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Ghana vrs USA scores

Ghana’s Coach Kwesi Appiah is a Disaster | Why Leave Prince Boateng on the Bench & Play Jordan Ayew?

06/17/2014 7:56 am
by
James Kwesi Appiah
James Kwesi Appiah

I do not know much about football and that is why I do not personally write a lot about it. I can sit afar and tell you the colour of Yvonne Okoro’s underwear but I cannot even be sure which positions the players really play…

Even with my level of naivety, I can boldly say; Ghana’s coach-Kwesi Appiah is a disaster and showed the world that he was an inexperienced coach yesterday by not starting such an important much against the USA with his best 11.

When I used to play FIFA Playstation, I always made sure I selected the experienced players even though the level of play of anyone selected in a video game depends on the one holding the control pad. It may not be true but I always convinced myself that, the game manufactures would somehow have given the experienced and good players a tilt to win and that is why I always went in for them…

Yesterday’s match against USA was not a computer game but if I was asked to pick the damn players, there was no way I was going to leave Michael Essien and Kevin Prince Boateng out of the starting 11, and play Jordan Ayew and the others…

What was the essence of the coach’s decision to leave his most experienced and arguably best players on the bench to try Jordan Ayew—simply because he found luck and scored some goals against a side like South Korea in a friendly?

Did Jurgen Klinsmann play all his best and experienced players? Yes he did but we kept testing the game as if we were in training.

And which coach keeps playing Kwadwo Asamoah at the back? Was the coach blind to the fact that Opare and Christian Atsu were liabilities last night and didn’t have to wait till the game was almost over before changing them?

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USA 2-1 Ghana: Black Stars Humbled in Group G Opening Game

06/17/2014 12:33 am
by
Ghana Black Star
Ghana Black Star

The Black Stars lost their opening world cup group G game 2-1 to the United States as they failed to become third time lucky.

The USA took an early lead, but Ayew pulled Ghana level late in the second half, before the lead was restored by a powerful John Brooks header from a corner in the 86th minute.

This opening group game of the ‘underdogs’ meant a win was crucial as the subsequent games were guaranteed to be much tougher than this one.

And it was the USA who earned the bragging rights, beating the Black Stars for the first time in three attempts, collecting all three points and joining Germany joint top of the group.

Skipper Clint Dempsey gave the U.S an early lead, scoring within 43 seconds of kick-off with a side-footed effort past goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey.

The early goal, coming before the Stars had even had the chance to settle into the game, shook the entire team who seemed completely out of sorts within the first 15 minutes of the game.

The Black Stars however, gradually wrestled control of the game from their opponents, but a combination of lethargic front-line play and brilliant goalkeeping by Tim Howard kept the USA in the lead till half time.

Coach Kwesi Appiah maintained the bulk of his starting line-up from the Stars last friendly win against South Korea, with Christian Atsu stepping in instead of Kevin Prince Boateng and Daniel Opare slotting in at right back. This meant Kwadwo Asamoah remained at left back, with the Ayew brothers and Atsu supporting Gyan in attack.

The game had barely begun when Clint Dempsey gave the US team the lead. After winning the ball after some scrappy play, he nimbly skipped the challenge of John Boye, then slotted the ball coolly into the Ghanaian net with Kwarasey soundly beaten.

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