World Cup: Ghana vs USA – overtime and final
By Michael Vass | June 26, 2010
The USA came back in the second half of the match as they normally do. An entirely new team took the field. A team that should have been playing from the very begining.
The substitution of Michael Findley for #22 Benny Feilhaber at the start of play of the half was cueious as Findley was far more involved and effective in the match at that point than #17 Jozy Altidore. In fact Altidore, throughout the World Cup, was only marginally effective in every other game. He is an overrated player, and this match was more evidence of it.
But early on Altidore tried to make amends for his lackluster start of the match. In the 54th minute he was right there, just missing a critical header that would have changed the game of USA. There were a lot of balls that just missed for the USA in this match. And a lot of US players spent time watching the ball rather than going after it.
Still as close as it was for the USA, there were numerous fouls that seemed to be out of the view or concern of the referee. At 59:13 in the penalty box, 63:59 Landon Donovan was fouled without a call. 70:47 Altiodore got an elbow for his trouble, the result was a free kick but no yellow card for Ghana.
But there were 2 penalties that did get some attention. The big one was the foul on Dempsey at 60:37 in the penalty box. The result was a penalty kick, taken by Donovan. When the ball hit the net at 61:49, the game was in the hands of Team USA. Ghana could not wiun from this point forward, unless we allowed them to.
The second half was a rush of emotions as the USA took control of the game, and then gave it up, then tried to get it back. The USA had 2 free kicks, 3 shots, 2 on goal, 2 corner kicks and 1 goal for the second half. Ghana had 0-3-1-1 respectively. This should have been the US game from the start. The second half should have been it. But the USA could not finish off Ghana, who maintained possession just enough to keep the USA from any kind of sustained rally.
The smartest thing that Ghana noticed? That the low left side was still open. Not as much as from the first score, but wide enough for an advantage. It’s something that would become critical.
At the end of regulation time, and the additional time, the game remained tied at 1 – 1. The USA was looking more dominant, but Ghana was possesing the ball longer. The USA was making good attacks, but Ghana had better defense. Overtime would be demonstrative of what the reality was of the situation.
The USA opted to take our 3rd substitution. A critical move as there would be no other in the game. #9 Herculez Gomez was finally put in to replace the flagging #17 Jozy Altidore. A move that was only 45 minutes to late into the game. But this was not the real problem. The problem were the defenders lined up behind Landon Donovan.
Just like in the first half, and continuously through the second, in overtime the left side was weak. Horribly weak. #3 Carlos Bocanegra, quickly wound up chasing after Ghana’s #3 Asamoah Gyan who had taken a well placed pass perfectly between Bocanegra and #15 Jay DeMerit. Bocanegra, the first line of defense in the play, made a feeble brush against Gyan which did nothing to stop the play and impeded DeMerit slightly. Then Bocanegra just stopped running, he gave up on the play and it became inevitable. Demerit tried his best, but Gyan popped the ball over the head of the advancing Howard and into the net. The game now stood at Ghana 2 – USA 1. There were only 28 minutes roughly left in the match.
Could the USA rally again? Could there be enough left for the team to push the last extra that was needed? Not really.
Ghana started to bleed time as they contiunued to benefit from calls and the good graces of the referee. At 105:59 #7 Samuel Inkoom just fell over outside the USA penalty box on the right side. No one touched him, and replay showed him just falling over for no reason. But the reason was to stop the play, where USA had the ball and was attacking, and waste time. The referee obliged, though he told Inkoom to get us as he was obviously faking – yet he would not card him for the successful waste and distraction.
More time was lost in a substitution for Inkoom for #11 Sulley Muntari, as Inkoom traveled liesurely form the far side of the field to the exchange. At no point did the referee motion for things to speed up. At no point did he appear to be adjusting for the time being wasted.
But would it have mattered? Was the thing the USA needed just time?
No it was not. Even as in the final minutes of the game goalkeeper Howard was moved forward to help the USA with its final corner kick, in an attempt to equalize the score. The USA had 4 corner kicks, 1 free kick, 1 shot on goal, and extra time was not going to improve those figures any more than 10 men in front of the Ghana goal would. Even all the penalties that went unnoticed when against the USA would not change things.
Coach Bob Bradley screwed up. He had the wrong mix of players on the field for the game that the USA needed to play to win. The players screwed up, as they reverted to their “we can win it in the second half” mentality that dominated the 2010 World Cup. Ghana should have lost. Everyone knew that before the match, including the bookies. But it didn’t happen.
America goes home, Ghana moves on to the Round of 8 against Uruguay. What can you do.
60:37 on Clint Dempsey in the penalty box –
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