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On June 22 the third round of matches will begin for the teams in Group E. At 17:00 local time in Lithuania, the teams at the bottom of the group will meet: Ghana in third place with 3 points and the Americans at the bottom of the table with only 1 point after two rounds. The Ghanaians, the only African team still in contention for a spot in the quarter-finals, need to play better than them to beat the Czech team by just one goal, while the U.S. team needs a victory to have any theoretical hopes. In the opening matches of the championship, both Ghana and the U.S. suffered defeats. Both teams lost in their first matches - Ghana lost 0-2 to Italy, while the U.S. lost 0-3 to the Czech Republic. In the second round, Ghana secured an impressive victory by beating the Czech Republic 2-0. Meanwhile, the U.S. managed to earn a point in their match against Italy. Group E Ghana vs. USA Venue: Frankenstadion, Nuremberg (41.9k capacity) Date: June 22, 17:00 Lithuania time (Live broadcast on LTV) Current Situation The situation in Group E is perhaps the most complicated. All four teams can advance to the next stage. Since Ghana's goal difference is 0 and the Czech team is +1, for Ghana to win the group they need to beat the Americans by a larger margin than the Czech team would defeat Italy, or to win and hope that the Czechs and Italians draw. Meanwhile, if the Czechs fail, a draw would be enough for Ghanaians. The situation for the U.S. is more difficult as they must win. Their goal difference is -3, so to advance the Americans need to wait for the Czechs to lose to Italy or beat Ghana by a large margin and hope for a draw between the Czechs and Italians. Head-to-head Matches This will be the first match between the U.S. and Ghana in football history. First Two Rounds Ghana: In the first round, Ghana lost 0-2 to a strong Italy side. However, the "Black Stars" regrouped and managed to defeat the Czech Republic in the next round with the same impressive scoreline, winning the sympathy of many football fans. USA: In the first round, the U.S. suffered a painful defeat to the Czech Republic. The Europeans did not hold back against the Americans and scored three unanswered goals. In the second round, the Americans showed some improvement and held Italy to a draw in a tense match. Opinions Ghana: Before the crucial match, Ghana's coach Ratomir Dujkovic is optimistic and stated that his players would die to play against Brazil. To achieve this, Ghana needs to beat the U.S. or hope for a favorable result in the Czech-Italy match. About the match against the USA, the coach said: "They should fear us. The U.S. team will have to endure this match, because we are strong and not afraid of anything." "If we take second place, in the next stage we will face Brazil. My players have already said that they would die for a chance to play in this match," said Dujkovic. "Each of my players would give their life to win against Brazil," the coach showed the team's determination. - "Ghana is young and strong. We never aim for draws. We always step onto the field to play attacking football and win." USA: U.S. coach Bruce Arena expressed concern about Ghana's results. In order for the U.S. team to advance to the next stage, Arena's players need to wait for the Czech Republic to lose to Italy or beat Ghana by a large margin and hope for a draw in the next match. "Ghana demonstrates an amazing game. We should fear them," said the coach. - "They have the driving force and self-confidence, but I hope we can stop them." Bruce Arena identified Chelsea's midfielder Michael Essien as the biggest threat in the Ghana team. The player stood out in the victorious matches of the "Black Stars" against the Czech Republic, so even without Gyan and Muntari's help, he should be one of the team's inspirations. "Essien is one of the best players in the tournament," Arena praised the African player. - "He works equally well in attack and defense, makes good passes, creates scoring opportunities. He makes the difference between a good and a very good team." Missing Players and Tactics Ghana: Ghana will be without both players who scored goals against the Czech Republic. Forward Asamoah Gyan and defender Sulley Muntari received yellow cards in both rounds, so they will watch the team's match against the USA from the bench. Derek Boateng and Eric Addo will compete for Muntari's place in defense, while Razak Pimpong should replace Gyan in attack. USA: The U.S. team will be without Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope - both players received red cards in the match against Italy. This means that Carlos Bocanegra will likely move to the left-back position, while Greg Berhalter and Jimmy Conrad will compete for a place in the midfield. Probable Lineups Ghana: Richard Kingston, John Paintsil, Habib Mohammed, John Mensah, Shilla Illiasu, Derek Boateng, Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, Otto Addo, Matthew Amoah, Razak Pimpong. USA: Kasey Keller, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jimmy Conrad, Steve Cherundolo, DaMarcus Beasley, Claudio Reyna, Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson.
