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During the intense Group E match between the national teams of Ghana and the USA, the Africans celebrated victory. The win brought the Ghanaians the coveted second place and the opportunity to face the Brazilian national team in the next stage. Meanwhile, the USA team, only managing to secure 1 point, will already have to pack their bags and head home.
Nuremberg's Frankenstadion, 41,000 spectators Referee - Markus Merk (Germany) Ghana 2 - 1 USA 22' [1 - 0] Haminu Dramani 43' [1 - 1] Clint Dempsey 45+2' [2 - 1] Stephen Appiah (pen.) Ghana: Kingston, Mensah, Pantsil, Shilla, Mohamed, Appiah, Essien, Dramani, Boateng (45' O. Addo), Amoah (59' E. Addo), Pimpong. USA: Keller, Onyewu, Conrad, Cherundolo (60' E. Johnson), Bocanegra, Dempsey, Reyna (40' B. Olsen), Lewis (74' B. Convey), Beasley, Donovan, McBride. The USA team started the match stronger. In the 3rd minute, a header by Edie Lewis was blocked by Ghana's player John Mensah. The game gradually leveled out, but neither team created more dangerous situations. However, Ghana interrupted the stalemate with an attack that ended in a goal. In the 22nd minute, the USA team captain Claudio Reyna painfully lost the ball, and Haminu Dramani took advantage of the chance and put the "Black Stars" ahead.
Ghana took control of the game. In the 29th minute, C. Keller, the USA goalkeeper, was forced to catch M. Essien's shot. In the 35th minute, the Americans woke up. A powerful shot by L. Donovan flew just past the post. In the 40th minute, the injured C. Reyna was replaced by Ben Olsen, and after 3 minutes the Americans leveled the score. Taking advantage of Derek Boateng's mistake, DeMarcus Beasley stole the ball and Clint Dempsey crowned his accurate pass with a powerful shot, leaving no chance for Ghana's goalkeeper Kingston. After the USA's equalizing goal, it seemed that we would see the game reset in the second half, but in the final minutes of the half, the USA defender Oguchi Onyewu brought down Razak Pimpong in the penalty area, and unexpectedly, the African team captain Stephen Appiah converted the awarded penalty and led his team ahead.
After the break, Ghana gradually took the initiative. In the 56th minute, a powerful shot by Stephen Appiah forced Keller to "stretch," and a minute later J. Mensah failed to direct the ball towards the goal. Later, the US national team awoke. In the 66th minute, after a superb pass from Eddie Lewis, Brian McBride's shot hit the Ghanaian crossbar. Soon after, we saw another attack, when after a USA corner kick, Onyewu rose powerfully, but his header flew just over the goal.
After this Ghanaian onslaught, the USA team became nervous. The same happened with the Africans. The game leveled out, and neither team managed to seriously threaten the opponent's goal. At the end of the match, after an unsuccessful Donovan raid into the penalty area, Ghana launched an attack, but Alex Mensah's shot went wide. The Africans triumphed and become the only team on this continent to succeed in reaching the World Cup quarter-finals.
