Australia had barely exhaled a huge sigh of relief at their soccer World Cup campaign remaining on life support with a 1-1 draw with Ghana before New Zealand's pesky All Whites upstaged their Socceroos a second time thanks to a stunning stalemate with title holders Italy.
A 1-1 draw in their group F opener against Slovakia was cheekily claimed as victory for the hastily constituted nation of Australasia, so heaven knows how today's exploits in Nelspruit will be hijacked by the Aussies.
For now, the Sydney Morning Herald has marvelled at the All Whites perplexing achievement.
"This was a famous day for New Zealand football, a famous day for New Zealand anything," wrote Dan Silkstone.
"This match pitted holders against hangers-on. Four-time world champions and current holder of the World Cup trophy met New Zealand, expected to be making up the numbers here. Bravely not so.
"One point and one goal, both against Slovakia had tens of thousands of Kiwi supporters daring to hope for some kind of miracle. The kind that had allowed tiny Switzerland to shut down Spain -- only bigger.
"They so nearly got it after Shane Smeltz put them ahead on seven minutes. Technically off-side but not picked up. A stroke of luck. A moment they will make bronze statues about."
Regrettably, Silkstone continued, "Italian football can defy the laws of physics; only here does a small pull backwards on the shirt send a grown man tumbling forwards. New Zealand fell victim to a familiar trick as Italy milked a half-there penalty to even the score.
"Thereupon Ricki Herbert's men retreated behind the ball but not without a plan, nor without intent. Now the All Whites stand on the precipice of the second round.
"Paraguay awaits, and the chance to make yet more history."
In England, The Telegraph's correspondent Rory Smith waxed lyrical:
"All over the glistening, ultra-modern Mbombela Stadium, patches of white whirled, New Zealand shirts stripped from chests and held aloft in defiance and delight. The team that came as cannon fodder had just detonated Italy's World Cup hopes.
"The reigning champions, of course, can still qualify for the last 16 with victory in their final game against Slovakia. They most likely will. But any pretence Marcello Lippi and his side had of retaining their trophy was exposed as folly by the team from the ultimate backwater, the proverbial team of part-timers and no-hopers ....
"Shane Smeltz, once deemed not good enough by Halifax, handed Ricki Herbert's side the lead. Only through Daniele De Rossi's canny trickery did Italy break through the wall of white, the Roma player winning a penalty expertly converted by Juventus's Vincenzo Iaquinta.
"There was nothing lucky about this point, though, for New Zealand, standard-bearers of the smaller nations. They qualified by beating the likes of Vanuatu ..., but any doubts that they might not have deserved their place can be cast aside."
On The Guardian's website Rob Smythe prophetically blogged before kick-off: "Italy may traditionally be the suave sophisticates of world football, bestriding the scene with an imperious elegance and in a suit so sharp that it should be illegal, yet when it comes to the World Cup they have a peculiar habit of creating a huge wet patch around the business area of their Stg4000 cotton slacks.
"Of all the superpowers, Italy have suffered the greatest humiliations against the minnows of world football: defeat to North Korea in 1966, going 1-0 down to Haiti in 1974 -- before which Dino Zoff had gone a record 1143 minutes without conceding a goal -- losing to Ireland in 1994 and then South Korea in 2002.
"You wouldn't expect them to mess up against New Zealand, this is surely the biggest mismatch of the tournament: the world champions against the 2000-1 outsiders."
And after the final whistle: "It's the feel good hit of the summer.
They put in such a resourceful display, and were led sensationally by the brilliant Ryan Nelsen.
"New Zealand have infused this World Cup with the sort of innocent, everyman charm that was seemingly lost to top-level football. After two games, they are only behind Italy on alphabetical order."
Italy's sports daily La Gazetta Dello Sport's glum headline required little translation: "Flop Italia, Ora si nischia". There was also a reference to "miseria". The papal inquisition has only just begun.
