LiveBlog: Portugal-Mexico

We’re LiveBlogging for the full 90 of the Portugal-Mexico match. Come in and join us by leaving your thoughts and comments while the match happens.

Live: Portugal 2-1 Mexico

Full time in the Iran Angola game too, which has finished 1-1 so Mexico are through. Great first half here, not such a great second half. Thanks to all for stopping by.

Full-time Portugal top Group D with 3 wins, Mexico should take second unless there’s an avalanche of late Angolan goals. Go here to see if that happens.

90+1:48 Big Phil points to the corner flags, Boa Morte disagrees and heads toward goal. Maniche’s shot is saved.

90:00 Yellow card for Gomes. ESPN commentator: “That yellow card is getting worn out.” A rare good moment from ESPN.

86:00 Terrible throw out from Sanchez, Tiago collects and shoots instantly but it’s over. Ricardo runs straaight into his nets. That wouldn’t be out of place on “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (US) “You’ve Been Framed” (UK) or whatever your countries equivelant is. Please let me know?

84:00 Franco controls with his chest in the area, then flicks over his head and, lets be honest here, takes a dive. Ref understandably not convinced.

82:14 Simoa bursts down the right and crosses, Sanchex takes an accidental wack from Marquez. Boa Morte comically misses the ball wide left. Was he being sporting or was his timing off?

80:00 Iran 1-1 Angola. Iran have equalised. Mexico can relax a bit.

79:15 Portugal take Figo off for Boa Morte. Figo gives Boa Morte a little kiss on the cheek as they pass.

77:09 Fonseca with another flick header, wide.

76:23 Eusebio in the stands. Wonder if he’s got his boots, just in case.

75:18 Maniche skies another shot. His early goal, coupled with his Euro 2004 wonder strike have given this guy a false sense of confidence in his shooting ability.

74:00 Caneira with a big slide tackle. Nothing wrong with him.

72:40 Bravo goes down in the box, but only gets a corner, which comes to nothing. Caneira looks in pain, but ref not convinced.

71:00 Marquez does the business with a tackle and through ball, but Castro’s shot or pass was so bad I can’t tell what it was. Gomes has a half chance but shoots over.

68:00 Mexican ball winner Castro brought on for Pineda. Portugal change Postiga for Gomes.

65:00 Angola’s goal differential now even, Mexico have plus 1. Also Mexico have scored 4 goals, Angola just 1.

64:00 Angola lead 1-0. Calculators at the ready…

63:14 Bravo put through but shoots over. Looked a lot like his penalty.

62:00 Maybe not a penalty, but not necessarily a dive either. Another unnecessary red for a CONCACAF team. Conspiracy!

61:00 HE’S OFF! That was Perez’s second yellow. Early bath.

59:40 That looked more like a penalty. Great one two passing from Mexico, Miguel looks to have fouled Perez. Maybe not. Perez booked for diving.

57:00 MISSED! BY A LONG WAY! Bravo skies the penalty.

56:00 PENALTY! Miguel either handballed on the floor or fouled Perez. Or neither. Not sure that was a good call.

55:00 Another comedy pass from Marquez, what is wrong with him? Fonseca with a weak shot. Trickled towards Ricardo who checked his watch before picking it up.

51:20 Pardo takes his time lining up a free kick from distance before firing it wide.

51:00 Great shot of Lavolpe’s dragon tie. Wish I had HD.

50:00 Both teams scrapping for possession here. Not pretty.

45:00 Second half underway. Mexico have brought skilfull little (5′4″) Zinha on for Rodriguez. Average height of the Mexican team takes a severe drop, but it’s an attacking substitution.

-To answer the drawing of lots (sadly no knife fight) debate, Ireland got lucky in 1990, being awarded second place in Group F via this method. Holland missed out. Does anyone else think drawng lots is an absolutley ridiculous way to decide things?

Half-time Good 45 minutes, and surprisingly feisty.

45+1:30 Might have worked though. Marquez nearly put an attacker through with a great ball.

45+1 Marquez changes his studs (or cleats depending on where you’re from). Excuses, excuses.

44:00 Massive goalmouth scramble results in Ricardo holding his knee. Looks like Fonseca caught the keeper while attacking a great cross.

42:44 Long range shot from Maniche, held by Sanchez without trouble. Pardo shot at the other end demands a big diving save from Ricardo, which he manages.

40:46 Figo loses a 1 v 3 battle aginst Mexican defenders but Marquez ruins the Mexican counter attack with a sloppy pass. Not the pony tailed one’s best night so far, though he does have an assist.

39:00 Do any World Cup Blog readers own a LaVolpe style dragon tie?

38:25 Another header by Fonseca, just wide but not much power behind it.

37:00 Figo and Salcido collapse in a heap. Portugal frere kick fired like an optimistic rocket by Simao. It bounces around before going out for a corner, which is cleared.

33:00 Miguel wins a corner for Portugal. For anyone confused about how goal differential works, it’s goals scored minus goals conceded. If that’s level between two teams then it’s decided by goals scored.

31:00 Another flip of the channel finds Univision’s commentary team in a happier mood that last time I visited. ESPN’s guys still sound like robots, only with less personality.

29:00 GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL! Fonseca scores a header from the corner, just glancing it past Ricardo. Gol! Gol! Gol! etcetera!

28:00 Marquez flicks on a cross, Bravo shoots but Ricardo saves onto the bar.

27:00 Postiga draws a save from Sanchez, Tiago volleys the rebound over. Mexico’s defence looks like a poorly manufactured sieve.

25:52 Got to wonder what Marquez thought he was doing. Yellow cards for Miguel for Portugal and Perez for Mexico. Getting niggly.

24:29 A quick flip of the channels finds Univision’s commentators in uncharacteristically downbeat mood.

23:45 GOAL! Simao scores the pen after a stuttered run up. 2-0.

22:00 Figo’s free kick hits the wall, the bounces over Sanchez for a corner. Marquez handballs from the corner. PENALTY!

21:0 Maniche robs Marquez in midfield and storms towards goal, before becoming the meat in a Mexican defender sandwich.

19:00 Angola still 0-0 with Iran, Mexico still safe. Figo beats his full back and crosses with the outside of his foot, but Sanchez claims it.

17:00 Bravo thought he’d skinned Meira with a nice move, but Meira recovers to get between Bravo and the ball. Liking Bravo and Fonseca’s willingness to run at defenders.

14:23 ESPN commentator just called Fransisco Rodriguez (no. 22) “Mexico’s version of Peter Crouch.” Isn’t that an insult?

11:00 Portugal passing it around much better than against Iran. Of course, an early lead will do that for you.

7:30 Oscar Bravo nearly replies for Mexico, flashing a volley just wide. Looks like Scolari’s predicted 30-0 to Mexico is off. Hope no one put money on it.

7:00 Keep an eye on the Iran vs Angola LiveBlog, I’ll check the score and report back periodically.

5:30 Simao squares to Maniche in the box, who sidefoots it top right corner. Early lead, and good news for Angola fans.

5:10 GOAL! Portugal!

4:00 Lavolpe seen stroking his stubbly beard. Big question: will we see him smoke on camera today?

3:00 Mexican keeper Sanchez comes out to head the ball. Always good to see.

1:30 Maybe Fonseca is Ronaldinho. He’s just dribbled past two Portuguese defenders and got a shot away. Ricardo held it though.

0:00 We’re off.

-Now Univision have Postiga starting instead of Pauleta for Portugal. Line ups below adjusted accordingly. Kick off any second.

-Mexico’s players sing their anthem loud and proud. If the World Cup was decided on singing, Mexico would be Brazil. And Kiki Fonseca would be Ronaldinho.

-National anthems on Univision, basketball on ESPN. Good to see Portugal’s Brazilian coach Scoalri singing the Portuguese national anthem.

-5(ish) minutes to go. Portugal’s Pauleta is the only player starting for them who will be suspended if booked.

-20(ish) minutes till kick off. Mexico still missing their Jared Borgetti goal machine. Portugal resting Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Valente, Costinha, and Deco all of whom are one yellow card away from a suspension. “They won’t play one minute of the match even if Mexico are winning 30-0,” Scolari said from beneath his moustache this week. But Portugal’s second string are no mugs. They’ll dress to impress, looking to claim a place in the second round starting eleven.

-Teams as follows:

Portugal:

* 01 A Ricardo
* 13 L Miguel
* 16 A Ricardo Carvalho
* 05 F Meira
* 03 M Caneira
* 08 A Petit
* 18 N Maniche
* 19 C Tiago
* 07 L Figo
* 11 S Simao
* 23 H Postiga

Mexico: Mexico

* 01 O Sanchez
* 14 G Pineda
* 04 R Marquez
* 05 R Osorio
* 03 C Salcido
* 22 F Rodriguez
* 08 P Pardo
* 23 L Perez
* 16 M Mendez
* 17 F Fonseca
* 19 O Bravo

-Portugal are through. A win or draw here sees them top group D. Mexico top the group with a win and go through in second place with a draw. If Mexico lose here, Angola can beat them to second place with a win over Iran (if they make up the goal differential).

Pregame: Who do you think will win?