The Real Portugal Shows Up

(Monday, June 10, 2002) - This was the Portugal everyone expected at the World Cup. Pauleta scored the second hat trick of this year's World Cup as Portugal stayed alive in the tournament while eliminating Poland with a 4-0 win in Group D on Monday.

"Of course we are very pleased that we had a different strategy for today's match, trying to have a new attitude," said coach Antonio Oliveira after his team rebounded from a 3-2 upset loss to the United States. "The idea of the team is to go on . . . it's not a question of not winning the first match, but the question of going to the second phase.

In the first half, Pauleta smashed in a low shot in the 14th minute, beating Poland goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek. The keeper got a touch on the ball, but couldn't keep it out of the net after Joao Pinto provided the cross.

The second goal came in the 65th as Luis Figo, the FIFA Player of the Year, sent in a cross for the sliding Pauleta.

The forward made it three in the 77th, beating Poland defender Tomasz Waldoch and shooting the ball off Dudek's foot. He nearly added another in the 75th, but after beating Dudek he shot into the side of the net.

"I am speechless with joy," Pauleta said. "Although we lost the game against the USA, there will be no more failures." Poland, which also lost 2-0 to South Korea, was overwhelmed in a driving rainstorm.

Polish defender Tomasz Rzasa attempts to stop Portugal's Nuno Capucho.

"I was expecting exactly what they did today and this was why I was playing with three attackers," Poland coach Jerzy Engel said. "If we had scored first, their morale would have been very low."

But the Poles didn't score at all. And Rui Costa made it 4-0 in the 87th. He should have added a fifth in the 90th, but his soft shot was stopped on the line.

"With this type of attitude," said Oliveira, who celebrated his 50th birthday Monday, "it's easier to get the victories that the Portuguese have been used to in the past 11 years."

Poland's best chance came on the counterattack in the 67th as Pawel Kryszalowicz made a nice run into the penalty area. His shot from a tough angle was saved on a kick save by goalkeeper Victor Baia.

In the final group matches Friday, Portugal plays South Korea, while Poland faces the United States. The U.S. team and South Korea tied 1-1 earlier Monday and share top spot in the group with four points.

Both Portugal and Poland are playing in their first World Cup since 1986. Poland won its last World Cup match against Portugal, 1-0 in '86.

Poland's Piotr Swierczewski got his yellow card of the tournament in the 21st minute. He will miss the match with the Americans.

Lineups: Portugal: 1-Vitor Baia; 18-Nuno Frechaut (22-Beto Severo 64), 2-Jorge Costa, 5-Fernando Couto, 23-Rui Jorge; 20-Armando Petit, 17-Paulo Bento; 11-Sergio Conceicao (19-Nuno Capucho 69), 8-Joao Pinto (10-Rui Costa 60), 7-Luis Figo; 9-Pauleta

Poland: 1-Jerzy Dudek; 21-Marek Kozminski, 15-Tomasz Waldoch, 6-Tomasz Hajto, 4-Michal Zewlakow (5-Tomasz Rzasa 71); 7-Piotr Swierczewski, 10-Radoslaw Kaluzny (17-Arkadiusz Bak 16), 18-Jacek Krzynowek; 11-Emmanuel Olisadebe, 9-Pawel Kryszalowicz, 19-Maciej Zurawski (14-Marcin Zewlakow 56)

Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland)