Match Review & Highlights: Uruguay* 1-1 Ghana (4-2 pso)

July 2nd, 2010 | by: Daryl |

uru ghana

This was one crazy game of football. The regular 90 minutes were marked by one long range strike from each team. An unremarkable 30 minutes of extra time followed, save for the final 60 seconds. Which was insane, and ever so slightly depressing. Unless you’re a Uruguay fan.

For Ghana it was the left foot of Sulley Muntari just before halftime.

I’m not sure exactly how far away Muntari was when he hit that. Forty yards maybe? The ball jabulanied (ie: moved) in the air a little, but I think we can give Muntari’s technique most of the credit for that strike, which I thought would maybe be the goal that put Ghana into the World Cup semifinals.

Not to be. Because ten minutes into the second half, the inspired Diego Forlan stepped up to take a free kick:

That ball moves in the air too. Every time I see the replay, I expect it to bend towards the near post, based mostly on Forlan’s shape when he struck the ball. But everytime I watch it, the ball bends away, towards the far corner, and past Richard Kingson. One all.

Teamwork sort of fell apart for both teams towards the end of the game, with Uruguay expecting Forlan to do something magic and Ghana hoping Asamoah Gyan could find a goal. So to extra time, where two tired teams seemed set to sweat out 30 more minutes before going to penalty kicks. But in the final few seconds before extra time expired…

I’ll talk you through it: A cross comes in, Kevin-Prince Boateng flicks it towards goal. Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera beats John Mesnah to the ball and knocks it down. With Muselera out of nets, Stephen Appiah shoots, and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez blocks it on the line with his knee. Young Dominic Adiyiah gets to the rebound first and heads at goal. It’s going in. Until Luis Suarez uses his hand to bat it away.

So. Red card for Suarez for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. (Debate the ethics or otherwise of Suarez’ handball here.) Penalty to Ghana with just seconds left in the game. Asamoah Gyan steps up, hits it hard, but hits the bar. Ghana’s golden opportunity to win this game at the death and make the semi-finals disappears. Gyan is devestated, but the penalty shootout is still to come. Here’s what happened:

Maximum respect to Asamoah Gyan for stepping up and taking the first Ghanaian penalty in the shootout so soon after missing his first one. Big balls on that particular Black Star. Double big balls for scoring it. John Mensah forgot to take a run up, or put any power in his kick, which Muslera easily saved. Maxi Perreira gave Ghana hope by blazing his penalty high Chris Waddle 1990 style, but Dominic Adiyiah (whose header Suarez had kept out with his hand) saw his spot kick saved. Which is harsh. Because if not for Suarez Adiyiah could have been the 20 year old striker who scored the goal that made Ghana the first African team in a World Cup semi-final. Instead he’s the guy that missed the penalty kick to keep them out.

Credit to Uruguay’s Sebastian Abreu for the coolness of his dink, and congratulations to La Celeste for making the semi-finals. They’re certainly good enough to be there. But only the most hard-hearted of football fans can fail to feel Ghana’s pain tonight. It’s been a long time since a team has been so close to achieving something so significant, only to see it slip just out of grasp.

- More at the Ghana blog and the Uruguay blog.

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http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/WSG5MFNWCXAXDLW5U2T432LJGA Phil

Great write-up. Man that was sad, I feel terrible for Gyan and Adiyiah, too. And I knew they'd lose the PK shootout after that, it was inevitable. Kind of like France losing in 82. You just don't recover from that kind of heart-sinking moment.

Gyan's got to hit that PK, or at least hit it at the goalkeeper. A professional football player should NEVER miss the goal entirely, that's just ridiculous.

Suarez? Gut reaction, we'd all have done the same thing. Loathsome as it may be, that's what you have to do.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/WSG5MFNWCXAXDLW5U2T432LJGA Phil

Here's a thought: can you imagine the international outcry had this happened in the U.S. match instead? Like if Landon Donovan had swatted away the winning goal with his hand in the 120th minute and then Gyan missed a PK. It'd have been epic, a gazillion editorials that write themselves about the USA putting the screws on Africa again and all that. In fact had this been a European team, one with a colonial legacy, oh my. Thank God for world peace that it was Uruguay.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gaston-Mulisanga/1102718568 Gaston Mulisanga

i hope after this world cup FIFA changes the rules, the mexico game, england game, now this game, what's next
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3MANXHCGJ3ZXLGURRE6LFW5WLQ Ernie Vasquez

What Suarez did is disgusting! Whats even worse is that while he takes his sweet time leaving the pitch he witnesses Gyan miss the penalty and he has the nerve to celebrate it! IFor me this is comparable to what Henry did to Ireland..The Hand of Suarez
Bense235

Get a grip. Henry cheated, Suarez took one for the team. Ghana had all the chances to decide the game before whilst being in the lead, and also after with the single penalty kick and the regular shoot-out. That's called “hypocrisy”. Suarez ain't a hero, but he sure as hell ain't a cheater, too. He GOT his punishment.
diego

people who complain about Suarez being the reason Ghana lost disgust me. It's Ghana's own fault for losing. They had all the chances whether it be during the 120 minutes of game time or the PK to end regulation. They didn't own up and choked when it mattered most.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/3MANXHCGJ3ZXLGURRE6LFW5WLQ Ernie Vasquez

I never said Suarez was the reason Ghana lost..I just said it was disgusting what he did and that its horrible how he celebrates after Gyan misses the pk..i know its obvious he would celebrate since its his team and the world cup…but to me its just wrong and its just my opinion… but u could pretty much conclude that ghana would have won if not for Suarez's hand volley..that was basically the last play
JoseJosue

Nah, instead we got the typical racist crap regarding us theivin' cheatin' Latin Americans.
JoseJosue

You want to see “cheating”, try Neuer's intentional deception of the referee when it came to Lampard's non-called goal.

I get it, though. When Europeans intentionally deceive the ref in order to prevent them from making the right call, it's gamesmanship. When Latins commit a foul and get duly reprimanded all under the directions of the Laws of the Game, it's cheating.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Igor-Komlenovic/1168502897 Igor Komlenovic

What rules are you talking about? Suarez handballed and thus he was red carded and a PK was given to Ghana there are no rules that need to be changed there.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gaston-Mulisanga/1102718568 Gaston Mulisanga

suerez played volleyball when it was clear goal, a rule should be applied where the goal is given and player sent off

and i was talking about in general fifa should update some rules
http://www.facebook.com/halynaiscoolerthanyou Halyna Svitlynets

No, I'd have to disagree. This has nothing to do with race. Don't make excuses for something that was cheating and don't try to make everyone feel sorry for you. You made it, OK?
http://www.facebook.com/halynaiscoolerthanyou Halyna Svitlynets

Don't forgot the USA games.
Jeffm9770

Or if you want to see cheating check out almost everybody lying on the ground crying like a little girl when they weren't touched. Obviously trying to get the ref to hand out a free kick and maybe a card. Or maybe they're tired and need a rest. Like in the US-Ghana game, a player on Ghana had to be removed from the field on a stretcher. Then like magic as soon as he's off the field he pops right up. At least in hockey when somebody does that they get a penalty for taking a dive.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Boyan-Penev/210100497 Boyan Penev

Eh, I don't know. He knew if Ghana scored, it was over for Uruguay. He gave his team a chance, and it paid off. He got the red card, as he was supposed to, but is it so surprising a player breaks the rules willingly to give his team a lead?

Had Suarez not touched the ball, it would be Ghana on the semis, and Uruguay going home crying (because hey, a goal in the 121st minute is pretty bad luck). Too bad, I would have preferred to see Ghana on the semifinals, but he did what his team needed him to do.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/DSJ2TKZFTQZNGHIBCMDBP55EKQ esk

It's strange how you're supposed to be “hard-hearted” if you're not disappointed for Ghana. As if being a Uruguay fan is symptomatic of bad character