EVEN COOL HAND LUKE GOT TIRED OF DIGGING HOLES:

Asamoah Gyan strike puts Ghana in the last eight: USA 1-2 Ghana (aet) (Paul Wilson, 6/26/10, guardian.co.uk)

The USA almost scored at the start of the second half, only to be foiled by Kingson's best save yet. A Donovan cross from the right had John Mensah in trouble, and though Jozy Altidore could not shoot himself he moved the ball on to Benny Feilhaber, only for the goalkeeper to leave his line quickly and decisively to smother the shot.

Boateng turned Donovan after a good Ghanaian move and put his shot over the bar, before the oddly quiet Asamoah Gyan sent a long shot wide, and the Africans had cause to regret their inability to put the game to bed when the USA equalised just past the hour. They could also regret some sloppy defending too. Dempsey appeared to be blocked by John Mensah but he cheekily nutmegged the centre-back and made his way into the penalty area, obliging Jonathan Mensah to come across with a poorly timed cover tackle. Donovan stroked the penalty in off a post, Jonathan Mensah collected a booking that will put him out of the quarter-final.

By the final quarter the Americans seemed to have Ghana's measure. For most of the second half, the USA employed the patient, probing style that served them so well in their last game. They were enjoying the best chances as normal time began to run out and looked the side most likely to see out extra time without mishap, yet in almost a repeat of the opening strike, they were hit early by a Ghana goal of surprising force. If Bocanegra thought he could muscle Gyan out of the way when a high ball came down, he was mistaken. Gyan stayed on his feet and accelerated away, giving Howard a feeling of deja vu as he beat him in a manner similar to Boateng's earlier strike.

That bit about seeing time out without a mishap was the problem. Our best defense is our attack and we should have just gone for the win in regulation. Jozy was taken down with what should have been a penalty kick and hung yellows on two other guys within a few minutes in the 2nd half. But once he was taken out and there was no Gooch the corners in extra time were aimless in the absence of their inviting targets. As for Bocanegra and Demerit, the less said the better.

Posted by Orrin Judd at June 26, 2010 5:04 PM