11 June 2006, by Tom Kundert

Patchy Portugal get off to winning start

Portugal 1-0 Angola

An early Pedro Pauleta goal was enough to give Portugal victory in their opening World Cup match against Angola in Cologne tonight.

After Portugal had threatened to run away with the game in the first twenty minutes, Angola reacted well and made their more illustrious opponents sweat until the final minute to guarantee the win.

There was a surprise in Portugal’s line-up, with Scolari deciding not to risk midfield lynchpin Deco, who had picked up a knock in training on Thursday. With Maniche and Costinha also starting on the bench, Portugal started with an unfamiliar looking midfield, with Petit, Tiago and Simao earning rare starts.

Portugal almost got off to a dream start when Simao played in Pauleta behind the Angola defence, and the Paris Saint Germain slid the ball past the keeper and just the wrong side of the post after only 12 seconds.

Portugal’s record goalscorer did not have to wait long before hitting the target however.

Majestic Figo

Captain Figo, who belied his age throughout the match with a masterly performance, also showed he still has good pace as he knocked the ball one side of Jamba and ran the other side of his marker before slipping a perfect pass across the box for Pauleta to slot into the net.

At this stage Angola’s defence looked highly suspect, and Pauleta twice came close to doubling the lead inside the first twenty minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo showed his anxiety to imprint his mark on the game, and while he could be accused of being individualistic at times, he twice came within a whisker of scoring in a one-sided first half.

First he powered a header against the bar from a corner, then he met an excellent Miguel cut-back with a full-blooded drive that Ricardo did well to keep out.

Ricardo save

Portugal did not have it all their own way however, and Angola enjoyed some good possession and almost equalised close to half time when Macanga fired in a shot that forced Ricardo into an excellent save.

After an entertaining first 45 minutes, the second half was something of a let-down, with Portugal seemingly happy to guard their lead and Angola unable to seriously threaten their European opposition.

Scolari withdrew Ronaldo, who had picked up a yellow card, and consolidated the midfield with the steadying influence of Costinha. Midfielders Tiago and late substitute Maniche went close with shots from distance, but the final whistle brought relief for Portugal who started both the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 European Championships with defeats.

Scolari pleased

A pleased Luiz Filipe Scolari emphasised the importance of getting off to a victorious start: “However slim the margin of victory, a victory is an excellent way to start. We’ve got one win. Now we’ve only got six games to go.”

PortuGoal man of the match:
Luis Figo - Portugal’s veteran captain showed he still has plenty to offer as he ran the match with a faultless performance.

Portugal:
Ricardo, Miguel, Ricardo Carvalho, Fernando Meira, Nuno Valente, Petit (Maniche, 71), Tiago (Hugo Viana, 82), Cristiano Ronaldo (Costinha, 59), Figo, Simão, Pauleta
Yellow Cards: Ronaldo (25), Nuno Valente (79)

Angola:
Joao Ricardo, Loko, Jamba, Kali, Delgado, Macanga, Figueiredo, Ze Kalanga (Edson, 69), Mateus, Mendoca, Akwa (Mantorras, 59)
Yellow Cards: Jamba (27), Loko (45), Macanga (51)

Goals:
[1-0] Pauleta, 3