Ronaldo storyline Scorcese material

MOSCOW— Portugal and Spain opened up their World Cup campaigns with an entertaining draw. Now each team wants a routine victory to secure its place in the round of 16.

The first day of simultaneous matches includes Portugal playing Iran ( TSN4, 2 p.m.) at the same time neighbour/rival Spain faces Morocco ( TSN2, 2 p.m.). The games are scheduled that way to avoid giving any team the advantage of knowing competitors’ results as group play wraps up.

Portugal and Spain followed up their 3-3 draw with1-0 victories. That means they’re level atop Group B with four points and the same goal difference. Iran is one point behind thanks to its win over Morocco.

Iran could eliminate Portugal from the World Cup with a win. But if Spain loses to Morocco, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal could advance even in defeat.

Ever the showman, the 33year-old Ronaldo has scored all four of Portugal’s goals so far while hinting that he considers himself the GOAT (greatest of all time). Now he faces his former national team coach, Carlos Queiroz, who’s led Iran for the past seven years. Iran, in its fifth World Cup, has never advanced out of the group stage.

Queiroz’s stint coaching Portugal ended after the 2010 Cup in South Africa amid reports of a difficult relationship between him and Ronaldo, who implied the coach was to blame for the team’s failure. Queiroz called Monday’s game “the most interesting and important match in my seven years with Iran” and said the drama of facing Ronaldo was worthy of a Martin Scorsese movie.

Spain’s sudden dismissal of coach Julen Lopetegui was the talk of the tournament before play began, but that seems like ages ago. Players have moved on under new coach Fernando Hierro.

“We are happy with him and we are learning a lot,” left back Jordi Alba said of Hierro. “The idea remains the same as before with Lopetegui. The team’s essence remains the same.”