North Korea, who did so well against Brazil - holding out for 55 minutes and scoring a consolation goal in the last - would have to go one step better against Portugal; who themselves only had one point on the board, from their game against Ivory Coast.

Cristiano Ronaldo, already on a yellow card, would miss the Portugal vs Brazil game with another booking here; so we expected football, not diving.

North Korea started a little more adventurous than they did against Brazil, which in turn gave Portugal more space to run into.

From a corner in the seventh minute, North Korea's Ri Myong-Guk came off his line and totally missed the ball; giving Ricardo Carvalho a free header onto the top corner of the upright.

A few minutes later, Cha Jong-Hyok gave Portugal a minor scare as his shot screamed wide of Eduardo's goal.

North Korea put together some good passing to get into the Portugal box in the seventeenth minute; Eduardo needing to get his hand to Hong Yong-Jo's surprise attempt at goal. Not a great shot but cause for concern; all made possible because the ball rolled away from Ronaldo, who had drifted into the middle a little in search of the ball.

Two minutes after North Korea were falsely called offside, Tiago found plenty of room in the middle to comfortably thread the final ball through a gap in the North Korea penalty area, for Raul Meireles to finish.

Half-time: 1:0

At the start of the second-half, Portugal streaked forward and Tiago's shot had to be tipped over the bar; as the Europeans tried to show that they were back in business.

A couple of minutes later, Jabulani caused Ri Myong-Guk problems; bouncing, bobbling and generally not wanting to be cleanly gathered. We've seen those go in.

The pressure paid off as Simão ran on to a Meireles through-ball; after a neat chested one-two on the edge of the North Korean area.

North Korea paid the price for being adventurous and it looked like the floodgates were finally opened: as two minutes later Hugo Almeida headed Fabio Coentrão's cross home; then on the hour it was the turn of Cristiano Ronaldo to provide for Tiago.

In less than six minutes North Korea were completely taken apart and their World Cup dreams truly sunk by an all-guns blazing, Portuguese side.

With plenty of free runs, it only seemed a matter of time before Cristiano Ronaldo would add his name to the scoresheet as well.

Instead it was Liedson, only on the pitch for a few minutes, who crashed in Portugal's fifth.

But there was still time for Cristiano Ronaldo not to disappoint, then Tiago joined the rout to put Portugal in seventh heaven and leave Sven Goran Eriksson deep in a goal difference hole - even if Ivory Coast could beat North Korea and Brazil were to beat Portugal in the last group games.

Portugal 7 North Korea 0

North Korea make only their second appearance at the World Cup Finals, while Brazil have been an ever-present.

Although Brazil had most of the play in the first ten minutes, it was North Korea's Jong Tae-Se who had the only shot on target; after dribbling into the Brazilian penalty area from the right.

With five red shirts across the back, North Korea reduced Brazil's capabilities to a few shots from distance. And with Jabulani not yet a hit with the players, those shots were wide of the mark.

Robinho's snap-shot, in the 20th minute, was the first proper effort from Brazil; no real problem for a goalkeeper, unless you're in an England shirt.

Then in the 27th minute, something a little more testing from Maicon; forcing Ri Myong-Guk to punch the ball away for a corner.

Kaka finally woke up in the 35th minute with a slight jink down the left, but two Koreans closed the door on the edge of the penalty area and the Brazilian wasn't sharp enough to pick the lock.

So the eighth game (out 14) to go to the break without a goal, but this one is not that bad at all.

A courageous performance from North Korea in the middle of the field; closing it tight at the back but still prepared to send Jong Tae-Se out on a goal-hunting mission.

Half-time: 0:0

Kaka went down a little too easy on the edge of the area, in the 50th minute. Michel Bastos managed to keep the ball below the bar, but Jabulani chose to fly wide of the target.

Brazil finally cracked the North Korea nut in the 55th minute, when Maicon overlapped Elano on the right, ran almost to the touchline and struck the ball in such a way - with the outside of his foot - that it seemed to swerve; low, between the goalkeeper and the post.

Or was it a cross that slipped off Maicon's boot? Whatever, Brazil edge themselves in front.

When Brazil score one, they often score more. And so it was. Within 17 minutes, Elano skipped onto a perfect pass from Robinho and sidefooted Brazil's second past Ri Myong-Guk.

In the closing minutes of the game, while Robinho was firing blanks Jong Tae-Se wasn't giving up hope of getting a goal in every game. Juan denied the Kawasaki Frontale striker but Ji Yun-Nam made sure that at least North Korea might score in every game.

Brazil 2 North Korea 1