북중미 강호 멕시코가 아프리카의 복병 앙골라를 맞아 0-0으로 비기면서 16강 진출에 먹구름이 꼈다. 

멕시코는 17일(이하 한국시간) 하노버 월드컵스타디움에서 열린 2006  독일월드컵축구 D조 조별리그 2차전에서 앙골라와 0-0으로 승부를 가르지 못했다. 

조별리그 1차전에서 이란을 3-1로 격파한 멕시코는 1승1무로 승점 4점을 확보했지만 16강 진출을 안심할수 없게 됐고 월드컵 본선에 처음 오른 앙골라는 1무1패로 소중한 승점 1점을 따냈다. 

D조 조별리그 1, 2위는 결국 포르투갈-이란, 멕시코-포르투갈, 이란-앙골라 등 남은 3경기 결과에 따라 판가름날 전망이다. 

두 팀은 단조로운 공격과 부정확한 패스, 그리고 골 결정력 부족을 드러내며 시종일관 답답한 플레이를 펼쳤다. 

경기 초반 분위기는 짧고 빠른 패스로 미드필드부터 상대를 압박한 멕시코가 잡았다. 

멕시코는 전반 1분 카를로스 살시도가 페널티 에어리어 오른쪽 밖에서 골  윗그물을 흔드는 중거리 슛을 때렸고 14분에는 라파엘 마르케스가 골문  25ｍ  지점에서 낮게 깔리는 프리킥 슈팅을 날렸지만 아쉽게 오른쪽 골포스트를 맞았다. 

반격에 나선 앙골라는 조직력을 정비해 전반 20분부터 주도권을 쥐고 오른쪽 측면을 돌파하면서 수차례 중거리슛과 프리킥을 시도했다. 

그러나 앙골라는 슛이 계속 뜨는 등 정확도 부족으로 유효슈팅을 하나도 기록하지 못한 채 전반전은 양팀 모두 무득점에 그쳤다. 

멕시코는 후반전에 들어서 전반적인 공격의 주도권을 쥐고 앙골라 수비를  공략했지만 결정적인 기회를 만들지는 못했다. 

후반 11분에 기예르모 프랑코가 상대 골키퍼가 놓친 공을 골문에 밀어넣었으나 수비수에 막혀 골문을 열지 못했고 10분 뒤에는 오마르 브라보가  페널티  에어리어 왼쪽에서 단독 찬스을 맞아 슛을 때렸지만 골키퍼 정면으로 갔다. 

다급해진 멕시코는 후반 29분과 30분에 전방 공격수 호세  프란시스코  폰세카, 라몬 모렐라스를 잇따라 투입해 공세를 강화했고 후반 34분에는 앙골라 미드필더 안드레가 고의로 공을 건드리면서 경고누적으로 퇴장당하는 행운이 찾아왔다. 

그러나 멕시코는 후반 37분에 수비를 강화한 앙골라를 상대로 폰세카가 페널티 에어리어 왼쪽에서 뒤에서 올라온 크로스를 직접 슈팅한 것이 골대를 아쉽게 벗어났다. 

또 막판 43분에는 마르케스가 페널티 아크 앞에서 때린 강슛이  주앙  히카르두 앙골라 골키퍼의 선방에 막혔고 이어진 브라보의 회심의 슛이 골포스트를 맞히면서 결국 점수를 내지 못한채 경기를 마쳤다. (연합뉴스) 
 
Mexico 0 : 0 Angola  

HANOVER, Germany (AP) - At times it was desperate, and occasionally ugly. It also was a point in the World Cup for Angola. 

Anchored by goalkeeper Joao Ricardo and defender Jamba, World Cup newcomer Angola frustrated heavily favored Mexico and hung on for a 0-0 draw Friday night. 

Ricardo made several dramatic saves, and the chances he flubbed somebody - usually Jamba - came to clear from danger. 

Five days after losing 1-0 to former colonial ruler Portugal, the Black Antelopes withstood an early surge from Mexico, displayed a bit of offensive initiative and then managed to overcome playing a man down for the final 11 minutes. 

"It's a great challenge to play Mexico," Angola coach Luis Oliviera Goncalves said. "They're a very difficult team, but we developed a strategy that allowed us not to suffer goals and to try to score ourselves." 

The result left Mexico, who beat Iran 3-1 in their opener, atop Group D with four points and one game remaining, against Portugal. The Portuguese face Iran on Saturday. The Angolans have only Iran remaining. 

Ricardo was forced into theatrics, particularly in the second half. 

He raced off his line in the 57th minute and leapt to thwart Guillermo Franco's attempt to chip over him from just inside the penalty area. Second-half substitute Jesus Arellano put the rebound back on goal, but Jamba cleared the ball off the line. 

"Those are situations of the game," Ricardo said. "Sometimes the goalkeeper needs help, in this case it was Jamba who came in, and that's a good thing." 

Ricardo preserved the shutout in the 88th minute, diving to his right to push Rafael Marquez's 35-yard strike around the post. 

"That's football," Mexico midfielder Gerardo Torrado said. "Sometimes luck just doesn't go our way." 

Without injured striker Jared Borgetti, who tore a muscle in his left thigh against Iran, Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe used Brazilian-born midfielder Zinha, also known as Antonio Naelsen, as a replacement. 

With the overwhelming support from the crowd of 43,000, whose singing drowned out the recorded music during the playing of the Mexican national anthem, El Tri dominated the first 20 minutes. 

With Carlos Salcido's shot from 30 yards in the opening minute that landed in the top netting, and Marquez's free kick from 35 yards that deflected off the wall and onto the right post, Angola was forced to foul to stem Mexico's advances. 

But Angola settled down, began to gain some possession and was able to push forward, blunting Mexico. 

"It wasn't a surprise," Angola striker and captain Fabrice Akwa said. "Before the game, the coach asked us for a victory. He told us everything was possible against Mexico. 

"I think taking into account the fact we ended up with 10 players, we managed a good result." 

While elating Angolans, Ricardo also made them anxious. He twice dropped balls in the first half, including one on Marquez's cross that Jamba had to clear. 

Lavolpe, seen waving his arms in frustration, abandoned his two-forward strategy in the 53rd, sending in Jesus Arellano for Zinha as a third striker. 

El Tri continued to create chances, but Ricardo was Mexico's equal. 

Angola still was able to push the ball into Mexico's end, but when Andre was ejected with his second yellow card for a handball in the 79th, Angola retreated into its own half to withstand the final minutes. 

Initially thrilled with its victory over Iran, Mexico now has to regroup and brace for Portugal. 

"Mexico had full control of the game," Lavolpe said, "but when the ball does not want to enter the goal, when one lacks definition, games end 0-0." 

포르투갈은 17일 밤(한국시간) 독일 프랑크푸르트 FIFA월드컵경기장에서 벌어진 이란과의 2006독일월드컵 D조예선 2차전에서 후반 데쿠와 크리스티아누 호나우두의 연속골로 2-0의 완승을 거뒀다. 포르투갈은 지난 앙골라전 1-0 승리에 이어 2연승을 내달리며 승점 6점을 획득, 남은 멕시코전 결과에 상관없이 16강행 티켓을 손에 넣었다. 포르투갈은 이로써 독일, 에콰도르, 잉글랜드, 아르헨티나, 네덜란드에 이어 이번 대회 6번째 16강 진출국이 됐다. 반면 지난 멕시코전에서 1-3으로 패했던 이란은 뼈아픈 2연패를 당하며 월드컵 3개 대회 연속 16강 진출에 실패했다. 

지난 앙골라전에서 페드로 파울레타의 결승골을 어시스트했던 피구가 다시한번 그라운드를 종횡무진 누비며 팀 승리를 이끌었다. 전반 포르투갈은 볼점유율 67%-33%, 슈팅 9-1이 말해주듯 일방적인 경기를 펼쳤다. 하지만 마니셰 리베이로와 호나우두의 연이은 중거리슛이 번번히 골문을 조금씩 벗어나며 득점에 실패했다. 수비에 치중하며 역습을 노리는 전략으로 나선 이란은 다소 긴장한 듯 무거운 몸놀림을 보였지만 전반 중반 이후 골문을 위협하는 좋은 기회를 잡기도 했다. 

득점없이 시작된 후반 초반은 탄탄한 수비와 함께 날카로운 역습을 선보인 이란의 분위기였다. 이란은 침착한 경기 운영으로 포르투갈 공격을 차단한 후 빠른 역습으로 골을 노렸지만 페널티지역 근처에서 마무리가 아쉬웠다. 

지루한 '0의 행진'은 후반 18분 피구와 데쿠의 환상적인 하모니로 마감됐다. 이란 진영 좌측에서 볼을 잡은 피구가 문전 중앙을 향해 돌파를 시도했고 수비수가 자신에게 몰리자 아크 정면에 있던 데쿠에게 땅볼 패스를 연결했다. 데쿠는 문전으로 달려들며 논스톱 오른발슛을 시도했고 왼쪽 골포스트를 스친 볼은 그대로 골문으로 빨려들어갔다. '슈퍼 데쿠'의 진가가 유감없이 발휘되는 장면이었다. 

기세가 오른 포르투갈은 후반 35분 호나우두가 사실상 승리를 결정짓는 페널티킥골을 성공시키며 환호했다. 페널티지역 좌측에서 돌파를 시도하던 피구가 야흐아 골모함마디의 파울로 페너티킥을 얻어냈고 호나우두가 강한 오른발슛으로 우측 상단 구석을 시원하게 가르며 2-0으로 앞서가기 시작한 것. 지난 앙골라전부터 수차례 슈팅을 시도하며 골욕심을 부렸던 호나우두가 드디어 월드컵 1호골을 기록하는 순간이었다. 

이란은 뒤늦게 공격수들을 대거 투입하며 분위기 반전을 노렸지만 2골차를 뒤집기에는 시간이 너무 부족했다. 결국 추가득점없이 경기가 마무리됐고 선취골이자 결승골의 주인공인 데쿠가 경기 MVP로 선정됐다. (스포츠서울) 
 
Portugal 2 : 0 Iran 

[POR] 20. DECO (63')17. CRISTIANO RONALDO (80' PEN) 

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Luiz Felipe Scolari is doing for Portugal what he did for Brazil, building a team that can win World Cup games. 

Now can it win a championship? 

The Brazilian coach, who guided his country to the 2002 title, helped Portugal break a 40-year curse Saturday, leading the team beyond the first round of the World Cup with a a 2-0 win over Iran. 

The win guaranteed advancement for Portugal, which last got so far in 1966 behind its greatest player, Eusebio. 

"This is a historic moment for Portugal," Scolari said. "Portugal has for years had a psychological problem about its starts to major tournaments. We're feeling good about ourselves now. We did what we had to do." 

Portugal went out in the first round of the 1986 and 2002 tournaments, despite boasting talented teams that were expected to show well. 

Scolari, who took charge of Portugal three years ago, became the longest-serving coach of the Portuguese national team in Frankfurt, chalking up his 45th match. 

Portugal has sent its most experienced team ever to Germany, with a squad that together has collected close to 800 caps. 

Even so, it hasn't yet found the form which won it the nickname of the Brazilians of Europe. Yet the Portuguese are safely into the next round. 

Iran, still winless in Germany, held the Portuguese for over an hour before Deco scored with a powerful first-time shot from outside the penalty area. 

Cristiano Ronaldo made a penalty kick 10 minutes from the end. 

"We were playing the way I wanted. I knew that if we kept at them in the same way, they'd eventually break," Scolari said. 

Portugal has six points in Group D; it beat Angola 1-0 in its opening match. 

Just as against Angola, the Portuguese failed to keep their usual spark after a bright start, allowing an opponent to stay close. Then came the two second-half goals - and a spot in the second round.  

"In the first half we created innumerable goal-scoring chances, but it never happened," captain Luis Figo said. "We lost our way a bit in the second half, but after we broke through it was easier." 

Figo set up both goals in an otherwise disappointing display in his 122nd international appearance. 

He broke down the left flank and passed inside for an unmarked Deco to fire home. Deco had missed the opener with a strained leg muscle. 

"We kept the balance in most of the match," Iran's Croatian coach Branko Ivankovic said. "Unfortunately, their first goal came against the run of play after a fantastic individual effort from Deco precisely when I was warming up two players to strengthen our midfield." 

On another break down the left, he was brought down in the area by Yahya Golmohammadi for the penalty kick. Ronaldo stepped up to the spot and fired in a hard shot, sending the goalie the wrong way. 

Scolari made three midfield changes after his team failed to impress against Angola. Francisco Costinha, Maniche and Deco came in for Armando Petit, Tiago and Simao Sabrosa. 

Ronaldo was also included, even though he skipped two training sessions last week with muscle fatigue. 

Iran left top striker Ali Daei out of his starting lineup due to a back strain. 

The match featured a raft of close misses for the Portuguese and occasional goalmouth threats from Iran. 

Deco forced Ebrahim Mirzapour into a superb reflex save from close range after 12 minutes, the goalie palming the ball away with his outstretched right hand. 

Then Ricardo Carvalho's header from Figo's corner kick spun just wide. 

Ronaldo started slowly, but threatened the Iranian defense twice in two minutes. The winger had a header chested off the line by Hossein Kaabi and then cut past three defenders from the right and hit a powerful shot just wide of the post. 

But the Portuguese weren't firing on all pistons as Iran successfully closed down playmakers Deco and Figo for long periods. Still, Iran's attacking efforts often fell short because of sloppy ball control. 

"Portugal was very strong, and after their first goal it became clear to us that it would be very hard to remain in the World Cup," said Ferydoon Zandi.