It won’t be remembered as a classic by anyone who watched it, but both Australia and Paraguay can be satisfied after they drew 0-0 in Santa Clara.Heading into the game, both sides knew a draw would be a decent result in terms of progression, and much of the first half played out that way. Australia were energetic but lacked a cutting edge, while Paraguay mustered just one shot in the entire half.The second half followed a similar pattern, with both sides playing conservatively and failing to craft any real chances of note, although Jordan Bos came close in the 90th minute, with a rare moment of excitement. A combined xG total of just 0.83 told the story of the game.Second-placed Australia are through to the Round of 32 and Paraguay are almost certain to join them as one of the eight best third-placed sides.Charlotte Harpur and Phil Hay analyse the game.How mundane was this match?So… about the first half in Santa Clara.We won’t ever have to watch it again, and neither will you. Let’s all count our blessings on that front. If ever 45 minutes of football said ‘a draw will do these two teams fine’, this was it.Big chances before half-time? Zero. The combined expected goals (xG) figure at the interval? A mighty 0.23 (and it was hanging at 0.14 before Australia had a long-range hit saved in added time). Paraguay’s individual xG? A creditable 0.05. The ‘chance’ they had was doing some heavy lifting.Did it get any sexier after half-time? No. Did we start to see the promise of a break in the deadlock? Also no. Did the game dodge the tag of ‘worst game of the tournament’? That’s a no. The most drama came when Julio Enciso was smashed into the advertising boards behind one net.Enciso crashing into the hoardings was arguably the most dramatic moment of the game (Stu Forster/Getty Images)To be serious for a moment, the USMNT had already won Group D and Turkey were already out. A point was enough to take Australia and Paraguay through, so why take the risk of going for broke and repenting at leisure? This wasn’t an entirely dead rubber. It merely played out like one, with a certain amount of going through the motions (Paraguay especially).Will the South Americans pay for not being more aggressive? Finishing third means they’re looking at Germany in the last 32. Australia face a lesser threat in Belgium (devoid of much up front), but it’s a worry for another day. The nations wanted to progress, and they have. Job done.Phil HayThe permutations after tonight’s gameA win for either team would have secured a crucial runners-up spot but a draw also suited both parties. A point guaranteed Australia’s second-place finish while also drastically increased the chances of Paraguay progressing as a third-placed team.