Date: June 16, 2014

Result: USA 2-1 Ghana

Goalscorers:

USA: Dempsey 1, Brooks 86

Ghana: A Ayew 82

Venue: Estadio Das Dunas, Natal

Match overview: The USA stunned Ghana with a goal after 32 seconds from Clint Dempsey but they clung on to their lead for most of the match against a Ghana side whose quick feet gained them greater possession. The Americans looked vulnerable at the back, and lost key players in Altidore and Besler through injury, and Ghana finally made the breakthrough that their overall play deserved when Andre Ayew burst into the box and fired past Tim Howard in the 82nd minute. A draw seemed a fair result but the USA grabbed the winner from a corner four minutes later.

Key moment: Just when the Ghanaians thought they had done enough to earn a point, substitute John Brooks, a German-born American playing his first competitive game for the USA, rose unmarked to head home from an 86th-minute corner to restore his team’s lead.

Man of the match: Jermaine Jones’s robust approach helped the Americans hold on to their early lead for most of the match, with fellow midfielder Michael Bradley strangely below-par.

Matter of fact: Clint Dempsey became the first American to score at three World Cups.

Talking point: The USA gained revenge for defeats by Ghana in the last two World Cups after holding on to their first-minute lead for more than 80 minutes, and then recovering to grab a late winner after Ghana had finally equalised.

Stats:

Goal attempts

  • USA 6
  • Ghana 17

On target

  • USA 4
  • Ghana 3

Corners

  • USA 3
  • Ghana 7

Line-ups:

USA:

  • 01 Tim Howard
  • 04 Michael Bradley
  • 05 Matt Besler (Brooks 46)
  • 07 DaMarcus Beasley
  • 08 Clint Dempsey
  • 11 Alejandro Bedoya (Zusi 76)
  • 13 Jermaine Jones
  • 15 Kyle Beckerman
  • 17 Jozy Altidore (Johannsson 23)
  • 20 Geoff Cameron
  • 23 Fabian Johnson

Ghana:

  • 12 Adam Kwarasey
  • 04 Daniel Opare
  • 19 Jonathan Mensah
  • 21 John Boye
  • 20 Kwadwo Asamoah
  • 10 Andre Ayew
  • 17 Mohammed Rabiu (Essien 69)
  • 11 SulleyMuntari
  • 07 Christian Atsu (Adomah 76)
  • 13 Jordan Ayew (K-P Boateng 59)
  • 03 Asamoah Gyan

Yellow cards:

USA:

  • none

Ghana:

• Mohammed Rabiu 31, Muntari 90

 

Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Swe)