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Reuters - Iran have been
plagued by injury worries and restlessness in the team camp as they
prepare for their second match in Group D against Portugal on Saturday.
No such concerns, bar a question mark over the fitness of winger
Cristiano Ronaldo who trained separately on Thursday, dog Portugal who
with three points in the bag are looking to book a place in the World
Cup knockout phase with another victory.
"(This match) is like a final for both teams," said Portugal captain
Luis Figo.
Having lost 3-1 to Mexico after a shoddy second half, Iran cannot afford
another defeat in Frankfurt but with striker and captain Ali Daei almost
certainly out with a back injury, they lack a father figure to guide
them on the pitch.
"I think it is very hard for him to play against Portugal... We have to
see but I don't think he can play," coach Branko Ivankovic said of the
striker, the world's top international scorer with 109 goals.
MOOD SUBDUED
Iran's presence in Germany has been frequently overshadowed by politics,
something Ivankovic has repeatedly tried -- and failed -- to deflect.
Coupled with poor performances by some of Iran's Bundesliga players, the
mood in the camp is far from upbeat.
"The players were not satisfied with the result. Now we have to prepare
ourselves mentally against Portugal," Ivankovic said.
Portugal are more relaxed after their 1-0 win over Angola although,
given that their performance against their former colony was distinctly
underwhelming, they need another win to avoid a tough showdown with
Mexico in their last group game.
The squad are aware that Iran, eager to salvage something of their
reputation, will fight hard in Frankfurt on Saturday.
"I know we always say it but this will be a difficult game. There are no
easy games in the World Cup," Figo said.
Midfielder Costinha said Portugal watched Iran's defeat by Mexico and
had been impressed with their first half performance, especially their
speed and strength in the midfield and attack.
But he was confident that the precise preparations made by coach Luiz
Felipe Scolari would serve Portugal well.
Probable teams:
Portugal (4-4-2)
1-Ricardo; 13-Miguel, 16-Ricardo Carvalho, 5-Fernando Meira, 14-Nuno
Valente; 8-Armando Petit, 18-Maniche, 11-Simao Sabrosa, 7-Luis Figo;
17-Cristiano Ronaldo; 9-Pauleta
Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari
Iran (4-2-3-1)
1-Ebrahim Mirzapour; 13-Hossein Kaebi, 5-Rahman Rezaei, 4-Yahya
Golmohammadi, 20-Mohammad Nosrati; 6-Javan Nekonam, 14-Andranik
Teymourian; 2-Mehdi Mahdavikia, 9-Vahid Hashemian, 8-Ali Karimi;
15-Arash Borhani
Coach: Branko Ivankovic |
