost as much to their goal as did either Ilie's low cross or Viorel Moldovan's point-blank finish.
In the spell that followed, the huge gaps that were left by Germany's Christian Ziege's advanced position on the left and Nowotny's man-marking responsibilities repeatedly handed Hagi and his team-mates opportunities to extend their advantage. On one occasion Lothar Matthaus weighed in to make a vital covering challenge but for the most part the Romanians seemed to have only one man capable of keeping his head in such a dash for goal. However, when the opportunity arose for Hagi to chase a ball which Oliver Kahn was racing out to play, the midfielder simply shrugged his shoulders and turned away.
So, having passed up a couple of good chances it was hardly a great surprise when the Romanians were stung at the other end after 28 minutes. It was a memorable goal, though, with a fine piece of individual skill by Markus Babbel and a wonderful strike by Mehmet Scholl, his fifth goal in 27 games for his country, which levelled things up again.
During the second period it was the superior composure of the Germans which gave them the edge, even if Thomas Hassler, after a rather useful start to his 100th international,, did start to fade. There were glimpses of the sweeping moves that these players regularly produced to such devastating effect in their prime, but only glimpses, while there was precious little of the menace around the box where only Oliver Bierhoff's head posed a threat.
In fact, the best chance of the half went to the Romanians shortly before a spent Hagi wandered from the pitch. Three times in a matter of seconds the team's strikers might have scored but the worst miss was by Moldovan who, having seen his dismal first attempt blocked by Matthaus, had a lot of time and a great deal of empty goal at his disposal but he failed do any better with the follow up.
Either side might still have snatched it, but the Fenerbahce striker's double miss had the effect of leaving the Romanians disappointed with a point and Erich Ribbeck's men feeling just a little fortunate to be going into next Saturday's match against England with something on which to build.
Ribbeck said afterwards that he remained confident that there would be time for his men to improve over the course of the tournament, while his veteran sweeper put it rather more succinctly. "We know we have to play better against England," remarked Matthaus almost matter of factly, "but we will."
