PORTUGAL 2 - IRAN 0

Portugal became the sixth team assured a place in the Round of 16 at Germany 2006 after second-half goals from Deco and Cristiano Ronaldo secured a 2-0 win against Iran on Saturday, 17 June 2006.

While Portugal were celebrating a second straight win in Group D - and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s ninth in succession overall in FIFA World Cups™ - Iran were left to reflect on what went wrong after their second defeat confirmed their elimination. After a goalless first half in Frankfurt, Deco broke the deadlock with a long-distance strike in the 63rd minute and Ronaldo sealed the victory from the penalty spot with ten minutes remaining.

Man of the Match: Arjen ROBBEN (NED)

Arjen Robben was named Budweiser Man of the Match for his spirited attacking play in Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire on Friday, making him the second player to receive the honour twice at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™.

Robben ran tirelessly throughout the match, combining well with Ruud van Nistelrooij and Robin van Persie and becoming even more dangerous late in the match as the Ivorians began to tire. Robben’s biggest contribution came in the 27th minute, when he played a wonderful reverse ball to send Van Nistelrooij in for Netherlands’ second goal.

"Every time he has the ball, he is a threat for the opponent, he always creates fear," said FIFA Technical Study Group member Kim Chon Lim. "His pass for the second Dutch goal that Van Nistelrooij scored was just intuitive. He is definitely one of the key figures in the Dutch team."

| FIFA WC 2006 Current Standings

~17June 06

NED 2 - CID 1

The Netherlands booked their place in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup™ as goals from Robin van Persie and Ruud van Nistelrooij earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire in Stuttgart on Friday, 16 June 2006.

Their second win in Group C means the Dutch advanced with a game to spare, along with Argentina who also have six points after beating Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 earlier in the day. Côte d’Ivoire, like the Serbo-Montenegrins, can go no further in this tournament but they certainly pushed the Dutch all the way.

After Van Persie’s 23rd-minute free-kick opener, Van Nistelrooij doubled the Dutch lead four minutes later but the Ivorians hit back through a spectacular Bakary Kone effort and threatened an equaliser on more than one occasion.

A brave performance from ten-man Angola saw them hold Mexico to a goalless draw in their Group D meeting in Hanover on Friday, 16 June 2006.

Angola, who lie 53 places below El Tri in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, frustrated the Mexicans due to a combination of some resolute defending and some superb goalkeeping from Joao Ricardo.

The Palancas Negras’ task was made even harder when they had Andre sent off in the 79th minute, but the African side held firm to register their first ever point in the FIFA World Cup™ finals. 

ARGENTINA 6-0 SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

Argentina gave a fearsome show of attacking strength as they swept aside Group C rivals Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, 16 June 2006.

Jose Pekerman’s team equalled their record FIFA World Cup™ win against Peru from 1978 against opponents they had, coincidentally, dismantled by the same score at the 2004 Olympic Football Tournament. More importantly, the victory took them a big step closer to the second round, while leaving Serbia and Montenegro’s hopes hanging by a thread.

The flow of goals began in the sixth minute with Maxi Rodriguez and after Esteban Cambiasso had doubled the lead in the 31st minute, Rodriguez struck again to make it 3-0 ten minutes later. There was no respite for Serbia and Montenegro after the break as, following the dismissal of Mateja Kezman, Hernan Crespo hit Argentina’s fourth in the 78th minute. Substitutes Carlos Tevez (84′) and Lionel Messi (88′) completed the scoring in the final ten minutes.