Revenge has rarely tasted sweeter. The USA, eliminated by Ghana at each of the past two World Cups, looked to have suffered another cruel blow at the hands of their tormentors, giving up an 82nd-minute equaliser in a match which they had led from the 31st second. But Jürgen Klinsmann’s team refused to be cowed. John Brooks, a second-half substitute and central defender playing in his first official match for his country, rose to power home a header that sent the vast American contingent in Natal into raptures.
It was a goal of tremendous significance. A draw here could not formally have eliminated either team from the competition but, with each still to play Germany and Portugal in this most challenging of groups, it would not have been a result to make either side happy. Even in celebrating André Ayew’s 82nd-minute equaliser, Ghana had known that three points here were still imperative.
They could not have started this game any worse. Clint Dempsey, receiving a pass from Jermaine Jones on the left, stepped easily around John Boye – who had moved too hastily into the challenge – before drilling a low finish beyond Adam Kwarasey’s outstretched boot and into the far corner of the net. It was the fastest goal of this World Cup, and the fifth-quickest in tournament history.
The roar at Natal’s Estádio das Dunas was electrifying. Local reports had claimed before the game that as many as 20,000 American fans would be in attendance, but they sounded like twice that number as they celebrated a start that went beyond their wildest expectations.
For a moment, both teams seemed to lose sight of their tactical intentions. Disoriented by the early goal, they waged a frantic war in the middle of the pitch, exchanging misplaced passes. Ghana’s first foray into opposition territory did not arrive until the seventh minute, when Asamoah Gyan surged away down the right and swung a cross in towards Jordan Ayew. But Tim Howard was wise to their intentions, stepping forward to make an easy claim.
Ghana continued to apply pressure down the right, testing DaMarcus Beasley for any sign of weakness. But the next real opportunity would fall to USA, Jozy Altidore running onto an Fabian Johnson cross that had evaded its intended target, Michael Bradley, in the middle of the box. The striker steadied himself before crushing the ball goalwards, but was denied by a desperate defensive lunge.
That would be Altidore’s final contribution of the half, and potentially of this World Cup. Just three minutes later, the striker pulled up while chasing a ball down the left. For USA this was not a promising sight. There had been no defenders near Altidore when he went down, and he departed on a stretcher in what appeared to be considerable discomfort.
He was replaced by Aron Johansson, although it would be Alejandro Bedoya who reasserted USA’s attacking intentions, blasting a long-range effort over the bar. Ghana were dominating possession but continued to misplace passes in the final third.
Only Gyan seemed capable of navigating a way through the American defence. It was he who came closest to equalising before the half, maneouvring his way into half a yard of space just outside the box before letting fly with a well-struck shot that Howard did well to palm away.
Moments later Dempsey tumbled to the turf with a bloodied nose after being caught in the face by a dangerously high boot from John Boye. The defender was lucky to escape without a caution, but after Altidore’s earlier injury, Klinsmann was relieved mostly just to see his striker pick himself off the turf and return quickly to the game.
That would not be the last of his team’s injury concerns. Centre-back Matt Besler was seen clutching his hamstring towards the end of the first half, and subsequently had to be replaced by Brooks – a player whose only previous appearances for USA have come in unofficial training matches.
Ghana were quick to assert themselves against their opponents’ reshuffled defensive line. Within 10 minutes of the start of the second half, Christian Atsu, Sulley Muntari and Gyan had all flashed efforts just high or wide of Howard’s goal. The Everton goalkeeper needed every inch of his 6ft 3in frame to push away a deft near-post header from Gyan in the 58th.
His opposite number, Kwarasey, was far less assured in dealing with an optimistic 25-yard attempt from Jones a few moments later. Although the shot flew straight at the goalkeeper, he allowed it to squirm out of his grasp. But USA’s attackers, still finding their way forward from the edge of their own box, were in no position to capitalise.
At the time, it was a lone moment of respite for the Americans in what had become an unrelenting assault. The victory seemed to have slipped away from them when Ayew seized on a devilish backheel from Gyan in the box, before pulverising it beyond Howard.
But there was room yet for another twist in this tale. A carelessly conceded corner by Jonathan Mensah allowed Graham Zusi, on as a late substitute for Bedoya, to send one more ball into the box. His delivery was immaculate, dipping outwards towards the edge of the six-yard box. Brooks attacked it with conviction, blasting his header down into the ground and up over Kwarasey into the roof of the net.
Even he could not believe what he had just done. Brooks would later tell reporters that he had dreamed of scoring a late winner in this game, but it is one thing to imagine such an event and quite another to have it come true. He clutched his head, eyes wide open in shock, before collapsing to the ground face-first. Immediately, he was buried by his team-mates.
And so, the USA move onwards. Greater challenges await in Group G, but this was a crucial step towards the World Cup's knockout stages. For once, they have faced down Ghana, and lived to tell the tale.
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