By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
There have
been some dramatic games in the long and glorious history of the FIFA World
Cup, but not many can match the drama of the 2010 quarter-final in Soccer City
between Uruguay and Ghana.
The Black
Stars, aiming to become the first ever side from the African continent to reach
the semi-finals of the tournament had the support of the entire nation. They had defeated the USA in the last 16 to
get to the quarter-finals, matching a feat previously achieved by Cameroon in
1990 and Senegal in their one and only appearance 12 years later.
They faced
Uruguay, a fallen superpower of recent times but on the way back after some impressive
performances in South Africa. They had
won Group A, and a stunning goal from Luis Suarez did for South Korea in the
first knockout round. They also boasted
one of the individual stars of the competition in Diego Forlan, who was fresh
off the back of breaking Fulham hearts to win the UEFA Europa League in its inaugural
campaign for Atletico Madrid.
The match
provided an unbelievable finale to this quarter-final day, having already
claimed the scalp of the mighty Brazil after they imploded and were beaten in
Port Elizabeth by Holland.
It was the
South Americans who made the better start and Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson
had to be at full stretch to deny Suarez early on. Ghana showed nothing of an attacking strength
until the half hour mark when the returning Isaac Vorsah saw his header whistle
just past the post.
As Ghana
found a foothold into the game, Uruguay lost Diego Lugano to a thigh injury
eight minutes before the interval and they went into half-time trailing on the
scoreboard too. With just seconds remaining
of added on time, Sulley Muntari tried his luck from some 40 yards. The former Portsmouth midfielder was starting
in the team for the first time in the tournament and his effort left Fernando
Muslera unsighted and the ball ended in the back of the net. It was a brilliant strike, but Uruguay’s lack
of closing Muntari down was very suspect.
10 minutes
into the second half, Uruguay were level.
Star man Forlan hit a free-kick from a wide angle which deceived Kingson
and smashed into the top corner. Both
sides had chances as the match wore towards the end of regulation time. Kingson denied Suarez at his near post for
the second time in the match, when the Ajax frontman might have been better shooting
across the goal. Uruguay had a ton of
opportunities, forcing 10 corners in the 90 minutes and Suarez should have done
better with a free header when Forlan picked him out from an expertly delivered
free-kick.
Locked at 1-1
after 90 minutes, both sides were starting to look tired, but it was Ghana who
were finishing stronger despite having gone 120 minutes just six evenings
earlier against the US in Rustenberg.
The introduction of the experienced Stephen Appiah added some guile and
muscle to the Ghana midfield. This is
where the real drama began in the last 30 seconds of extra-time.
Muslera
failed to collect a free-kick and Appiah’s effort was blocked on the line in
legitimate fashion by Suarez. Dominic
Adiyiah tried his luck only to be denied by Suarez also – however with the
attacker’s hands. It was a clear
deliberate handball and Suarez knew he was heading for the changing rooms. He was off and the Portuguese official gave
Ghana a penalty to take their place in the semi-finals.
Suarez stood
on the touchline, unable to watch as Ghana’s dangerous frontman Asamoah Gyan
placed the ball on the spot. The Rennes
man had already converted from 12 yards in group games against Australia and
Serbia, and rarely missed in penalty situations. Up he stepped this time though, and smacked
his spot-kick against the crossbar. He
looked shell-shocked and half of the Ghanaian squad sank to their knees in
disbelief. Muslera thanked the bar for
keeping Uruguay in the World Cup, and that was the final kick of the
match. Suarez won no fans for his celebration
when Gyan missed his penalty; a clear lack of sportsmanship that has followed
him to the Premier League during his tempestuous spell as a Liverpool player.
Into the
penalty shootout and Uruguay went first.
Forlan made no mistake. Gyan
showed great courage and bravery in stepping up first for Ghana and he brought
them level. Victorinio, Appiah and Uruguayan
substitute Scotti also scored, but someone was bound to crack. Ghana captain John Mensah, then of Sunderland
produced a weak penalty which was comfortably saved by Muslera. Maxi Pereira blasted his spot-kick over the
crossbar, but Adiyiah was denied by Muslera’s second successive save. Another substitute, Sebastian Abreu calmly
finished Ghana off with the final penalty to seal Uruguay’s place (team pictured celebrating) in the
semi-finals for the first time since the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
They finished
fourth in the tournament after losing their semi to Holland, and then the
third-placed game with Germany. African
representation had ended in the cruellest of ways, but Ghana had become the
people’s team and won many fans at the 2010 World Cup. A word of advice to Luis Suarez – ‘Do not
book a holiday in Africa anytime soon!’
DATE: 3rd July 2010
LOCATION: Soccer City, Johannesburg
ATTENDANCE: 84,017
REFEREE: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal)
FINAL SCORE: Uruguay 1-1 Ghana (URUGUAY WON 4-3 ON
PENALTIES)
GOALSCORERS: Sulley Muntari 45, Diego Forlan 55
TEAMS – Uruguay: Fernando Muslera, Diego Lugano, Jorge Fucile, Maxi
Pereira, Mauricio Victorino, Alvaro Fernandez, Diego Perez, Egidio Arevalo,
Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan
SUBS: Andres Scotti for Lugano 38 minutes,
Nicolas Lodeiro for Fernandez 46 minutes, Sebastian Abreu for Cavani 76 minutes
Ghana: Richard Kingson, Hans Sarpei, John
Pantsil, John Mensah, Isaac Vorsah, Sulley Muntari, Anthony Annan, Samuel
Inkoom, Kwadwo Asamoah, Kevin Prince Boateng, Asamoah Gyan
SUBS: Stephen Appiah for Inkoom 74 minutes,
Dominic Adiyiah for Muntari 88 minutes
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