Portugal win against World Cup first timers in Group D

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Portugal strolled out a 1-0 Group D victory against Angola while fans jeered in Köln, Germany, Sunday.

With the goal scored after four minutes it might have seemed the game would be a rout for the Portugal side. With attacking stars Figo, Ronaldo and Pauleta, they lined up against an Angolan team who made their first appearance at the World Cup in the Rhein Energie Stadion.

But a score of 6-0 or 5-1 - the scores of the two times the teams had played in their recent fixtures - was not to be. And, in a defensive move, on 61 minutes Ronaldo, was pulled off by Portugal's Brazilian coach Luis Felipe Scolari.

Ronaldo in the first half had a header that hit the Angolan crossbar but it might be the yellow card the gifted 20-year-old had received which prompted the move to rest the player.

Angola did not make the game easy but when it seemed the Portugal coach was content with his side to defend the lead against the former Portugal colony some in the crowed jeered loud enough to be heard on television.

This would be no disrespect to Figo who was on exceptional form, involved in almost every Portugal attack. Despite the defensive tactics he might have created more goals but for the deep-sitting Angolan defence that made it difficult to get a clear sight of goal.

Angola, in an apparent attempt to keep the score respectable, kept 11 men in their own half of the pitch for much of the game. In the second half, as the clock ticked, Angola appeared reluctant to attack the Portugal goal in numbers such that Portugal could catch them on the break.

The only goal conceded by Luis De Oliveira Goncalves side was the result of the inventive play of Portugal's famous number seven. Figo cleverly knocked the ball around a defender and ran at speed into the penalty box. His run brought Angolan goalkeeper Joao Ricardo toward him, and Figo found Pauleta in the perfect position to pass the ball into the net.