Mueller's hat trick leads Germany's rout of Portugal

SALVADOR, Brazil -- Thomas Mueller picked up where he left off at the World Cup, scoring a hat trick in Germany's 4-0 victory over 10-man Portugal in the Group G opener on Monday.

Mueller scored five goals at the 2010 World Cup, along with three other players, but the Bayern Munich foward also had three assists and that gave him the honor of top scorer in South Africa.

"To score three goals in the World Cup opener against such an opponent is great," Mueller said of his performance against Portugal, which was outclassed despite the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mueller opened the scoring with a penalty in the 12th minute and, after Mats Hummels' headed goal in the 32nd, virtually put the match away by adding another shortly before halftime for a decisive 3-0 lead. Mueller added his third in the 81st.

"He is such an unorthodox player, as a coach you never know what he is about to do," Germany coach Joachim Loew said of Mueller. "For opponents, he is very unpredictable, he only has one thought on his mind and that is to score a goal."

Ronaldo, Portugal's star striker and FIFA's world player of the year, threatened a few times early in the match but remained largely ineffective. He had been doubtful before the match because of a left-knee injury.

Loew commended his players for cutting off Ronaldo's supply of possession and keeping Portugal's key player out of the game.

What must be worrying for Germany's opponents is the apparent ease with which Loew's lineup disposed of the fourth-ranked team in the world. Germany next faces Ghana on June 21 and the United States on June 26.

Portugal was already 2-0 down before Pepe was red carded in the 37th minute for apparently head-butting Mueller when the German player was sitting on the ground. Pepe had stuck his hand into Mueller's face and the German went down.

IRAN 0, NIGERIA 0

CURITIBA, Brazil -- Nigeria and Iran delivered the first draw of the World Cup on Monday as they ground out a scrappy 0-0 stalemate in their opening match in Group F.

The draw at the Arena da Baixada in the southern Brazilian city of Curitiba followed 12 mostly high scoring and attacking games.

After a first half in which Nigeria failed to capitalize on its dominance, chances were few and far between in the second.

Nigeria came closest to scoring in the seventh minute when an Ahmed Musa goal was disallowed after John Obi Mikel was adjudged to have fouled Iran goalkeeper Alireza Haghighi at a corner.