Along with USA and Germany in Group G, Portugal
and Ghana fought their way to Round of 16 at Estadio Nacional, Brasilla.
Here's the line up for Group G Portugal-Ghana match:
POR
- 22BETO (GK)
- 2B. ALVES
- 3PEPE
- 4MIGUEL
- 6WILLIAM
- 7RONALDO (C)
- 8J. MOUTINHO
- 11ÉDER
- 17NANI
- 20R. AMORIM
- 21J. PEREIRA
GHA
- 16DAUDA (GK)
- 3A. GYAN (C)
- 7ATSU
- 8BADU
- 10A. AYEW
- 17RABIU
- 18WARIS
- 19JONATHAN
- 20K. ASAMOAH
- 21BOYE
- 23HARRISON
YOUR 11
These are the most-popular line-ups chosen by FIFA.com users.
POR
12 Rui PATRICIO, 2 Bruno ALVES, 3 PEPE, 4 Miguel VELOSO, 5 Fabio COENTRAO, 6 WILLIAM, 8 Joao MOUTINHO, 16 Raul MEIRELES, 18 VARELA, 7 CRISTIANO RONALDO, 17 NANI
GHA
16 Fatawu DAUDA, 2 Samuel INKOOM, 4 Daniel OPARE, 19 Jonathan MENSAH, 20 Kwadwo ASAMOAH, 5 Michael ESSIEN, 8 Emmanuel BADU, 9 Kevin Prince BOATENG, 13 Jordan AYEW, 3 Asamoah GYAN, 10 Andre AYEW
The players are in the tunnel at the Estadio
Nacional, ready to walk out onto the pitch.
The teams are out on the pitch and the
Portuguese national anthem plays out. The players clutch each other around the
shoulder and sing along passionately with the crowd.
Before the game will start here is the Group G Standings:
STANDINGS - GROUP G
| Teams | Pts | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GER
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
USA
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
GHA
| 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
POR
| 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
Next up is 'God Bless our Homeland Ghana', and
it's sung passionately by players, coaching staff and fans alike.
LINE-UPS:
22
2
3
4
6
7
8
11
17
20
21
POR
22 BETO, 2 B. ALVES, 3 PEPE, 4 MIGUEL, 6 WILLIAM, 7 RONALDO, 8 J. MOUTINHO, 11 ÉDER, 17 NANI, 20 R. AMORIM, 21 J. PEREIRA
16
3
7
8
10
17
18
19
20
21
23
GHA
16 DAUDA, 3 A. GYAN, 7 ATSU, 8 BADU, 10 A. AYEW, 17 RABIU, 18 WARIS, 19 JONATHAN, 20 K. ASAMOAH, 21 BOYE, 23 HARRISON
Portugal get us underway in their all-red kit,
facing the Ghanaians who are wearing all-white.
OFF THE BAR! Cristiano Ronaldo fires the ball
across the penalty area and it swerves towards Dauda's goal. The back-peddling
Ghanaian keeper can't get anywhere near it and it smashes back off the
woodwork.
Portugal have a free-kick in what can certainly
be described as 'Cristiano Ronaldo territory' with Joao Moutinho going down
under a challenge from Badu.
Ronaldo steps up and powers a thunderous effort
towards goal, but Dauda is equal to it and palms it away.
The Manchester United man's set-piece is cleared
away with ease by the Ghana defence.
WHAT A SAVE! DAUDA FROM RONALDO! Joao Pereira
whips the ball into the Ghana box from the Portugal right and the Portuguese
skipper is free at the back post. He heads powerfully, but it's too close to
Dauda and he does brilliantly to kepe it out.
CHANCE! And another great save! Gyan finds space
in the Portugal penalty area and holds off the challenge of Bruno Alves before
firing low at goal. Beto keeps it out with his legs.
Asamoah whips a free-kick in and Gyan is free at
the back post. His looping header is tame and easily collected by Beto.
GOAL! It's a John Boye own goal! Veloso picks
the ball up on the Portugal left and hits a low cross into the area which
bounces up just in front of the Ghana No21. He tries to clear but the attempted
clearance slices off of his knee and loops over Dauda into the Ghana goal.
A ball is swung in from the Ghana left and Gyan
rises highest between the two Portuguese central defenders, but his header goes
well wide of Beto's left-hand post.
Ronaldo shimmies past a couple of Ghanaian
challenges and pings a right-footed shot towards goal. Dauda gets down to stop
it, and the ball is cleared away.
SIDE NETTING! The ball is worked well in the
Portuguese final third, with Eder spreading wide to Nani. It comes to Amorim
who hits a low drive towards goal, but it's just past Dauda's right hand post.
Atsu dances past the challenge of Pereira and
cuts in on to his right foot. He curls towards goal but it's wide of the Beto's
left post.
That goal to put Portugal ahead doesn't change
anything in terms of qualification to the knockout stages as it remains
goalless in Recife. If the games finished now, Germany and USA would have 5
points, with Portugal on 4 points and Ghana on 1.
HALF TIME: It's been an intriguing first half
with Portugal in the ascendancy for the most part. Ronaldo has twice gone
close, and was also denied by Dauda spectacularly from a header. Ghana
themselves have created chances but shot themselves in the foot with John
Boye's sliced own goal. It remains goalless in Recife so, as things stand, both
USA and Germany will progress to the knockout stages.
POR
GHA
STATISTICS
Ball possession
| 8 | Fouls Committed | 9 |
| 3 | Attempts On Target | 3 |
| 7 | Shots | 6 |
| 0 | Total Goals scored | 0 |
| 0 | Penalties scored | 0 |
Ronaldo plays the ball to Amorim inside the
Ghanaian penalty area, who pulls back to Nani. The No17 hits a shot at goal and
it's blocked by Boye, behind for a corner.
SIDE NETTING! Gyan picks up the ball on the
Ghana left and cuts in on to his favoured right foot. He hammers an effort at
goal but it's just past Beto's right-hand post.
GOAL! GYAN! He becomes the top African
goalscorer at World Cups with his sixth finals effort. Asamoah crosses from the
Ghana left with a sumptuous delivery to the far post and Gyan rises highest to
nods past Beto. Game on!
Gyan's goal changes things again! If the games
were to finish now, Germany (7 pts) and USA would progress (4 pts) while Ghana
and Portugal would be out with 2 points apiece.
HUGE MISS! Gyan works space on the Ghana left
and cuts back on to his right foot. He curls a great delivery to the back post
and Waris heads wide in acres of space. Will that miss come back to haunt the
Ghanaians?
The ball is worked down the Ghana right and
Amorim's clearance finds Atsu in space around 30 yards from goal. The No7
smashes towards goal, but it's well over the bar.
Atsu chips a ball into the area which is headed
clear but only as far as Asamoah. The full-back thumps a low drive, but it
flashes wide of Beto's left-hand post.
Adelino Andre Vieira de Freitas, better known as
Vieirinha, replaces the tall No11.
A whipped ball from the Ghana right sees Gyan
get another header at goal, but it's well wide of Beto's left-hand post.
GOAL! CRISTIANO RONALDO! A lofted ball is headed
back by Mensah and Dauda parries right into the path of the FIFA Ballon d'Or
holder, who makes no mistake in smashing a left-footed effort into the bottom
left-hand corner.
Ronaldo's goal changes the shape of the group
once again. Portugal would finish level on points with USA if the games
finished now, but they are three goals behind the Americans on goal difference.
CHANCE! Ronaldo finds space on the edge of the
Ghana box and plays in Veloso, who in turn plays his captain into a great
position. He sidefoots at goal, Dauda denies him, and his second effort is
deflected behind.
Beto has been uncomfortable with an injury for a
few minutes now and he's withdrawn for Eduardo, who becomes the third
goalkeeper to play for Portugal at Brazil 2014.
Gyan capitalises on some poor defending by
Veloso to drive at the Portuguese defence, but his left-footed effort is
dragged wide.
SO CLOSE! Nani whips in a vicious delivery and
Ronaldo gets a toe on the ball, but it's inches over the bar from close range.
Ronaldo gets in behind the Ghanaian defence and
smashes towards goal but it's straight at Dauda who keeps him out again.
POR
GHA
STATISTICS
Ball possession
| 21 | Fouls Committed | 16 |
| 10 | Attempts On Target | 6 |
| 19 | Shots | 18 |
| 1 | Total Goals scored | 1 |
| 0 | Penalties scored | 0 |
FULL TIME: It was a topsy-turvy game in Brazil's
capital as this pair tried to get the points and goals to see them through to
the Round of 16. Ghana were at one stage just a goal away from reaching the
knockout stage, and will certainly rue Majeed Waris' miss when the sides were
level. It didn't matter in the end, as Cristiano scored his only goal of this
World Cup to give Portugal the win. They finish level on points with USA, after
their defeat to Germany, but are eliminated due to their inferior goal
difference.
RONALDO
PORTUGAL
FORWARD
has been elected Man of the Match
| 90MINUTES PLAYED | 37TOTAL PASSES | 1GOALS FOR | 9SHOTS |
STANDINGS - GROUP G
| Teams | Pts | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GER
| 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
USA
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
POR
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
GHA
| 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
