Ghana Lacks players and goals, doubtful to Win
Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg will host the last round of 16 match between Uruguay and Ghana Friday July 2nd. Uruguay has conceded one goal and is better at scoring in open play than Ghana. It would be great to see the Black Stars advance to the semifinals but it’s looking like the team is nearing the end of their World Cup run.
Uruguay is a former football superpower. They hope to reclaim some of their past glory and advance to the semifinals for a chance at the Cup. So far Latin American countries have been playing better than anyone could have expected. Victory means Uruguay sees their first semifinals since 1970.
Ghana is an emerging nation and the only African team still standing. They are playing not only for their nation but for their entire country in the hopes of writing their place in World Cup history. It will be a great achievement for this team to make it to the final four. They are the third African team to make the World Cup quarterfinals, Cameroon did it first in 1990 followed by Senegal in 2002.
Ghana has a tough match ahead of them. So far Uruguay has conceded one goal in four games, and has gone unbeaten in the last six World Cup games they’ve played. Louis Suarez scored against South Korea making him the first Uruguayan to score in successive cup matches since 1954 when Juan Eduardo Hohberg did.
Ghana goes out onto the pitch with the support of the entire continent. That is an intimidating crowd to please, and also an intimidating one to silence. This has been Ghana’s best World Cup; they topped Group D and beat out the US to get to the quarterfinals. They have had two wins against Serbia and the US, a draw with Australia, but lost to Germany.
Ghana’s undoing lies in their injured and suspended players. If his ankle injury does not persist, the Ghanaian player to watch is Asamoah Gyan. This striker scored the winning goal against Serbia and the equalizer in the Australia match. Both his goals were taken from the penalty spot. He and Kevin-Prince Boateng scored the two goals against the US that sent the Stars and Stripes home empty handed.
Boateng is also a maybe for playing. The native Ghanaian had an aggravated hamstring prior to the US match and will have to see close to the match how he feels.Ghana has a strong back line centred by Issac Vorsah. Vorsah has missed the last three matches due to injury but has returned to training.
Johnathen Mensah is suspended after picking up his second yellow card in the US match. He is also struggling with back a back injury and will be replaced most likely with David Addy, who is one booking from suspension. Midfielder Andre Ayew is also suspended due to yellow card accumulation. The team’s captain Michael Essien has not played at all this tournament after receiving a knee injury in May.
Despite missing star players The Black Stars can add speed to their advantages along with good control of the ball and passing. This is particularly true of Stephen Appiah the ‘Tornado’, a nickname he received for his impeccable speed.
Uruguay will have the upper hand when it comes to scoring goals. Ghana failed to get a ball in the net during open play in the group matches. They scored all their goals from the penalty spot with the exception of the US match with Boateng and Gyan’s goals. The Black Stars like to shoot, its accuracy they lack.
This is a major weakness for the team, one that Uruguay will take full advantage of. Coping with the lack of injured and suspended players will be a test for the team, but ultimately the Black Stars need to score if they want to proceed.
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