When the World Cup draw happened a few months ago with the USA ending up in the Group G 'Group of Death' with Germany, Portugal and Ghana, the June 16th game with Ghana was the one the USA pointed to.Ghana was responsible for eliminating the USA out of the 2006 and 2010 World Cup Finals knockout rounds and payback was on the menu in this 2014 Brazilian edition.
The USA wanted to get off to a fast start in their opening Group.G match played in Natal and they did.
Clint Dempsey scored 32 seconds into the match with the sixth fastest goal scored in World Cup history to stake the USA to an early 1-0 lead they stubbornly held despite determined Ghanian counterattacks until the 82nd minute.
Andre Ayew received a gorgeous back heel pass that he blasted past USA goalkeeper Tim Howard to tie the game and give USA fans 'there they go again' nightmares of another World Cup loss to Ghana .
But not on this night. In the 86th minute sub John Brooks headed in the winning goal off a corner kick and made a little USA World Cup history by doing so. He became the first USA sub ever to score a World Cup goal.The USA still had to navigate the rest of the second half and 5 nerve wracking minutes of extra time to secure their opening Group G win and a vital 3 points in the standings.
And oh yeah, beating Ghana was the most delicious part of it.
But this win was costly as striker Jozy Altidore left in the first half with a hamstring injury, Matt Besler had a milder version of one in the second half and Clint Dempsey ended up with a broken nose after being kicked in the face.
It only gets tougher for Team USA. They face a Portugal team in Manaus mauled by Germany 4-0 that will be pissed off, determined to show the world they can play better than they did June 16 and fighting for their World Cup lives.
And if Team USA survives that match, they will close out group play in Recife on June 26 against Germany.
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