FRANCE, DENMARK MAKE ROUND OF 16 AFTER GOALLESS DRAW

MOSCOW: For 37 games, the one certainty at this World Cup had been goals. Every game had produced at least one: a powerful header, a slick backheel, a wellshaped free kick. Mexican goals and Brazilian goals and lots and lots of Russian, Belgian and English goals.

Every team had at least one, save Costa Rica and Peru. And then the Peruvians put two past Australia to join the club on their way out of the door on Tuesday, leaving only Costa Rica with 90 minutes to go to break the seal.

But through it all, the tournament had not produced a single scoreless tie — until Tuesday, when France and Denmark slogged through 90 torpid and scoreless minutes here, and the streak — the longest without a 0-0 tie to start a World Cup in its history — was over.

Not that the French, or the Danes, will complain. Their 0-0 draw sent both France and Denmark into the knockouts. France, the group winner, will play the Group D runner-up on Saturday in Kazan. Denmark may have gotten a better bargain, though: an extra day of rest, a shorter trip and being in the easier half. They play in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday. That may explain why they seemed so content with its lot.

A first half of rare chances gave way to a second half with almost none. By the hour mark, the crowd of 78,000 plus had turned on both teams, whistling loudly when first France, and then Denmark, shuffled the ball around midfield showing little intent. When Antoine Griezmann, France’s best scoring threat, went off for substitute Nabil Fekir in the 68th minute, the crowd greeted his departure with more jeers.

Prior to his substitution in the 68th minute, Griezmann didn’t complete a single pass to strike partner Olivier Giroud.