The footballer regarded with an awesome respect, even reverence, by both his team-mates and fans suffered his second booking of the tournament in the shattering defeat inflicted by Portugal in Arnhem.

It was the second savage, crushing blow as Romania were bludgeoned to an undeserved defeat in the final seconds of injury time in the Gelredome - and that man Luis Figo was significantly part of their downfall.

The £30million-rated Barcelona star had largely been a figure of peripheral influence in what seemed destined to be a drearilyachieved draw until he was granted a free-kick in the 93rd minute of this Group A qualifier.

The right boot that devastated England earlier in the week applied the same venom and accuracy but this time Portugal's substitute - more their man of destiny, Costinha climbed amid a barricade of bodies to divert an unstoppable header beyond goalkeeper Bogdan Stelea.

It blitzed the minds of the Romanians, maybe even destroyed their heart for the conflict ahead and they surely know that without the talismanic influence of Hagi the odds in 72 hours' time must be ominously stacked against them.

Mostly, it's true, Hagi remains a sweat-free hero. In two decades of international commitment, he so often has been his nation's rightly congratulated saviour.

And in the 85th minute the perspiration was running cold down the backs of the Portuguese when, with a dynamically-struck left-foot shot from 30 yards, he forced Portugal goalkeeper Vitor Baia into a magnficent save.

It might well have been his final attempt at glory in both this competition and on the world stage following his decision to retire from international football when Euro 2000 is over.

Soon into this match, though, an eyebrow was raised and with it the inevitably obvious, frustrating question: How did this Portuguese team, hardly forged like men of war, manage to dismantle England's dramatically-secured two-goal advantage last Monday and leave us humiliated?

In Eindhoven, Portugal had been able to move the ball around at will. Here, barely an hour up the road in Arnhem, they looked like a completely different outfit.

It was hard to fathom and even more puzzling to figure the marginal, strolling presence of Figo, who little more than five days ago had occupied Kevin Keegan's worst nightmares after repeatedly turning what we smirkingly might call an international defence.

In him, we thought, there would not be any element of sporting prejudice filling that famous frame. It was felt he would, and could, look any opponents squarely and meaningfully in the eye and take them brutally apart with that swaying, juggling rhythm of his.

Until that dramatic injury-time winner made by his boot, forget it. To be kind you could say Figo in this mode was enigmatic and Manuel Rui Costa, his partner in attacking anarchy when we had no answer, was even more peripheral.

One of his shots went on a crazy arc that almost escaped the canyon-sided walls of the stadium and another almost clattered a corner flag. And they, let me tell you, were the good moments.

Romania, mind you, had a plan, whereas England didn't really bother.

Sure enough, it was basic. They actually occupied midfield with manpower, ready to make tackles of no little intent and deny their rivals the space and time to manoeuvre. In the politest possible way, Mr Keegan, that should give you the drift for Tuesday night in Charleroi.

There wasn't exactly the venomous clatter of boots too often but there was the cluster of Dan Petrescu, Dorinel Munteanu and Constantin Galca, plus a couple of others adding their weight. Not forgetting, of course, Hagi, even if he wasn't exactly an active member.

Mostly he was an observer, casually taking the odd corner and flinging in a free kick. One such set-piece went skidding past a Portuguese post in the 52nd minute via the head of former Coventry striker Viorel Moldovan.

Playmaker Hagi won't demand a fraction of space on Keegan's dossier after this match. He was booked in the 16th minute for an impetuous, rashly-delivered ambush into the back of Portuguese rival Joao Pinto.

It was his second yellow card of the competition and, therefore, he will be missing when England get down to their final piece of the qualifying business in 72 hours' time.

Romania, it could be argued, had an evil eye on the Portuguese. They certainly possessed a tactical advantage and a psychological one, too, after a victory and a draw against Figo and his team-mates on the way to this tournament.

Down in Liege on Monday, against the truculent and troubled Germans, they didn't look too sharp. There was no cutting edge, either, to disturb Keegan in this contest and England should relish the advantage of attacking pace and goal-scoring potential.