Portugal 2-0 Iran

Portugal secured a 2-0 win over Iran after second-half goals from Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo. They are now assured of a place in the last 16 with 6 points in Group D.

A superb Deco strike into the top corner left the Iranian goalkeeper stranded and a penalty won by Luis Figo when he was brought down in the penalty area and subsequently converted by Cristiano Ronaldo gave coach Luiz Felipe Scolari his ninth successive victory in FIFA World Cups.

Soccer Pundit feels that the Iranians had put up a good fight but they were second best in this encounter. Portugal has more individual talents in the team to turn their fortune around and all of them put in a convincing performance in this match. In fact, several of them like Luis Figo, Deco and Ronaldo deserved special mention from the Soccer Pundit.

Figo was the charismatic leader on the field, his tireless running, midfield dominance and involvement in most of the attacks launched by the team; Deco with his crisp passing, set pieces and the vital goal, and Ronaldo who was a real handful for the Iranian team who found his speed and trickery too much to handle.

Soccer Pundit has a few frank comments on Cristiano Ronaldo. The best is yet to come from this young player and he should go far provided he curbs his flamboyant style and works more towards the interest of the team rather than individual glory. He has the speed, balance, passing and dribbling skills to challenge the best defenders in the world.

It is mesmerizing to watch his stepovers and flicks but they can be detrimental at times when a simple direct pass is more effective. He has also got to stand on his feet more often rather than drop at the touch of a feather. If he improves on these aspects, there is no reason why he should not be a world class player.

Portugal will face formidable opponents in the next round in the form of either Argentina or the Netherlands, depending on the result of that Group C encounter between the two soccer powers on Wednesday.

Soccer Pundit feels that coach Scolari may rest several key players for them to recuperate and players with yellow cards for the last match against Mexico as they cannot afford to take any risks against either Argentina or Holland.