Pauleta scores hat-trick as Portugal crush Cape Verde Islands

LISBON, May 27: Striker Pauleta scored a hat-trick as Portugal crushed Cape Verde Islands 4-1 in a World Cup warm-up in Evora today.

Pauleta opened the scoring in the first minute when, unmarked inside the box, he latched on to a long pass by defender Fernando Meira.

Cape Verde, with many of their squad playing in Portuguese clubs, equalised when Meira, under pressure from Lito, deflected a Cafu cross into his own net after 19 minutes.

With the temperature around 30 degrees Celsius in Evora, 150 kms east of Lisbon in the Alentejo region, the match was halted twice to allow players to drink water.

Pauleta put Portugal in front again when he headed in a corner from the right by captain Luis Figo seven minutes before halftime.

In the second half both coaches made several substitutions.

Armando Petit scored Portugal's third with a powerful shot from just outside the area on the hour.

Pauleta completed his hat-trick with a free kick over the wall six minutes from time to take his international tally to 46 goals.

Portugal, who meet Luxembourg in Metz on June 3 in their final warm-up, face Angola, Mexico and Iran in Group D of the June 9-July 9 World Cup.

Reuters