26 June 2014
PORTUGAL 2 (Boye 30 og, Ronaldo 80)
GHANA 1 (Gyan 57)
Ronaldo met a superb Moutinho cross with a bullet header though straight at Dauda who got to his feet and pumped his fist as if he had denied a preening, self absorbed, twat. Boye scored an incredible own goal. He has his back to play as Veloso swung in a low cross, he leapt in the air and sent an overhead kick looping under the crossbar. Utterly ludicrous. From the ludicrous to the sublime, Asamoah made the equaliser with a fantastic left foot cross which Gyan headed past Beto. With six goals he becomes Africa's all time leading goalscorer, which obviously doesn't say a lot for African football. Waris should have headed Ghana into the lead. Dauda slapped a high ball to Ronaldo and he hammered home his first goal of the tournament. He could and should have scored two more, which really would have made the USA sweat.
Attendance : 67,540
Assists : n/a, Asamoah, n/a
USA 0
GERMANY 1 (Muller 55)
Just an awful game. Klose replaced Podolski, giving the German attack some much need vigour. He should have scored after 5 minutes but wasted a great Schweinsteiger cross by heading wide of the right post. Ozil worked a short corner with Kroos, Howard made a brilliant save to parry a Mertesacker header but Muller was laying in wait on the edge of the box for the rebound and crashed a first time shot into the bottom corner. Brilliant finish. In injury time the USA finally had a shot worthy of the name. Dempsey back heeled Bradley's pass to Yedlin, he found Jones who managed to lay the ball off to Dempsey as he slipped, Dempsey found the unmarked (and stupidly named) Bedoing whose shot was brilliantly charged down by Lahm. From the resulting throw-in Bradley swung a cross to the back post, Yedlin flicked on and Dempsey, with the goal at this mercy, headed over.
Attendance : 41,876
Assists : n/a
22 June 2014
USA 2 (Jones 64, Dempsey 81)
PORTUGAL 2 (Nani 5, Varela 95)
This game was low on quality, high on mistakes and thus high on drama. Veloso's poor first time cross was shanked by Cameron, Howard dived early and Nani smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Howard flapped at a Nani shot that went straight through his finger and cannoned off the right post to Varela but his poorly struck shot was tipped over for a corner. Zusi played Johnson into a gaping hole in the Portugal defence, Zusi pulled back a centre but Bradley's shot was superbly blocked by Costa. Jones scored a stunning equaliser and one of the few goals (I don't remember any from open play) from outside the box. Eder made a poor clearance from a corner, the ball dropped to Jones, he took a touch before switching the ball onto his right foot, taking a couple of steps then whipping a shot inside the right post. Brilliant and fully deserved. Howard flapped at a Nani cross but recovered to parry from Meireles. Bradley misshit horribly after a poor clearance from Alves, hit shot deflected off Costa, Zusi crossed to the back post and Dempsey pushed the ball in with his mid-riff. Seconds before the USA were about to book their place in the last 16 and eliminate Portugal Bradley carelessly gave the ball away deep in his own half, Portugal broke, Nani found Ronaldo (who had strapping on his left knee) in space down the right and he wasn't likely to be troubled by the dreadful Beasley, he hit an inswinging cross to the back post and Varela got into front of another of the USA's poor defenders, the simply awful Cameron, to head in the equaliser.
The Americans could give Germany some grief but the temperature for Thursday is predicted to be around 25C and with a 40% chance of rain that should favour the Germans. Maybe they'll ease up and settle for 2-0. Ghana would have to be favourites for the other match given Ronaldo is clearly unfit and Portugal's defence is shockingly bad. Conditions shouldn't play a factor in that one but the Ghanaians are fitter and stronger than the Portuguese.
Attendance : 40,123
Assists : n/a, n/a, Zusi, Ronaldo
21 June 2014
GERMANY 2 (Gotze 51, Klose 71)
GHANA 2 (A Ayew 54, Gyan 63)
Gotze got between two Ghanaian players to meet a superb Muller cross with a header on the run. Just three minutes later surprisingly Ghana were level. Germany twice failed to clear crosses and while Hummels was busy watching Jordan Ayew his brother got above Mustafi and Mertesacker to score with a superb flick header. Lahm gave away the ball in his own half, Hummels made his usual big match mistake when sliding and hopelessly missing Muntari's through ball leaving Gyan to race through and shoot wide of Neuer. Great finish. Klose scored within two minutes of replacing Gotze. Howedes flicked on a Kroos free kick and Klose threw himself to poke the ball in at the back post and in doing so equalled Ronaldo's record of 15 World Cup goals. Both teams, even Ghana, were exhausted . A draw was a fair result.
In his post match interview, and even taking into account he's in his 40s, Gyan gave far better analysis that the bone crushingly boring Seedorf and Henry in the BBC studios. Between the two of them they can't form a single opinion of note. Meanwhile on ITV we have Martin O'Neil mocking Cannavaro and Vieri for not winning the Champions League. He was great as usual. What a dumb move the BBC made in letting him switch sides but then they sent Adrian 'The Simpleton' Chiles to ITV as well so it evens out.
Attendance : 59,621
Assists : Muller, Afful, Muntari, Howedes
15 June 2014
GHANA 1 (A Ayew 82)
USA 2 (Dempsey 30 seconds, Brooks 86)
Beasley played a one-two with Dempsey off a throw-in then passed down the left to Jones, Jones angled the ball back into Dempsey who stepped over it, taking it onto his right foot, he checked inside Boye as he ran into the box, brought the ball back on his left foot then angled a shot in off the right post. Goal of the tournament so far. Despite losing the limited Altidore on 23 minutes little changed as both teams technical limitations were exposed. Ghana had more of the ball and did little of note with it. The USA were similarly anaemic at the other end. All of a sudden on 82 minutes everything clicked. Asamoah flicked a pass inside his marker to the 40 year old Gyan, Gyan back heeled to Andre Ayew who completely misskicked the ball, slicing through it with the outside of his left foot when attempting to shoot but it flew into the back of the net nonetheless. At this stage there was surely only one winner with the USA struggling with the pace and power of the Africans but Johnson forced a corner by chasing down a lost cause. Zusi hit an out-swinging corner and the giant Brooks planted a header down and past Kwarasey.
Attendance : 39,760
Assists : Jones, Gyan, Zusi (ck)
GERMANY 4 (Muller 12 Pen, Hummels 32, Muller 46, Muller 78)
PORTUGAL 0
Muller made the most of a lucky bounce off Meireles, played a one-two with Ozil, who returned his pass with a lovely back heel , Muller fed Gotze and Pereira pulled him down to concede the penalty. Hummels towered above the static Alves to blast a header past Patricio for Germany's second. Muller went down clutching his face after Pepe caught him with a stray hand, earning Pepe a yellow. As Muller sat up Pepe kneeled over and pushed his head into his face, Muller initially recoiled his head and feigned injury then suddenly sprang to his feet and got in Pepe's face. Pepe was rightly sent off. Alves tried to clear a cross but was charged down by Muller who then swung his left foot through the ball for his second. Poor defending by substitute Almeida gave Schurrle an opening on the right, Patricio spilled his cross and Muller tapped in the rebound to complete the first hat-trick of the tournament.
Attendance : 51,081
Red Card : Pepe 37 (Portugal)
Assists : Gotze (won pen), Kroos, n/a, n/a