Ghana 1 and USA 2 some photos
While Portugal taking on Germany is Group G’s undoubted marquee game, the USA’s match against Ghana is what the US coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, has called “a final of sorts”.
You can see his point. This is a game that both teams need to take something out of to have a realistic chance of progressing, given what follows for both. Klinsmann may like to point to World Cup history and note that “nobody will panic” if the USA do not get a win against Ghana, since they have already beaten Portugal in a World Cup finals in 2002, but there’s a flipside to that sort of logic. If we are looking at World Cup history, Ghana have been the USA’s nemesis in the last two tournaments.
In 2006, Ghana were “just” the latest first-time qualifiers out of Africa when they came up against a USA team quietly confident of building on their quarter-final run in 2002. Instead the US were bundled out with defeat to the Ghanaians, and when given the chance of revenge in the second round four years later they were bundled out again, by an Asamoah Gyan goal in extra time.
You can see his point. This is a game that both teams need to take something out of to have a realistic chance of progressing, given what follows for both. Klinsmann may like to point to World Cup history and note that “nobody will panic” if the USA do not get a win against Ghana, since they have already beaten Portugal in a World Cup finals in 2002, but there’s a flipside to that sort of logic. If we are looking at World Cup history, Ghana have been the USA’s nemesis in the last two tournaments.
In 2006, Ghana were “just” the latest first-time qualifiers out of Africa when they came up against a USA team quietly confident of building on their quarter-final run in 2002. Instead the US were bundled out with defeat to the Ghanaians, and when given the chance of revenge in the second round four years later they were bundled out again, by an Asamoah Gyan goal in extra time.
Lordy! Beasley and Jones with some neat interaction down the left, then it's slid into the box for Dempsey, who strokes the ball in off the far post! That'll be that good start then.
4 mins: Klinsmann looked something resembling delighted on the sideline there, at that emphatic start by the USA. Ghana get on the ball and try to settle down after that stunning start now, but there's a lot of space among their lines. jones scampers forward wide left and tries to square a ball to Bradley. A better pass could have given the US another chance. It wasn't a better pass.
16 mins: Ghana ambling forward when suddenly Atsu changes pace to send a dangerous low ball between Beasley and Besler towards the onrushing Gyan. Howard's out smartly to block though, and kicks the ball clear at the second attempt.
0 comments:
Post a Comment