Portugal beat Ghana 2-1 in 2014 Fifa World Cup

Ghana and Portugal exited the 2014 Fifa World Cup despite Germany doing both a favour by beating the United States of America 1-0. Portugal scored in each half through a Ghanaian defender and Cristiano Ronaldo. Ghana had pulled a goal through Asamoah Gyan.

The Europeans’ goals were very soft and easy. Like many seen so far, they were generated from the left flank. They retreated too much and too often but managed a few dangerous counters. Cristiano Ronaldo struck a post with a cross due to lack of Ghanaian pressing on the right. He received a cross from the right and forced a great save from Dauda when he headed towards goal from point blank range.

The Africans had to execute a well orchestrate counter attack for their goal. Poor crossing from the right and the lack of quality on the final pass characterised the first half. Gyan forced an excellent save from Beto with a right-footed shot. Otherwise, the match became subdued and dull at the beginning of the second.

Ghana could have been punished harder as they were guilty of very short and square passes at the back. What makes this a cause of concern is the fact that Nigeria and Cameroon were found wanting in the same areas with the same behaviour. Cote D’Ivoire too, are not innocent.

 The match grew in stature after the goal. The counter attack on the left with Andre Ayew set up the goal. He played Kwadwo Asamoah who belted a left-footed cross with his outside of the foot to pick up Gyan’s run. Gyan headed the ball down past an air-borne Beto.

Portugal attacked the left flank and and delievered a cross that the defenders failed to clear. The headed ball went into a 12o’clock position and Dauda palmed it into the feet of Ronaldo who hit a first time shot to make it 2-1. Ronaldo had great chances but Dauda put a man-of-the-match performance. It was Waris who squandered the best chance as he head wide with a glaring goal after a Gyan cross from the left.

The goals were a result of poor marking, no pressing on the man taking shots or crosses.

Ghana 2, Germany 2 in 2014 Fifa World Cup

Germany played with caution showing some tactical superiority by winning the midfield battles and taking the game to the Ghanaians. The Black Stars the game started well with good wing play and creating half chances. It was their defending that was not well defined as they gave much space for their opponents to play. The marking was not at its best and there were too many players in front of play. The midfield played very square and failed to press as much as they should.

The Africans stayed too long on the ball and did not release the balls early. Play was too causal and allowed Germany to go a little easy without suffering any losses. They let Ghana came at them with the hope of springing a counter attack as there were spaces in midfield and defence. There was not much effort by Ghana to get manpower behind the ball in the centre of the park. This loaded the defence as they found themselves stretched.

It was a different kettle of fish in the second half as Thomas Muller set Mario Gotze with a pass through the porous central defence. Gotze finished off that pass with a header to his knee and the ball tricked the Orlando Pirates goalkeeper into the net. The ball came from the right side of midfield could have been cleared by the first defender. Muller was not pressed as he supplied the ball and the central defenders were too far apart.

It became a tight match and Ghana threw everything at the Europeans. A few passes outside the penalty area and then a ball wide found Afful who crossed the ball for Andre Ayew. The Ghanaian out jumped the German substitute to head the ball past Neur. The marking was bad while the heading technique was superb as the ball was directed low and away from the central position away from the goalkeeper.

Ghana went for the kill. Sully Muntari intercepted the ball in midfield and quickly set Asamoah Gyan on his way. Gyan controlled the ball well, beat his marker and with the inside of the foot, played the ball past the diving Neur. From that point onwards, the Africans poured forward and fluffed chance after chance, Jordan Ayew making a good run on the left and his tame shot was save. There was a counter attack where the German defence could have conceded as the Ghana attack forced a five versus two, but the decision-making on the delivery of the final ball was horrible.

The marking by Africans became sloppy, that usual false sense of security resulted in loss of concentration. As much as the numbers behind the ball improved, there was lack of pressing in midfield. The German substitutes found spaces to run into, had time on the ball to pass and shoot. In one particular moment that mattered the most, Schwansteiger had room to do as he pleased. He found Ozil on the left and the Arsenal man crossed the ball without anyone charging. That ball was headed out for a corner by Jonathan Mensah. The resultant corner kick was flicked by Hummels to the far post for Miroslov Klose to score the vital equaliser with an outstretched right foot.   

The defence of the African team got stretched more and more as the midfield job worsened in performance. That caused the central defenders share the man-of-the-match performance, as they had to be on overdrive to cope with the marauding Germans. The pair threw their bodies on the line and conceded several corner kicks, the weakness of African teams. The German finishing was not at its best and the Africans were not going to complain about it.

USA gun Ghana 2-1 in the 2014 Fifa World Cup

A flying start for the USA as Clint Dempsey scored with just half a minute on the clock. Loss of concentration at the beginning of the match was all it took, a throw in on the left side taken quickly and a few passes around the defenders and the killer ball by Jones that found Dempsey who was not being tracked. He beat Boye with a lot of ease and fired at the far post.

Poor marking outside the box, lack of pressure on the man on the ball and no support on the first defender were the cardinal sins for Ghana to commit. A strong showing in terms of ball-winning and passing counted for nought as the atrocious final ball kept Jurgen Klinsman’s boys in the game. The Africans could have levelled the scores by half-time, had they composed their attack and increased the speed of attack. The USA showed cracks on the wings, and a foot on the ball with authority by Ghana could easily unlock their defence.

The North Americans, who had to deal with three injury-forced changes, could have wrapped up the match when Jozi Altadore’s effort was blocked. Numerous counter attacking moves were wasted by the Americans attack. They were matched by their careless opponents in the later stages of the first half.

USA started the second half with a little control on the game, restricting Ghana to long-range efforts and play outside the penalty area as they defended with their lives. Asamoah Gyan was the chief culprit in front of goal as he failed to convert aerial balls delivered into the box. Sully Muntari played well in midfield, shooting from range.

Kevin Prince Boateng added some attacking firepower when he came on for Jordan Ayew. Pressure mounted on the Africans as the match wore on without that elusive goal. Ghana played well in midfield and passed the ball to the left of the field. A pass to the box was back-heeled by Gyan for the onrushing Andre Ayew to control and belt a left footer with the outside of his boot to beat a diving Tim Howard.

With a chance to salvage a win, the Black Stars pushed forward and got exposed at the back. The Stars and Stripes capitalised on that offensive behaviour with counter attacks that led to a corner kick. Brooks out jumped all around him thump a free header home. Ghana rued the missed opportunities as the USA held on for what can be termed a 2010 South Africa Fifa World Cup revenge.

As much as they had control of the match for the entire match, Ghana were totally responsible for the result of the match. It was never about how good the Americans were, but rather how poor the Africans played. They should have never conceded the fatal corner kick. They should have not allowed a free header in the 12-yard box. The goalkeeper should have come out for the corner-kick. Africa teams lack the discipline of the strategy (tactical discipline), match management abilities and the killer instincts.   

Decision-making pathetic at AFCON 2013

The African game currently displayed on the South African shores is exposing worrying trends of how much retarded the continental game has been since the turn of the century. It could be how much faster the world developed leaving Africa behind. Compare that with the 20 minutes display Arsenal played against Chelsea in the second half. It was the Gunners’ best football in over five years but it lasted 20 minutes.

Just before the beginning of the 2013 AFCON, South Africa fired blanks and hope was that things would pick up on the opening match of the tournament. They were sterile once more and to find the spot, maybe they need a GPS.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP Mazembe were at different level a few years back, reaching the Fifa Club World Cup final. In a viral post I did about their adventure, I labelled them as the real deal. African football was supposed to be on the rise but what happened? TP Mazembe seems to have not filtered down or maybe swam upstream to the national team. They looked at home when they played the world’s best in that final at the United Arab Emirates.

The South African 2013 AFCON has so far produced a stalemate between the hosts and the tournament ‘minnows’, Cerpe Verde. The next match saw four goals as Ghana and DRC shared the spoils. Again, one needs to look at the Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 draw, basically when the ball is passed and where it goes.

What has been a glaring truth is how much regressing the game has been. For entertainment, maybe there was something to cheer in the four goals scored in Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Stadium. Except for playing by heart, DRC offered nothing at all, neither did the over-rated Ghana.

In the matches played so far, technically and tactically, this has been a sorry site and with common these trends, there is a lot to see. The standard of the game that is worrying extends to the psychological aspect, besides the technical and tactical awareness. The Central African nation depended much on counter-attacks, badly executed by wrong choices and losing of momentum.

The biggest problem is the decision-making. Africa is miles, thousands of miles away. When to and not to pass tops the list. Hanging on the ball too long and less often, playing too early need addressing so badly. There were moments where both teams were guilty of carrying the ball and then slowing down until defenders made recovery runs and retrieved the ball.

The poor decision making can be due to a few problems. The triggers that must come from supporting players are themselves either wrong or badly timed. Even then, one would expect to get one aspect right and then work on the other. Either way, the coaches are responsible for recognising and rectifying these.

Where there is a reasonable quality level of triggers and their timing, the passing quality and choices have been out. The extension of the problem automatically becomes the ball reception. The positive first touch is never a strong African attribute, but these teams have professional players.

It must be understood that some factors contributing to the technique is the quality of the above issues, but the decisions of the receiver, regardless, have been pathetic. Namely, the choice of the part of the foot to use among other things leaves a lot to be desired.

I will try to explain the point of a trigger. If one has to make a pass, there has to be a reason why that pass is played. It could be into space which teammates must create, to the feet of one who indicates or is positioned to receive or to a running player, in which case the decision still has to be made as to how close to feet the ball is played or how far into space ahead of the running player.

Many times, these can be predictable and it is not rocket science. Tactically aware players and teams have the understanding that certain events will follow a pattern which must be trained upon. The movements and timing become a little synchronised.

This is the big draw back in the African game. There is no harmony or synchronisation of anything. At higher professional levels, that is what coaches work on. African players plying their trades overseas know and use these methods daily.

The Mali and Niger match was an improvement to the first two matches but there is a lot of work to be done. The decision-making consistently lacked but was a little better. It could have been a fluke that a few things seemed right.

The match was obviously scrappy and no flow at all, but the efforts to decide on time and execute well was visible. By half-time, there was no shot on target. The two teams are tactically above what has been witnessed so far and cancel each other effectively. It takes a genius touch and approach to separate good organisation.

While Mali were superior in many ways, Niger had the commitment to fight for each other and getting first to the ball. They fought for the second balls and tried counter attacking. They were guilty of tough and late tackling, again, a decision-making issue.

When and where to tackle and how may be the problem African club coaches have to address, but a lot of these players come from big leagues. It boils down to the national team coaches being unable to diagnose and prescribe proper training sessions to deal with it.

If one asks me, these are the very issues national team coaches must address, but remember who hires them; laymen. Many times, Niger shot at goal desperately from distance when there were better options for an extra pass or space to attack. The anxiety reflected on the abilities or lack of, of the mentors.

Interesting enough, Mali withdrew into a cocoon while Niger settled and began to pass the ball. The lack of rhythm of these events shows that they just occurred by chance. Self-confidence and suddenly found belief can catalyse the reactions, both mentally and physically.

Mali got on the score sheet at a time they pressurised the naive Niger who were a little immature by depending on sporadic raids. Seydou Keita had hit the posts twice but managed to tuck in a loose ball fluffed by the goalkeeper. It was the first three pointer match and fittingly so. That goal was a result of bad decision making by the goalkeeper. He could have punched that ball.

Niger's undoing was the less than enough utilisation of opportunities that befell them. They really got a lot of things right, better than Ghana and DRC combined, yet they have nothing to show for it. That is the sad state of African football, but I will not crucify the continent’s game yet, given there is much room for improvement.

 

 

 

Sunderland stun champions Chelsea with 3 without reply at Standford Bridge

A miraculous and spirited outing against the Barclays Premier League champions, Chelsea at Standford Bridge by visiting Sunderland was celebrated by friends and foes alike. Sunderland outclassed Chelsea and defeated the champions with a lot of ease. From the onset, Sunderland seemed to believe in their ability as The Blues went about business arrogantly.

Steve Bruce started with 2 pronged attack of Asamoah Gyan and Welbeck. The pair were a handful for the Chelsea defence as they caught the hosts for pace in transition periods. Without the work-horse quality of Michael Essien, the midfield of Flourent Malouda and Mikel Obi was no match for Zenden and Karen Richardson and Henderson.

Titus Bramble and former Manchester City defender Onuoha did a good job in keeping Didier Drogba and Nicholas Anelka under locks and keys. Onuoha had the luxury of foraging forward and waltz past bemused Chelsea central defence and slide the ball under a desperately sprawling Petr Cech. Cech had to be at his best to keep the score-line respectable.

The match was won in midfield as Sunderland competed well for each ball and winning the second balls. In one duel won in the middle third, a swift conversion from defence to attack Henderson found hard running Gyan whose second touch beat Cech for the second goal. Zenden celebrated by doing the African dance Gyan style. Welbeck finished off the aging champions when Ashley Cole played him square, trying to get a back pass to Cech.

Foes, Arsenal and Manchester United jubilated in unison and the result opens up the race that Chelsea seemed to be running away with. A defeat for The Blues would eventually arrive. It would be hard to imagine that coming at Standford Bridge. Of all the teams, Sunderland would rank very low as the team to do that. Given that they did, the score-line would be the narrowest of margins. For the followers of Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti will find it hard to be forgiven for the 3-0 margin.

It will be back to the drawing board for The Blues, but maybe, it is the beginning of the end of the dominance the side that had made it their trademark to bully smaller teams and bullying giants with as much disrespect. Who do you think will benefit more from this result?

South Africa vs Ghana At Soccer City.

This fixture, to take place on the 7th of August 2010, until further notice shall be best dubbed South Africa versus Black Stars of Ghana because the South African football team are nameless. The match will take place at the currently nameless stadium that we will risk calling Soccer City for the benefit of those who want to go and watch the misser of a crucial final second penalty, at the same venue of that horrible and embarrassing deed, Asamoah Gyan. Michael Essien may be in the 18 area for that one.

The South Africa football bosses are trying to come out with a new name for the team. South African Rugby Union want the High Court to change the name of a Football Cathedral to National Stadium so they can play rugby with Australia on the 21st of August 2010. A naming rights company say the name must revert back to being FNB because FIFA asked SAFA not to use branded names for their World Cup stadia during the World Cup. It sounds like someone somewhere is crazy, and crazy indeed. By the way, as a condition to the rugby, NO VUVUZELA. Now I think the crazy one here is me, cause I just don't understand where this is going or is coming from.

Talking about crazy stuff, Ghana will roll into Mzansi haunted by the crazy Luis Suarez who was a nightmare to them not so long ago with those common knowledge antics. For South Africa, there won't be ant Diego Forlan, thank God. They will remember how all Africans rallied behind them and even cried in that sympathetic ordeal with Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final. Black Stars, tough luck. While there will be no love lost, the World Cup has ended, the honey moon is over. South Africans will be rooting for South Africa. Each man for himself now and only God for us all.

Before we leave Forlan and Suarez, the pair are unlikely to feature in the Uruguay friendly with Angola. It will be a short change for the African football to be denied the class act of a football supremest Diego Forlan. As for Suarez, it is the best that could happen for the continent at this time of mourning. That is Angolan stuff, and it must be in Portuguese, so obrigado!

As for South Africa, there is a baptism of fire for new SA coach, Pitso Mosimane. He has to bring together a squad of his taste, cool down the hyper hang-over of having played in the World Cup. All eyes will be on his strategy and influence on the players and his style. He will do well to absorb the pressure and win the English-like press. There is no way Pitso will escape the comparison of both Joel Santana and Carlos Alberto Parreira. You can't help but wish the guy luck.

Ghana, on their part are a force in world football. They will be pushing their luck to maintain their status as Africa's cream. For those who are into traditional beer like myself, it is a match I would not miss, as a 'vanya'.

[polldaddy poll="3543740"]

South Africa vs Ghana At Soccer City.

This fixture, to take place on the 7th of August 2010, until further notice shall be best dubbed South Africa versus Black Stars of Ghana because the South African football team are nameless. The match will take place at the currently nameless stadium that we will risk calling Soccer City for the benefit of those who want to go and watch the misser of a crucial final second penalty, at the same venue of that horrible and embarrassing deed, Asamoah Gyan. Michael Essien may be in the 18 area for that one.

The South Africa football bosses are trying to come out with a new name for the team. South African Rugby Union want the High Court to change the name of a Football Cathedral to National Stadium so they can play rugby with Australia on the 21st of August 2010. A naming rights company say the name must revert back to being FNB because FIFA asked SAFA not to use branded names for their World Cup stadia during the World Cup. It sounds like someone somewhere is crazy, and crazy indeed. By the way, as a condition to the rugby, NO VUVUZELA. Now I think the crazy one here is me, cause I just don't understand where this is going or is coming from.

Talking about crazy stuff, Ghana will roll into Mzansi haunted by the crazy Luis Suarez who was a nightmare to them not so long ago with those common knowledge antics. For South Africa, there won't be ant Diego Forlan, thank God. They will remember how all Africans rallied behind them and even cried in that sympathetic ordeal with Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup quarter-final. Black Stars, tough luck. While there will be no love lost, the World Cup has ended, the honey moon is over. South Africans will be rooting for South Africa. Each man for himself now and only God for us all.

Before we leave Forlan and Suarez, the pair are unlikely to feature in the Uruguay friendly with Angola. It will be a short change for the African football to be denied the class act of a football supremest Diego Forlan. As for Suarez, it is the best that could happen for the continent at this time of mourning. That is Angolan stuff, and it must be in Portuguese, so obrigado!

As for South Africa, there is a baptism of fire for new SA coach, Pitso Mosimane. He has to bring together a squad of his taste, cool down the hyper hang-over of having played in the World Cup. All eyes will be on his strategy and influence on the players and his style. He will do well to absorb the pressure and win the English-like press. There is no way Pitso will escape the comparison of both Joel Santana and Carlos Alberto Parreira. You can't help but wish the guy luck.

Ghana, on their part are a force in world football. They will be pushing their luck to maintain their status as Africa's cream. For those who are into traditional beer like myself, it is a match I would not miss, as a 'vanya'.

[polldaddy poll="3543740"]