US in the All whites, Ghana in the All reds. Just like 2006. Interesting.... Ghana has played in the all whites for the 3 games previously so this is a change. Winner here has a great shot at the semifinals.
Teams are out and national anthems are being played. Crowd seems pretty pro-US.
US need the first goal. Contrary to Bob Levi, this game will not be wide open. Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Penalties is definitely in the cards.
Game
KICKOFF- Ghana starts with possession.
1' - Ghana are the faster team and show it early getting up the wings.
2'- Good ball by Landon, nobody in the box. Bob bundled up. Welcome to the African winter
4' - Long shot from Ghana, no touch goes wide for a goal kick. Ghana's speed might be the death of the US today. Dempsey puts a good shot on net. Kingson knocks it down.
5- GOALLLLLLLLLLL. Ghana, Disaster start for US. Boateng on a giveaway with Ricardo Clark. Howard should have done better. Shot from 20 beats Howard low near post. Clark was just not a good idea.
7'- Clark is friggin dumb. Bob Bradley really dropped the ball starting him. Edu showed up. Clark doesn't get it.
9'- Well it begins again. US need to come back again to win. Early goals and no possession by the midfield are showing the weakness of the States.
12'- Ghana passing well early. Go right at Cherundolo. Slow and can't get anything done. Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton seeing the stars and stripes struggle early. Altidore goes well wide. Not a good shot but better.
14'- US playing the long ball game, something that they had gotten away from. Now have little possession and Ghana are just working good one touch.
16'- Good ball to Altidore by Dempsey doesn't work out. Better, but still
18' - Cherundolo is embarrasing. Trying to get cute and not doing a damn thing. Yellow, and he's done if they advance. Ghana with a free kick in a dangerous position. Howard punches well.
21'- Well, Ghana still look much much stronger. The US are shaky at the back and Ricardo Clark is struggling.
22'- Foul by Boateng. Free kick to the US near the sideline. Donovan to deliver. Good ball gets headed out.
23' Good move form the US. Bradley left footed cross is gathered by Kingson.
25' - The Midfield just looks awful. No movement. The left/right backs look over matched. Wide Open crosses.
29'- Boateng drives a shot at Howard. Altidore offsides, wasts a pretty good chance. US sub possibly already.
31'- Edu comes in for Ricardo Clark already. Yellow and a turnover that lead to a goal. Shouldn't have been there to begin with. Early sub may be costly later.
34'- Poor cross from Ghana. Clark sheds tears. The American dream is over for him. Just didn't have it
35' - Findley proves again he's not capable up front for the US. Right at the keep. That needs to be buried. That will hurt.
37'- Demerit thrown off. Howard comes up big. Needed that stop earlier. Handball. SLO MO IS COOL.
39' - Donovan's free kick is excellent into the box and headed away. Second ball not so much
41'- THE US HAVE ARRIVED. THAT'S NICE. Still down 1-0.
44' - Bornstein audacious after the corner squirts to him. Robbie Findley is wasteful upfront. He makes good moves but lacks the touch and goal scoring prowess needed the national team
45'- Coming alive more and more. They need a goal quickly after half. Simple as that. Ghana will keep holding the ball with the lack of pressure. Really uneventful with no real goal scoring chances. Long shots by both teams.
HALFTIME
Well, not much from the US early, comes alive after the sub. Bradley messed up and made it much harder for his side to win this game. Clark and Findley don't have it. I won't be surprised to see another change at half for a striker. Jozy is by himself. The midfield need to find it. Anything. Landon with the ball at his feet can do magic. Dempsey is the only one with a set in the first half. The only one playing like if they lose, they goin home. Well, gents, at this rate, they are going home. Ghana is quick and used their one opportunity to take the lead. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Ghana's counter will be the only point in the second half for them. Game time
47'- FEILHABER. CMON. Saved by Kingson, Ghana look shaky, the pressure is building.
54'- Way better second half. Chances are flying in. Donovan with a great ball to the back post but nobody gets there.
55'- Corner to the US. Donovan to deliver. Headed out.
59'- Long ball play needs to stop. Time to commit players up. Counter is starting to come alive.
61'- Half hour and change.
PENALTY TO US. DONOVAN TO TAKE
GOAL 1-1. HOLY POST IT NOTES. STILL GOES IN.
The pressure is going to build. Both side. Jozy will a chance. Good take by Kingson.
68'- This game is alive. Both ends are open.Ghana look to make a sub. Ghana's coach still won't sleep tonight.
70'- US need to settle more. Committing too many up. Don't want to leave them open
73'- Ghana sub. Looked laboring. Ghana don't look threatening. US do.
75'- Ghana pressure rising. Nothing serious tho. Howard needs to make a big play
77- Boateng, the German and goal scorer, down, looking like cramps. And he's off. That's a win for the US.
the US.
78' - Bocanegra with a vital touch. Nobody wants to be the one that makes the mistake.
80'- Game has slowed quite a bit. The US still need more possession.
81'- JOZY! The long ball actually works. He pulls it just wide. Tho. I want a Dempsey jersey, he's getting worked.
84'- Ghana work the ball for possession. But US get it back. Kingson clears, the US starts again.
87'- Heading for extras. The US needs to be very very careful with the amount of balls at the back. Nothing cute, just play solid.
89'- Both teams don't look willing to commit enough for. Gyan goes down after Demerit's boot comes high.
90'- 3 Minutes of extra time. Ghana holding the US at the back. Altidore comes back to grab the ball, Ayew gets booked.
93'- Last kick of regulation time. Corner for Ghana. Ghana gets the touch but were heading for EXTRAS.
GOOD SECOND HALF. CAME TO LIFE UNTIL THE US SCORED THE PENALTY. BRADLEY HAS A SUB LEFT IF HE WANTS TO USE IT.
DONOVAN'S POST IT NOTE PENALTY BROUGHT A FITTING TIE. WELL DESERVED. 2, 15 MINUTE HALVES WITH NO GOLDEN GOAL.
IF WE'RE STILL TIED, WE GO TO PENALTIES. WINNER GETS URUGUAY. GHANA DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO PUT ON NET IN THE SECOND HALF. THE US HAD
ALL OF THE ATTACK. LET'S PLAY.
EXTRA TIME
Kickoff. Ghana go first. Nice thru ball is too long. Both teams playing long balls.
93'- GOAL. Gyan scores on a great volley. The defense can't handle the long ball. and Howard doesn't come out. 2-1 to Ghana, game on.
95'- Still plenty of time for the US to find one. 25 minutes. They do need to push up tho.
96'- Free kick to the US. Ball falls to Feilhaber. Huge deflection by Ghana for a corner.
98'- Short corner works well. US have a header but it flicks off the head. Out for goal kick. Ghana can hold possession for a while. They gain a corner.
100'- Ghana starts to look European. Flops here and there to kill time. It's tough to see the US doing anything here playing their old style with the long balls.
103'- Everyone looks tired. Ghana isn't looking towards the net at all. Keep away. Time for pressure.
105' Two balls into the box, nothing to show. Nice step over move and the ball gets cleared.
15 MINUTES LEFT. THE US NEEDS A GOAL. PITIFUL DEFENDING AGAIN EARLY AT THE BEGINNING OF A PERIOD. NOTHING ELSE TO REALLY SHOW FOR THE PERIOD.
IF YA START ME, HERE WE GO.
108'- No urgency really from the US. They go home if they don't score, someone should tell them. Free kick just outside the box.
110'- Kingson punches clear, good ball. Still nothing.
111'- Ladies and gents, welcome to European football. The ground looked like it came up and grabbed him.
115'- No real dangerous balls toward the net. Ball deflects back to the goal keeper. Ghana take it down
116'- Everyone forward. Howard launches. Nothing comes of it.
117'- Tick tock goes the clock. Gomez was the burst needed. At the beginning of the game. Bradley wasts possession.
120'- Kingson has been impressive to say the least. Hasn't missed any punches. Been their best player. 3 minutes.
GAME OVER. US prove they can't compete with the big boys. Everyone else and their grandma is beating African teams, but the speed kills the US. Has and always will. At 28, Landon will be 32 by the next world cup, but he needs help in the midfield. Nobody helped tonight. Bradley had probably his worst effort yet and Dempsey had glimpses. But, life will go on. Will be interesting to see the amount of coverage that ESPN provides knowing its workhorse its done.
I agree that Ricardo Clark was a terrible decision. He really has put us back in the same situation, a hole that we must climb out of. Findley and Altidore don't seem to have chemistry when working together to score. I predict a big change here in second half that should work out in the US's favor.
ReplyDelete