21 June 2006
 
PORTUGAL 2-1

MEXICO

Maniche 6  

Fonseca 30

Sabrosa 23 (Pen)    
     
Simao started a counter attack by playing a one-two with Maniche and bombing
down the left, the Mexican midfield quickly got back to support their defence only
they didn't bother picking up Maniche who strolled into the box and side footed
into the top corner, excellent finish awful defending. Marquez gave away a penalty
with a mindless handball, he should have been sent off. Simao thumped the ball
past Sanchez. Fonseca headed in a corner. Bravo launched an extremely charitable
penalty in outer space. Perez was dismissed for ‘diving’ in the box and Mexico had
clear penalty appeals turned down when Ferrara went through the back of Bravo,
who missed two sitters, as Mexico continued to boss the game despite being reduced
to ten men.

Why are Portugal playing like England? Take the lead, sit bit and just defend in the
second half.

Attendance : 52,000
Red Card : Perez 60 (Mexico)
Assists : Sabrosa, n/a, Pardo (ck)
 
 
IRAN 1-1

ANGOLA

Bakhtiarizadeh 76  

Flavio 60

     
Daei missed an absolute sitter. Mendonca made a fantastic goal-line clearance
to deny Hashemian what looked a certain goal. With the Iran defence pushing
up, Figueiredo found Ze Kalanga in space on the right wing, Madanchi failed
to get tight allowing the midfielder to pick out Flavio with an excellent cross
which he met with a firm standing header. Bakhtiarizadeh headed in a deserved
equaliser from a Mahdavikia corner.

Attendance : 38,000
Assists : Ze Kalanga, Mahdavikia (ck)
 
 
17 June 2006
 
PORTUGAL 2-0

IRAN

Deco 63    
Ronaldo 80 (Pen)    
     
This made it two absolute shite games in a row following on from yesterday
evening's misery inducing match between Mexico and Angola. This match so bad it
was scarcely deserving of Deco's magnificent 20 yard strike. Ronaldo converted a
penalty awarded for a foul on Figo.

Attendance : 48,000
Assists : Figo, Figo (won pen)
 
 
16 June 2006
 
MEXICO 0-0

ANGOLA

     
Marquz's deflected free kick rebounded off a post. Marquez hit a huge longball out of
defence, Bravo headed the ball down to Franco but with Ricardo rushing off his line
the striker didn't get enough lift on his lob, Ricardo parried and Arellano's weak follow
up was hacked clear. Bravo spurned an absolute gift from Jamba. Under no real
pressure the defender whacked a ball against a team-mate and it rebounded to Bravo
but his limp shot was easily saved. Andre got a second yellow for a blatant handball.
Fonseca wasted a sublime lobbed pass from Arellano, volleyed wide from close range.
Ricardo made a stunning save from a monstrous long rage shot by Marquez.
Two minutes from time Ricardo flapped at a cross as the Mexican's worked a short
corner but Bravo failed to capitalise, volleyed against the bar with the goal at this
mercy.

Attendance : 43,000
Assist : n/a
 
 
11 June 2006
 
MEXICO 3-1

IRAN

Bravo 28, 76  

Golmohammadi 36

Zinha 79    
     
The first two chances fell to Iran's Hashemian. Mahdavikia and Kaabi combined on
the right, Kaabi's low centre was begging to be hit but the striker tried to back heel
and missed, the ball came out to Karimi and he swung a brilliant cross to the back
post, 'The Helicopter' Hashemian (because of his prowess in the air) met it with a
powerful header which Sanchez saved brilliantly. Pardo swung a cheaply awarded free
kick into the box, Villarreal's Franco headed the ball down and Bravo turned it past
Mirzapour. Poor goalkeeping gifted Iran the equaliser. Sanchez came off his line for a
corner but completely missed the ball and Golmohammadi, in a packed penalty area,
calmly lifted it into the roof of the net. A wonderful exchange of volleyed passes was
cynically brought to an end by Golmohammadi's body check on Marquez, who started
the move with a back heel volley, but the ref, the excellent Roberto Rosetti, waved
away appeals for a penalty. Mirzapour's wreckless backpass gave the lead back to the
MexiCANS. Bravo headed down the goalkeeper's clearance and a heavy first touch
the normally dependable Rezaei allowed Zinha to thread a ball through to Bravo for
his second. Zinha received the ball with his back to play on the half way line, as he
turned he pushed the ball away from a defender before hitting a disguised pass out
wide to Mendez. Mendez hung a first time cross into the middle of the box and, with
perfect timing, Zinha arrived to leap in the air and send a header bouncing into the
bottom corner, lovely, lovely goal and a fitting end to a match between two teams
that played some neat and tidy passing football.

Attendance : 36,898
Assists : Franco, n/a, Zinha, Mendez
 
 
ANGOLA 0-1

PORTUGAL

   

Pauleta 4

     
Pauleta almost scored seconds after the kick-off. Ronaldo slipped him in with a ball
down the left and his quick shot just rolled wide of a post. Less than three minutes
later Portugal were in front. Figo knocked a ball in front of Jamba then ran past him
before cutting back for Pauleta to tap into an empty net. Ronaldo headed a Figo corner
against the underside of the crossbar. Ricardo made a great save from Andre's
speculative effort and at the other end Angola's goalkeeper, also called Ricardo,
made a superb two handed stop from Ronaldo after man of the match Figo and Miguel
combined down the right.

An insipid, uninspiring mess of diving punctuated by two excellent saves from the
'keepers. Angola showed NO ambition going forward and in the second half neither
did Portugal.

Attendance : 45,000
Assist : Figo