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On June 27, the World Cup round of 16 matches will end. In the penultimate match, the defending champions Brazil will face the ambitious Ghana team. After winning all matches in their group, the Brazilians took the first place, while the "Black Stars" gathered 6 points and remained in second position in Group E.
The Africans made it clear before the last group match against the USA that they wanted to face Brazil. Furthermore, representatives of the black continent stated that they would be willing to die if they had the opportunity to beat the Brazilians.
Round of 16 Brazil - Ghana Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia) Time: June 27, 18:00 Lithuanian time
Group Stage matches:
Brazil: In Group F, they took the first place, winning all three matches. In the first match, the South American representatives narrowly defeated Croatia 1-0. In the second match, the Brazilians defeated the Australians 2-0, and in the final match, they crushed Japan 4-1.
Despite winning all matches, the Brazilians received criticism for not demonstrating championship-level play. Ronaldo, in particular, received a lot of criticism for poor performance, but he scored twice against Japan, earning praise from critics.
Ghana: They took second place in Group E. In the first tournament match, Ghana lost 0-2 to Italy, but that marked the end of Ghana's misfortune. In the second round, the "Black Stars" sensationally defeated the Czech Republic 2-0, and in the final round, Ghana's performance was crowned with a victory against the USA with a score of 2-1.
The Africans already proved their worth by beating the 2004 European Championship semi-finalists, the Czechs. Showing beautiful football, the debutants of the World Cup reached the round of 16 and thus garnered a lot of sympathy from the audience.
Head-to-head matches:
Brazil and Ghana have only played once before, in 1996 in a friendly match, where Brazil simply demolished the Africans with a score of 8-2.
Opinions:
Brazil:
Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira stated that even though Ghana will play without one of their leaders, Michael Essien, the team remains equally strong. The African midfielder, representing "Chelsea" club, received a yellow card in the matches against the Czech Republic and the USA, meaning he will miss the round of 16 match against Brazil.
"They will play without Michael Essien, but let's not forget Stephen Appiah. They are strong and have nothing to lose," said C.A. Parreira. "They will be aggressive and attack at the first opportunity. We will have to think carefully about how to pass the ball in such circumstances."
Before taking over the Brazilian national team, Parreira coached the Ghana national team, so he does not underestimate the opponents' abilities.
"Ghana will play against the five-time world champions and one of the favorites of this championship," said the Brazilian coach.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid striker Ronaldo stated that they will not underestimate the opponents and the team will prepare for the game like any other.
"We cannot be too relaxed, as they have many good and talented players," Ronaldo said. "We have reviewed their matches. In the game, we will try to exploit their weaknesses."
Ghana:
"Black Stars" coach Ratomir Dujkovic stated that his team should not be intimidated by playing against Brazil, as the players will have a chance to beat the Brazilians.
"Playing important matches against strong teams at the World Cup is always difficult. Especially for debutants," Dujkovic said. "I think we should treat them like any other team. The game will start with 11 men against 11, and the ball will be in the middle of the field."
"We must prepare a strategy on how to stop Brazil and how to score. The Brazilians will have to tire if they want to win," added the Ghanaian coach.
Fenerbahce goalkeeper Stephen Appiah stated that the team is fully prepared for the biggest game of their lives.
"All the men are ready to die for the country," Appiah said. "The whole of Africa is watching us, wanting us to perform well and go far. That's why we're here - to earn glory for the country and the whole of Africa."
"We are a good team, and people are starting to notice that," continued the Ghanaian player. "We don't feel pressure. We are calm and ready."
Losses:
Brazil: Most likely, we will not see Robinho in the match, as he suffered a minor injury in training, so Adriano should return to the lineup. It is also possible that Ronaldinho will be pushed up front, with Juninho taking his place in the defensive line. All other players are ready to take the field.
Ghana: In the historic "Black Stars" match, one of the leaders, Michael Essien, will not be able to help the team. The player received yellow cards in the matches against the Czech Republic and the USA, so he will watch his teammates' performance from the bench. Razak Pimpong's future is uncertain. The player suffered an injury in the match against the USA, but it is believed that he will recover in time for the match against the Brazilians.
Predicted starting lineups:
Brazil (4-4-2): Dida; Cafu, Lucio, Juan, R.Carlos; Gilberto Silva, Juninho, Kaka, Ronaldinho; Ronaldo, Adriano.
Ghana (4-4-2): Kingston; Paintsil, Mohammed, Mensah, Illiasu; D.Boateng, Appiah, O.Addo, Muntari; Amoah, Gyan.
