Final, 2-2: It’s over. The thrilling game ends with the teams taking a share of the spoils.
Some points are more deserved than others, and the ones Germany and Ghana will take home is a case of both teams reaping what they sow.
The Group G game took some time to come to life, but the teams treated fans to one of the most entertaining spells at the 2014 World Cup once it did.
Germany’s opening goal seemed to wake up Ghana. The Black Stars responded by overturning Germany’s lead in a breathtaking, 15-minute spell in the second half. They will be disappointed to have conceded the tying goal, which heralded a barnstorming, but ultimately futile, finish to the game.
Klose made history 118 seconds after entering the game. The German striker scored a crucial goal and tied Ronaldo in the record books. Klose will become the all-time leading goal scorer in World Cup history with his next goal. Gyan became the top-scoring African in the history of the World Cup, tying Cameroonian great Roger Milla.
Germany now leads Group G with four points. Ghana is third with one. The United States and Portugal play on Sunday.
Germany will face the United States at noon on June 26. Ghana will take on Portugal at the same time. Both games will decide the outcome of this group.
That’s all for now and thanks for joining us. Let’s discuss this one on Twitter @NESNsoccer and Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for some news, fan reactions, analysis and opinion that is on the way on NESN.com.
90th minute, +4, 2-2: Muller is down on the field. He was attempting to head a free kick in the game’s final action, and Boye’s shoulder hit him in the face.
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90th minute +4, 2-2: Muntari is cautioned for a foul on Kroos. The Ghana midfielder will miss his team’s next game (against Portugal on June 26) due to suspension.
90th minute, 2-2: Klose wastes a chance to win the game and break Ronaldo’s record.
The German forward received a pass from Lahm, but shot wide from inside the Ghana penalty area.
87th minute, 2-2: It’s back-and-forth action in Fortaleza. Jordan Ayew hits a low shot from outside the penalty area. Neuer makes the save for Germany.
86th minute, 2-2: Germany huffs and puffs once again, but Mensah blocks the door for Ghana.
Ozil slid a cross into the area for Klose, but the Ghana defender makes another last-ditch tackle.
84th minute, 2-2: Germany has a great chance to take the lead, but Asamoah intervenes, as Muller sets himself to shoot.
78th minute, 2-2: Ghana is making a change in the midfield. Badu replaces Rabiu.
71st minute, 2-2: Klose ties it up with a poacher’s goal. The 36-year old makes an instant impact, having entered the game three minutes ago.
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It came from a corner kick. Howedes flicked Kroos’ delivery to the far post. Klose reacted first and stabbed it home.
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Klose enters the record books with that goal. The German legend ties (Brazil’s) Ronaldo as the top scorer in World Cup history.
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68th minute, 2-1 Ghana: Ghana is threatening to blow the game open with waves of attack.
Germany is making a pair of substitutions in an effort to regain control of the contest.
Klose is coming on for Gotze. Schweinsteiger replaces Khedira.
63rd minute, 2-1 Ghana: Gyan puts Ghana ahead after the Germans make a mistake at the back.
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Muntari intercepted Lahm’s pass in the midfield and slipped a ball forward to Gyan. Hummels attempted to block it but fell, and a grateful Gyan raced towards the goal and beat Neuer with an emphatic finish.
It’s no surprise that Gyan was the goal scorer. He’s no stranger to a moment of this magnitude.
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How about this goal celebration?
54th minute, 1-1: Germany’s lead is short-lived, as Andre Ayew ties it up for Ghana.
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The goal came from a similar position as Gotze’s. Afful crossed into the Germany area. Ayew outjumped Mustafi and beat Neuer with a glancing header.
Ayew is causing havoc effficiently at the 2014 World Cup.
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52nd minute, 1-0 Germany: Jordan Ayew replaces Kevin-Prince Boateng for Ghana. The Boaeteng brothers’ on-field saga ends. The Ayew brothers now have leading roles.
51st minute, 1-0 Germany: Germany didn’t have to wait long. Gotze breaks the deadlock.
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Muller swung a cross into the penalty area. Gotze ghosted past Afful and headed the ball off his own knee, but it deflected past Daudu and went into the goal.
Gotze goals are good signs for Germany.
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46th minute, 0-0: The second half is under way. Mustafi replaces Boateng for Germany.
Halftime, 0-0: That’s the end of the first half. It’s goalless in Fortaleza.
Germany has the advantage in possession, territory, shots, quality scoring chances, but the statistic that matters most screams “stalemate.” Although Germany carried play, it lacked the quality and sharpness in the final ball or shot to score a goal.
Ghana’s defense bent a number of times, but Boye and Mensah have made courageous last-second interventions to prevent it from breaking, while Dauda also is performing well. The Black Stars are not out of this by any means. They have unbalanced Germany on the counter, and Ayew, Atsu, Asamoah and Boateng can conjure a goal out of nothing if given time and space.
Germany will be disappointed not to have scored so far. It has created opportunities by attacking Ghana’s left side — where Ayew and Asamoah should be patrolling. That finishing touch it needs might come later in the contest.
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42nd minute, 0-0: Ghana isn’t playing nearly as well as it did in its 2010 meeting against Germany, but it will be happy with how the first half has turned out.
Ghana has managed to keep Germany goalless, despite giving up a number of goal-scoring chances. Ghana still looks like it can hurt Germany on the counter-attack.
37th minute, 0-0: Gotze tries to beat Dauda with a half-volley, but the Ghana goalkeeper saves it without much fuss.
33rd minute, 0-0: Muntari hits a laser shot on goal (after Lahm’s poor clearance falls into his path), but Neuer reacts quickly and punches it away.
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29th minute, 0-0: Ghana gives the ball away upfield, and Germany nearly punishes the mistake.
Gotze outraced Asamoah on the right and drove a low cross into the Ghana area. Ghana cleared the danger before Muller arrived.
25th minute, 0-0: The Germans are starting to assert their control over the proceedings. Ghana wants to defend and counter-attack, but that strategy looks increasingly dangerous. Germany is possessing the ball longer and creating more quality scoring chances as the game progresses.
21st minute, 0-0: Once again on the right, Ozil threads a pass into the Ghana area to the on-rushing Muller, but Boye arrives at the 50-50 ball first and clears it out.
18th minute, 0-0: Germany is finding space on its right and turning it into goal-scoring chances. After surging down that side, Ozil found Khedira at top of the Ghana area. Khedira shot, but Dauda made a comfortable save.
13th minute, 0-0: Neuer is called into action after Atsu launches a curling effort his way. The Germany goalkeeper punches it away.
12th minute, 0-0: Germany nearly unlocks Ghana’s defense with a quick interchange at the top of the penalty area, but Boye blocks Kroos’ shot at the last possible moment.
Seventh minute, 0-0: Ghana has the first scoring chance of the game.
Atsu led the counter-attack deep into Germany territory. The Ghana winger found Gyan in the penalty area, but the striker missed the target with his shot.
Fourth minute, 0-0: The game has started slowly. Germany has had most of the possession, while Ghana seems content to keep its defensive shape and wait for the Germans to come forward.
Ghana has plenty of speed, so it will break forward on the counter-attack.
First minute, 0-0: Germany-Ghana is underway.
Kickoff: The anthems are done and the game is set to kick off.
Ghana players received some words of encouragement before they headed out to the field.
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Pregame: Germany names an unchanged starting 11 against Ghana.
There was some question as to whether Hummels would play after he was carried off the field in Germany’s win over Portugal, but the center back passed a pregame fitness test and is presumably healthy enough to play alongside Mertesacker.
Ghana has made a few changes to the lineup it used in the loss to the United States. Dauda replaces Kwarasey in goal. Afful starts in Opara’s place at right back. The biggest change is the inclusion of Boateng, who was a substitute against America. The Ghana star takes his usual position in the attacking midfield. Ghana coach James Akwasi Appiah is hoping the Boateng can add more creativity in the final third.
This game has major implications for the United States. Here’s where it stands before kickoff.
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2:30 p.m. ET: Here are the lineups:
Germany
Manuel Neuer (1), goalkeeper
Benedikt Hoewedes (4), left back
Mats Hummels (5), center back
Per Mertesacker (17), center back
Jerome Boateng (20), right back
Philipp Lahm (16), midfielder
Toni Kroos (18), midfielder
Sami Khedira (6), midfielder
Mario Gotze (19), forward
Mesut Ozil (8), forward
Thomas Muller (13), forward
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Substitutes
Ron-Robert Zieler (12), goalkeeper
Roman Weidenfeller (22), goalkeeper
Kevin Grosskreutz (2), defender
Matthias Ginter (3), defender
Erik Durm (15), defender
Shkodran Mustafi (21), defender
Christoph Kramer (23), midfielder
Julian Draxler (14), midfielder
Bastian Schweinsteiger (7), midfielder
Andre Schuerrle (9), forward
Lukas Podolski (10), forward
Miroslav Klose (11), striker
Ghana
Fatawu Dauda (16), goalkeeper
Kwadwo Asamoah (20), left back
Jonathan Mensah (19), center back
John Boye (21), center back
Harrison Afful (23), right back
Christian Atsu (7), midfielder
Sulley Muntari (11), midfielder
Mohammed Rabiu (17), midfielder
Andre Ayew (10), midfielder
Kevin Prince Boateng (9), midfielder
Asamoah Gyan (3), striker
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Substitutes
Stephen Adams (1), goalkeeper
Adam Kwarasey (12), goalkeeper
Samuel Inkoom (2), defender
Rashid Sumaila (15), defender
Dnaiel Opare (4), defender
Michael Essien (5), midfielder
Acquah Afriyie (6), midfielder
Emmanuel Badu (8), midfielder
Albert Adomah (14), midfielder
Mubarak Wakaso (22), midfielder
Jordan Ayew (13), forward
Majeed Waris (18), forward
2 p.m. ET: Action in Group G of the 2014 FIFA World Cup resumes Saturday when Germany meets Ghana at the Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil.
The teams have plenty at stake in this meeting. Having defeated Portugal 4-0 in its first game, Germany can maintain its place at the top of the group and clinch a place in the knockout rounds with a win.
Ghana suffered a 2-1 loss to the United States in its opener and now needs at least one point to avoid elimination from the World Cup.
Along with national pride, family bragging rights also are at stake in this meeting. Half-brothers Jerome, 25, and Kevin-Prince Boateng, 27, play for Ghana and Germany, respectively. They will face off against each other for the second consecutive World Cup — Germany defeated Ghana 1-0 in a group-stage game in 2010.
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The game kicks off at 3 p.m. Stay right here for all the action from the Estadio Castelao.
Group G Preview >>
Photo via USA Today Sports Images
