WORLD CUP: Brooks late USA winner sinks Ghana

GROUP G

GHANA 1-2 UNITED STATES

MONDAY 16TH JUNE – NATAL

After all the anxiety and stress of the prematch buzz, the pundits being split on the US National team fate in this World Cup, one thing is for sure John Brooks, can head in a goal for us at any time in any situation. USA beat Ghana for the first time in many cycles 2-1, off of two goals, a header from Brooks, and an opening minute goal by Clint Dempsey. It wasn’t an opening minute goal per say, Dempsey took it from kickoff raced down into the penalty area and put a beauty past the Ghana goalie for the first goal in 34 seconds.

While, it’s all well and good that the goals were scored, and Tim Howard, the USA goalie kept only one goal, there were big problems left and right for the next two group games. Keeping possession, and well playing defense. The next two nations coming up for the US are two very good, passing nations, with great attacking flair, Portugal and Germany. Michael Bradley, the captain, the best player in the country, had his worst game in ages. He couldn’t dictate play, couldn’t pass that well, was running around like he was in quicksand. Kyle Beckerman and Jermain Jones were keys to the midfield, both had outstanding matches.

It was also a bad match for DaMarcus Beasley, who has been there for the nation for almost a decade, was always out of position, and misdirecting passes like an artist. Because he plays in the defense he has to step up. The whole backline, has been a major trouble spot since the send off series, they seem to like sitting back as far as possible, allowing the attack to get as much time in the final third as possible. There hasn’t been a consistent center half pairing in the whole past year, since there’s so many young players in the squad. Ghana in this match picked the defense apart, and the USA was lucky to only have one goal scored. Portugal, and Germany could really pick the team apart.

Ghana was a dirty team, they took out Jozy Altidore within the first twenty minutes of the game. While a pulled hamstring isn’t all Ghana’s fault, they aren’t completely blameless. Of course there was the the play where Ghana and Clint Dempsey went up for a ball, and a Ghana player kicked Clint in the face blooding his nose. You don’t need to get Clint mad, Clint has a little thug in him.

John Brooks, a German American used his height (6’4) in the dying minutes of the match to put a header in off a corner kick to win the match. Brooks did say after the match, he had a dream that he’d score in the 80th minute, well he wasn’t too far off. USA with a German Legend as a coach, many German players, finally beat it’s boogie team in Ghana with a German center half. The USA got lucky, if that had been Germany, there would have had seven or eight up. Shape up guys, all the watch parties want to cheer. There were six bars full on a street in Buffalo New York, a town which the local media has said “No one cares about soccer here”. There were probably more than that, just imagine if Julian Green scores a goal against Portugal next? Unreal.