Back inside the Akron, the answer was still unfolding, but when the match official glanced at his watch, all knew that the break was upon.
One final Spanish attack broke down on the edge of the area, and right after Uruguay cleared long, the referee took his whistle into his mouth and let the shrill sound invade the pitch.
Following that, the release around the stadium was almost physical.
Players exhaled, and the supporters did too.
Both sides came to a halt as the ball crashed against the grass and began bobbling out of play.
A second later, both sets of players began drifting towards the tunnel, still deadlocked.
Nobody had won the half, and though one side looked particularly pleased about it, the other didn't.
"What a fascinating forty-five minutes," Drury said as the cameras followed the players off.
"Spain have controlled long spells, created the clearer opportunities and, on another evening, may well already be out of sight."
