Portugal Beats Iran
Posted June 17, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Their team made it past the first round of the World Cup for the first time in 40 years Saturday after a 2-0 win over Iran.
Deco netted the first goal from outside the penalty area in the 63rd minute and the team got its second when Cristiano Ronaldo scored on a penalty kick with just 10 minutes left in the match.
Portugal now has six points in Group D after Saturday’s victory and a 1-0 win over Angola in its opening game.
“This is a historic moment for Portugal, the first time in 40 years it has come so far. We’re elated,” Portugal’s Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “We played better than against Angola. We showed some of our skill today.”
Iran is now eliminated from soccer’s premier event after Saturday’s defeat. It also lost its opening match against Mexico 3-1. The team’s top striker, Ali Daei, was out of the starting lineup Saturday due to a back injury.
As in their opening game, Portugal had a strong start but started to fizzle and was looking particularly ragged in the second half, but Deco’s goal revived the team’s spirit.
