Germany 2 Ghana 2
Germany and Ghana shared the spoils in a superb 2-2 draw in Fortaleza's Estadio Castelão as the World Cup continued to enthrall.
The result leaves Germany top of Group G on four points, with Ghana in third place on one.
The match was tense and tactical in the first 45 minutes, but the goals started to flow after half-time, as first Germany, then Ghana led, before Germany's record goalscorer Miroslav Klose came off the bench to rescue a point.
Germany’s build-up play in the opening minutes was conducted at walking pace, but if they were struggling to create chances, that was mainly because Ghana’s coach, Akwasi Appiah, had plainly analysed the German victory over Portugal and determined that his side would not make it quite so easy for their opponents.
Portugal tried to defend high up the pitch, with a compact backline bunched narrowly in the centre of the field. Germany simply slung accurate diagonal balls to their swift wide forwards and created a menacing series of chances. After half an hour of this, Portugal had disintegrated under the psychological pressure of so many near-misses.
Ghana's approach was more intelligent. Their defenders sat back, and while Portugal, with Ronaldo desperate to make his mark at the World Cup, had charged at Germany in the first few minutes, Ghana made no attempt to force the tempo of the game. Instead, they sat back and challenged Germany to find a way through. When Ghana won possession, they left men behind the ball, and trusted their attackers Christian Atsu, Andre Ayew, Asamoah Gyan and Kevin Prince-Boateng would be skilful enough to create chances even though outnumbered.
The first chance fell to Ghana, when Atsu accelerated into the space behind Höwedes and crossed to Gyan, who shot wide at the near post.
Germany gave an illustration of their power to hurt the opposition on the break with simple moves, when Per Mertesacker won possession and immediately found Mesut Özil on the right wing. He transferred the ball to his left foot and curled a low cross towards Thomas Müller, but for once the forward’s timing was off and John Boye was able to clear.
On 33 minutes, Sulley Muntari reminded Germany that they weren’t going to have it all their own way with a fierce drive from 30 metres that Manuel Neuer could parry but not hold.
Germany’s defender Jerome Boateng was withdrawn injured at half-time. Joachim Löw could have used Bastian Schweinsteiger as the replacement and put Philipp Lahm at right back, but elected to send on Shkodran Mustafi in a like-for-like swap.
A few minutes after half-time, Muntari hit Toni Kroos with a rough follow-through. The German winced in pain but did not react. The Ghanaians perhaps thought Löw’s team could be intimidated. Within a minute, Germany had taken the lead.
Müller got the ball in the right channel, ignored Mustafi, who was making ground ahead of him down the right, and instead fired a cross into the centre. Mario Götze had made an intelligent run from the blindside of the defence and while he made a mess of the header, directing it straight down, the ball struck his knee and arrowed into the net without losing any pace.
Two minutes later, Ghana struck back. André Ayew of Marseille stands just under 5’ 9” but he has scored more headed goals than any other player in Ligue 1, and two minutes later he showed why. As Tim Cahill showed, being a good header of the ball isn’t really about height – it’s all has more to do with timing and core strength. Ayew has both of those and leapt between the 6’ 6” Mertesacker and the 6’ 1” Mustafi to glance home Harrison Afful’s flighted cross from the right wing.
The crowd roared its acclaim for Ghana but it was nothing compared to the pandemonium that would erupt nine minutes later. Muntari robbed Lahm of possession in midfield, looked up and slid a beautiful pass into the space between Mertesacker and Benedikt Höwedes. Gyan was through the gap and had time to compose himself before smashing a right-footed shot high past Neuer.
While the German defenders argued between themselves over the responsibility – which was mainly Lahm’s, though Mertesacker was made to look flat-footed – the volume in the stadium hit ear-splitting levels and Ghana swarmed over Germany in the next few phases of play. The European side were rattled and Löw decided to act, withdrawing the ineffective Sami Khedira and Götze and sent on two of his most experienced leaders in Schweinsteiger and Klose.
It paid instant dividends. Germany won a corner, which was flighted in from the left by Kroos, Höwedes headed it down towards the far post and there was Klose waiting to stab in his 15th World Cup goal, spread across four tournaments, to equal the World Cup scoring record of Brazil’s Ronaldo. It also move him ahead of German legend Gerd Müller.
Just as Ghana seemed to have exposed a glass jaw, Germany had reaffirmed some of their ancient virtues. The goal restored their confidence and stemmed the Ghanaian onslaught. But a remarkably open game continued to swing from end to end. Neither side could get control, so both of them just went for it. The closing stages were chaotic, and thrilling.
Gyan’s cross was just a fraction too late for Jordan Ayew, who ran offside. Müller seemed to be through one on one in 84 minutes, only to be denied by a heroic tackle. Özil got free behind the defence and tried to pick out Müller at the far post, but Jonathan Mensah blocked the cross with the goalkeeper stranded.
Gyan shot wide after a wonderful flowing move that had brought yells of appreciation from the Brazilian fans. Less than 30 seconds later, Klose was dragging a good chance wide of the near post when 3-2 looked certain.
Then Germany got a corner which quickly turned into a three-on-two Ghanaian break, but Ayew delayed his pass to sub Mubarak Wakaso too long and the linesman’s flag saved Germany.
In the very last minute, Muntari picked up a booking for a foul on Kroos which ruled him out of Ghana’s last match against Portugal. He was immense for Ghana tonight and will be a big loss.
The resultant free-kick was curled into the area by Kroos and Müller’s head painfully collided with the shoulder of John Boye. The referee blew the whistle. As the physios ran on to treat Müller and Boye, the crowd raucously applauded both sides. And there was no mistaking the dominant mood of the German players leaving that field in Fortaleza tonight – relief.
GERMANY: 1 Manuel Neuer; 20 Jerome Boateng (21 Shkodran Mustafi, half-time), 17 Per Mertesacker, 5 Mats Hummels, 4 Benedikt Höwedes; 6 Sami Khedira (7 Bastian Schweinsteiger, 70 mins), 16 Philipp Lahm, 18 Toni Kroos; 8 Mesut Özil, 13 Thomas Müller, 19 Mario Göetze (11 Miroslav Klose, 69 mins).
GHANA: 16 Fatau Dauda; 23 Harrison Afful, 21 John Boye, 19 Jonathan Mensah, 20 Kwadwo Asamoah; 11 Sulley Muntari, 17 Mohammed Rabiu (8 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, 78 mins); 7 Christian Atsu (22 Mubarak Wakaso, 72 mins), 9 Kevin-Prince Boateng (13 Jordan Ayew, 52 mins), 10 Andre Ayew; 3 Asamoah Gyan. Yellow card: Muntari.
