GHANA USA
1 2
Dempsey 1'
A.Ayew 82'
Brooks 86'
John Brooks headed a late winner for USA in a
dramatic finale to their opening Group G game
against Ghana.
Clint Dempsey put USA ahead on 29 seconds
with the fifth-fastest goal in World Cup history,
cutting inside John Boye before sweeping home.
Ghana upped the tempo and equalised when
Andre Ayew latched on to Asamoah Gyan's
backheel to fire in a leveller.
USA looked tired but Brooks nodded in from six
yards following a corner to give his side a
winning start.
Centre-back Brooks reacted with a mixture of
disbelief and delight, the Germany-born 21-year-
old marking his Fifa World Cup debut and fifth
cap in style.
The victory also gave USA a measure of revenge
for being knocked out of the past two World
Cups by Ghana.
They had looked to be tiring, and a winner
seemed unlikely as Ghana dominated the second
half and pulled themselves level.
But their tenacity was rewarded to leave the
Black Stars precariously placed, with both teams
having to face Germany and Portugal.
Ghana exited the World Cup four years ago in
tears, when Gyan's missed penalty in the last
minute of extra-time against Uruguay denied
them the chance to become the first African side
to reach the semi-finals.
If they were still nursing that pain, they did not
show it as they sang and danced their way into
the dressing room at the Estadio das Dunas.
But they fell behind within the first minute.
Dempsey collected a Jermaine Jones pass on the
left wing, cut inside right-back Boye and shot
into the far corner.
Ghana struggled to mount a response as the
USA consolidated their lead with a work-rate and
organisation that kept their rivals at bay.
Indeed, Jurgen Klinsmann's side could, and
maybe should, have extended their lead. Striker
Jozy Altidore controlled a low, right-wing cross
but his shot from 10 yards was blocked by Boye.
That was Altidore's last major act of the game, a
hamstring injury seeing him replaced by Aron
Johannsson.
USA centre-back Matt Besler also left the field
injured, and his exit, combined with Ghana
increasing the pace of their play, resulted in the
Black Stars piling the pressure on Tim Howard's
goal.
Most of the chances fell to Gyan, but he nodded
high from 10 yards when unmarked before
having another header tipped wide by Howard.
Gyan may not have scored, but he set up his
side's equaliser as his lovely backheel teed up
Ayew to shoot home with the outside of his right
foot.
It seemed Ghana might have enough time to
engineer a winner, but Hertha Berlin defender
Brooks had other ideas, and his first
international goal following Graham Zusi's corner
proved decisive.
Klinsmann has a 100%
record in opening World
Cup games.
United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann:
"I said to the bench a few minutes before our
winner, 'We are going to get some chances - we
need to push and grind it out.' We trained over
and over on set-pieces and it was well deserved.
"We have a great spirit and fight until the last
minute. It was a grind but it was a wonderful
one at the end of the day.
"There is stuff we need to improve. We had
problems with keeping the ball."
Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah:
"What I can say is that it was a very tough
game. Playing at this high level, any little
mistake can cost you dearly.
"We didn't deserve the first goal against us and
we did create a lot of chances.
"Unfortunately we could not take our chances
and the US took theirs.
"Any loss of concentration can cost the team big
time. I believe the first goal unsettled us a little
bit but I never expected it to end this way."
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