A head above Ghana! Team USA earns valuable 3 points

The USA vs Ghana game was a great result for the USA as they played their first game in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A quick goal by Clint Dempsey got the US off to a 1-0 lead. It was a combination of short passing, forward running, clever dribbling, and a nice shot off the inside of the post for the goal. After that you would say the US held on and defended for the next 82 minutes. They were pushed back and forced to defend, wave after wave of crosses and long range shots. It wasn’t pretty or proactive like coach Jurgen Klinsmann preached for the last 3 years. But in the 86th minute the US again used one of it’s greatest strength’s, set pieces, by scoring the winning goal on a header by John Brooks!

Ghana was not the same team of the previous 2 World Cups, and played a style that was less threatening for the US to defend. Instead they played into the US hands by crossing the ball 30 times into the US box where the central defenders and wing backs cleared out any dangerous situations. The one time Ghana put together a combination of short passing, forward running, and a deft touch, it led to a beautiful dribble and a quality finish for Ghana’s only goal by Andre Ayew!

The excitement of the US victory could be seen and heard around the World, but this is only the start. The next game is just as important. Portugal will be a team desperate for points, as they lost their first game 4-0 to Germany. Portugal will be without three starters in their game against the USA, two players because of injury and one a red card suspension!

The soccer world will again be watching and waiting to see if the US can put together another win and solidify a top-two spot in the group stage to qualify for the second round of the 2014 World Cup.