=== Deco, Ronaldo power Portugal through to next round with 2-0 win ===

Frankfurt, Germany (My Sportsbook) - After a scoreless first half, goals from Deco and a converted penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo were enough to give Portugal a 2-0 win over Iran and a spot in the round of 16 on Saturday.

The win gives Portugal the first place spot for now in Group D after Mexico and Angola finished in a scoreless draw on Friday.

This is Portugal's first chance at the round of 16 since 1966. With the majority of the ball possession and shots on goal, Portugal dominated throughout the 90 minutes, finding its two goals late in the second half to win its second of the tournament. The team remains unbeaten in 14 straight overall competitive matches.

Portugal opened the match by taking quick control of the ball, pressuring Iran's defense but failing to find a shot on goal in the opening minutes.

In the 12th minute, Iran found a chance at the Portugal net, when Javad Nekounam got his head on a free kick inside of the penalty box but sent the ball over the net.

Portugal answered right back, when Deco drilled a shot from close range seconds later that was punched over the net by goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour to keep the match scoreless.

In the 20th minute, Nekounam was cautioned by referee Eric Poulat for a late challenge on Luis Figo. The caution was the midfielder's second of the group stages, therefore ruling him out of Iran's final group match against Angola on June 21.

Portugal continued to pressure, still controlling the majority of the possession but still without many shots on goal.

By the end of 45 minutes, Portugal had maintained the dominant ball possession, with four shots on goal without allowing Iran to take even a single shot on goal. Portugal also was handed all eight of the corner kicks in the first half.

Portugal opened the second half with much of the same ball control the team had in the first half.

But in the 63rd minute, Portugal's attack finally produced a goal, when Deco drove a long ranged shot from 20-yards out to the left corner of the net to give the team a much needed lead late in the match.

Carefully mounting the next attack, Figo quickly sent a pass from the left side to Deco, who met it with a strike from just outside of the penalty box, sending the ball into the top corner of the net, past the hands of Mirzapour.

Facing the one goal deficit, Iran made its first substitutions of the match, sending in Ferydoon Zandi and Rasoul Khatibi in the 65th and 67th minutes for Ali Karimi and Mehrzad Madanchi, respectively.

Khatibi provided a much needed boost to the Iran lineup when he nearly scored the equalizer in the 69th minute. The substitute's shot from nearly the end line of the right side rolled just wide of the far post to preserve Portugal's one goal lead.

But Portugal would answer back, with a second goal on a penalty kick from Ronaldo in the 80th.

With Portugal threatening, Figo was tackled just inside the top right corner of the penalty box to set up the penalty kick for Ronaldo. With the ball set in place, the striker hesitated just slightly to send Mirzapour to the right and the ball to the top left corner to give Portugal the 2-0 lead.

Portugal finished the match, nearly scoring its third goal in extra time, but Ronaldo was called offside seconds before the final whistle.