Portugal's Luis Figo (R) vies with a player of Mexico during a Group D match at the World Cup 2006 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, yesterday. Portugal won the match 2-1. -Xinhua

Mexico booked a place of the World Cup last 16 though having paid the price for doing silly things on pitch here on Wednesday and lost their third and last round robin match 2-1 to Group D leaders Portugal in an out-of-style way.

The Mexicans, who had 4 points from previous two clashes after beating Iran 3-1 and drawing Angola 0-0, still advance to the knockout round after finishing second in the group ahead of Angola, who were tied 1-1 by Iran after leading for most of their match simultaneously in Leipzig and earned a second point from the draw.

Portugal have been guaranteed a berth to next round even before Wednesday's match with two previous wins, and the 2-1 victory over Mexico completed a perfect first-round run for them.

by topping the Group D on 9 points, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side will be spared one day for rest and next take the runners-up of Group C, likely the Netherlands rather than Argentina, who temporarily lead the Dutch on goal differences and will fight for a top position against Marco Van Basten's side late on Wednesday.

"Things couldn't be better," Scolari said. "This was as tough a game as we had expected, but I asked my players today to make it hard for me to pick my team for the next round, and they did that."

The 2002 World Cup winning coach with Brazil had rested all his five booked players to avoid a possible ruling out for the knockout round, while Mexico started with six defenders. The absentees are playmaker Deco and Costinha, winger Cristiano Ronaldo, all-time top scorer Pauleta and defender Nuno Valente.

Portugal's 2-1 win also earned Scolari a World Cup record of 10 successive victories as a coach, who led Brazil to a 7-0 streak four years ago in South Korea and Japan.

"Ten wins in the World Cup is the kind of thing that would mark anybody's life, especially mine," said Scolari, who was satisfied with the attitude of his players in this match. "It wasn't a game where everything was at its best but the way the team carried itself from beginning to end, I think it was good."

Maniche and Simao Sabrosa scored for Portugal in the first 25 minutes of Wednesday's match, before Kikin headed in a 29th-minute corner for Mexico.

Omar Bravo hit a second-half penalty over the bar to waste a big chance of equalizer for Mexico and his team faded after being down to ten men.

"We started very well," Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe said. "We had control for long periods but when you have the ball you have to score, and we even missed a penalty."

"I believe our main problem is scoring," he added. "We had a penalty and didn't get it in. We have the forwards we need, we get to the opposing goalkeeper but we must put away our chances.

"But we played well. I think we are playing the ball around better than our rivals. Today we didn't score enough. For the coach that is the most difficult thing to resolve."

Luis Perez was sent off at 61 with a second yellow for diving, adding to a first-half mark at 27.

It seemed as though La Volpe's side had been given their second penalty in four minutes after Perez was brought down in the Portuguese's box on the 61st minute, but the referee refused to give a penalty and booked the midfielder for diving instead.

Just four minutes earlier, the Mexicans missed their best chance of leveling the scores in the half as Perez forced Miguel into a needless handball right in the sight of the referee at 57. Omar Bravo came to the spot but his powerful strike flied high into the stands without ever looking likely to trouble Ricardo.

Before Perez's commitment, Mexico had granted a penalty to Portugal with a handball from skipper Rafa Marquez, which helped Portugal romp up to an earlier 2-1 lead in the first half.

Luis Figo's free-kick from 20 meters on the 22nd minute hit the wall before the ball went out for another corner, Marquez handballed it to concede a penalty, and Sabrosa Simao stepped up to confidently convert from the spot at 24.

Earlier into the clash, Maniche had opened the scoring with a super strike for Portugal in just 6 mintues. The former Chelsea midfielder fed Simao on the left and followed up to collect the winger's square pass to fire into the top corner from 16 meters.

Mexico managed to pull back one goal five minutes later as Jose Fonseca, just being recalled to the starting line-up for Wednesday's match, scored at 29 a fine glancing header from a corner to punish some slack Portugal defending.