Ghana vs Uruguay: Cruel exit for the Black Stars; heartbreak for Africa
(Read article summary)Ghana could not convert key penalties - in the last minute of extra time or in the penalty shootout - to win the Ghana vs Uruguay game. Uruguay's La Celeste advances to the semifinal with the Netherlands.
The drama of today’s Ghana vs Uruguay match was hard to script, and - for Ghana - even harder to accept.
The Black Stars came as close as a team could come to doing what no other African nation has ever done. But they will not be going to the semifinals of the biggest tournament in the world’s most popular sport.
Star striker Asamoah Gyan missed a penalty kick at the tail end of the second extra time period and Ghana lost on penalty kicks.
“That is one of the cruelest exits I’ve ever seen in World Cup history,” said ESPN announcer Ian Darke, his voice trembling.
“I can’t even breathe right now,” said former US soccer star and current ESPN commentator, Alexi Lalas, moments later.
Few critics gave Ghana much of a chance going into the game. Surely Ghana’s “physical” and “athletic” play wouldn’t be enough to top a highly skilled and tactical team from South America. African teams don’t have the discipline, the tactics, the strategy, or the skill to play with the big boys.
It’s a line of reasoning heard ad nauseum before, during, and after every one of Ghana’s matches and it belies the fact that Ghana’s tight, disciplined defense has given up few goals and that its crisp midfield passing at times resembles that of World Cup favorites, Spain.
The Black Stars proved them wrong, but couldn’t do what it takes to finish off the Uruguayans.
Ghana started off shaky, but came on strong at the end of the first half.
