Gigi Buffon could not have wished for a more relaxing way to celebrate his 100th international appearance for Italy in what was the most benign of friendlies with Holland.
The countryâÂÂs attention had turned to the oval game earlier on Saturday, with 80,000 packing the San Siro for the rugby teamâÂÂs emotionally-charged test match with the All-Blacks.
So the 14,000 or so who parked up in Pescara provided a much-more homely feel to the round-ball encounter.
There was the now obligatory pro-Cassano chants and a young man taking to the pitch wearing a "Cassano for the national team" T-shirt, but overall there was very little to hold anyoneâÂÂs attention for long.
With neither side forcing the issue, Buffon had little to do apart from wave to the fans, and was only really called into action to deny Alberto Gilardino from scoring an own-goal late on.
A shut-out will always please any goalkeeper, but Buffon will have probably thanked Juventus team-mates Fabio Cannavaro and Giorgio Chiellini for ensuring a generally quiet evening.
Chiellini, in particular, is beginning to show some self control, although there is little danger of him ever becoming totally passive in his manner.
The thumping challenge on Robin van Persie was fair but more in keeping with a last-minute tackle in a World Cup semi-final than the nature of this match.
Wesley Sneijder missed the game through injury and had claimed that Jose Mourinho warned him that the Juve contingent would be out to get him.
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