MTNFootball

John Pantsil, Ghana

July 2, 2010

There was drama to the very end as Africa’s last hope at the 2010 FIFA World Cup were eliminated from the tournament on penalty kicks, Ghana took the lead through Sulley Muntari on the stroke of half time.

Diego Forlan scored a spectacular free kick to bring Uruguay level in the 55th minute, the real action took place in the final minute of extra time when Luis Suarez hit Dominic Adiyiah’s header off the line with his hands.

Gyan Asamoah could not convert the resulting spot kick which saw Uruguay win 4-2 to send them to the last four for the first time since 1970, Ghana having every reason to feel they should not have lost this game.

Forlan’s in swinging corner from the left was flicked on by Lugano and it hit Mensah on the head and flew towards goal, Kingson was alert to the block the ball away to safety. This happening in the 19th minute.

In the 26th minute a throw in from the left by the South Americans saw Suarez get past Vorsah just inside the Ghana 18 yard area he hit the ball on the volley, Kingson was able to get the tips of fingers to the ball and hit it out for a corner.

On 31 minutes Ghana cleared their lines and attacked down the left with Boateng who raced up the field and managed to round Fucile before scoring the ball towards goal, Gyan got their ahead of his marker but his effort was inches wide of goal.

Inkoom sent in a cross from the left on the stroke of half time, Boateng jumped up for the ball and launched a spectacular over head kick which sailed just past Muslera’s left hand upright.

In first half injury time Mensah played a short pass from the centre circle to Muntari who moved to the left with the ball, before hitting it from around 20 yards from goal the power and the swerve deceived Muslera before beating him to cross the line and sent Ghana into the break a goal up.

After the restart Forlan curled angled free kick from left around 22 yards from goal over the Ghana wall, in mid air the ball seemed to change direction like Muslera was deceived earlier, the flight of the ball caught Kingson out and it dipped beyond him and flew into the roof of the net to bring Uruguay level in spectacular fashion.

Forlan was creating all the havoc just past the hour his cross from the left edge of the Ghana 18 yard was left by Kingson it flew into the path of Suarez with the goal at his mercy banged the ball into the side netting.

In the 71st minute Fucile played the ball to Scotti who in turn pushed it forward Suarez who skipped past his marker and blasted the ball at Kingson from a few yards out the Ghana keep doing well to push the ball over for a corner.

Two minutes on Gyan tried to catch Muselra off his line with a shot from distance as Arevalo’s skewed clearance fell to him the Uruguay keeper had gotten back into position to grab the ball as it came towards goal.

Tied at 1-1 after 90 minutes the match moved into injury time, the hard working Gyan managed to break away from Scotti in the 110th minute, and was able to get to the end of Appiah’s cross from the left but again his effort lacked direction and went wide of the mark.

Forlan gifted with a scoring opportunity in the 114th minute after Vorsah’s attempted clearance fell into his path blasted the ball over the goal, Gyan then came close to a goal after tussling with Scotti he was able to sccop the ball towards goal Uruguay were able to clear the ball off the line.

With the clock ticking down to a penalty shoot out Ghana were awarded a penalty Suarez hit Adiyiah’s goal bound header on the line with his hands, this as the ball bobbled around off a free kick in the Uruguay 18 yard area prior to the header Appiah’s first shot was cleared off the line by Suarez.

Suarez was sent off but Gyan could not capitalize on the opportunity and hit the post from the ensuing spot kick, and the game was headed for a shoot out, all of this drama taking place in the 120th minute of the game.

Uruguay prevailed winning 4-2 in the shoot out some injustice on would feel for Ghana after Suarez had robbed the black Stars of the place in the last four, Forlan, Victorino, Scotti and Abreu scored even though Pereria missed his kick Mensah and Adiyiah had their kicks saved by Muslera.