This is the big game of the day for me. It was good to see during the pre-game discussions that I wasn’t the only one to notice the repeated expert stripping of the ball the Germans during the Portugal match, although the focus here was on Lahm.
Ghanian red uniforms, with yellow numbers look pretty good. German whites are okay. They look like Adidas uniforms, excepting the dark red chests.
Someone said it was 37 degrees at the stadium, and apparently very humid as well. The only thing going for them is that the sun isn’t on the field, with it being a 4:00 p.m. local start. The sun reaches about a dozen rows up. No water breaks though. (8 min)
Another reference to the Mexican Wave. (16 min)
At half-time, the score is nil-nil.
I haven’t been too impressed with Götze this game. He seems incapable of handling the speed and strength of the Ghanian defenders. He’s around the ball a lot but doesn’t give the impression of being in control of the situation.
Two minutes later Götze scores (50 min). Well, he did do what I wanted the Germans to do and which they hadn’t really tried much today. They’d been mussing around with a short passing game inside which never went anywhere. Ghana seemed well prepared for it. I had been hoping for some fast break ball which is what generated this goal. Götze enjoys hearing the cheers.
Ayew just scored on an unchallenged header. The defender, Mustafi, is relatively new having just entered the game and this being his third game for the national team.
A free kick after a clumsy mis-tackle by Khedira. Ayew whips the crowd up as best he can (56 min).
In the replays, the announcer keeps saying that Ayew had a better jump than the defender did. This irks me as Mustafi never jumped at all.
Gyan just gave Ghana the lead after a give-away by Lahm. Mertesacker isn’t equipped to keep up with Gyan. (62 min)
“Quiet satisfaction from the coach, while all around him there was bedlam.”
Some clumsy defence by the Germans as Khedira and Mertesacker collide at the sideline, springing Jordan Ayew (there are two) with two running mates heading down the middle of the field. Ayew took a bad shot instead of passing even though Atsu was in the middle and Gyan a few yards behind him uncovered. Ghana should have scored here. Will they rue this failure? Coach had a stronger outward response to this play than to the goal. Ayew wants to score too badly. I think he wasted several good opportunities due to this overwhelming hunger. (65 min)
Another good chance for Ghana as the cross is just barely too high for Ayew to work with. (67 min)
Two minutes. That’s how long it took for Klose to bag his 15th. Well done (69 min).
The Musket seems to have a full house tonight.
After the goal, Klose did one of his summersaults but didn’t nail the landing. First time I’ve seen that. Maybe he’s getting old. (70 min)
There’s been some fine defending in the penalty box by Ghana, especially by Mensah, Asamoah and Boye.
Klose had another opportunity but rushed his kick and sent it wide. (89 min)
Neuer almost threw the ball away but botched it so badly that the ball fell back into his hands. Luckily for him, Ayew had been walking away and so nothing came of it. (89 min)
“It’s three against two, it could be five against two. It’s off-side! What a wasted opportunity.” This is probably the third great opportunity in the past ten minutes for Ghana. Announcer John Roder(91 min)
Ghana’s athleticism really tested the back half of the German squad and menaced them throughout the last thirty minutes of the game. Repeatedly, the Germans were too far back to provide support when balls were contested and this was made worse since instead of the Germans having the ball and applying pressure, Ghana turned these into threats of their own. As an added bonus, they actually made the Germans run more than they would have had to if they’d just kept the ball forward.
Muntari draws a yellow for taking down Kroos. It’s his second. He’ll be out vs Portugal. This will be a big handicap for them.
Last play of the game, Müller takes a hard shoulder to the head, laying him out and drawing blood. It was hard enough a blow that the Ghanian player was also damaged and laid out. (94 min)
The game didn’t end as I wished but it was probably the fair score and certainly victory was well within Ghana’s reach.
I Canicus 
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