It was suggested that Group G was a ‘Group of Death’. With two of the world’s top four teams, and a total FIFA ranking of 56 between the four (some groups topped 100), added to the presence of teams littered with players from European Champions Bayern Munich and Ballon d’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo, it was certain to be a group worth watching.
Scheduling dictated that the first group game was going to be the most important. The two higher-ranked teams faced off against one another, meaning the two lower-ranked did the same. That meant that a winner of Ghana and USA would be in with a fighting chance, while the loser of Portugal and Germany would be in trouble.
Game One
Germany and Portugal played each other in 16th June’s early kickoff but the contest was over before half-time. After an inspired playing performance from Thomas Muller helped the Joachim Low’s side to a 2-0 lead, an equally inspired theatrical performance from Muller saw Pepe dismissed, taking with him any chance of a Portuguese revival.
Muller went on to complete his hat-trick as Germany went from strength to strength, while Portugal lost Fabio Coentrao through injury and Hugo Almeida was forced to leave the field. Ronaldo, simmering rather than burning bright, stung Manuel Neuer’s hands with a shot late on, but was nullified by Germany’s four centre-back back line.
Later that evening, Ghana and the USA met in their crunch match. Again, the contest got off to a flying start as Clint Dempsey surged through the static Africans’ defence to score the opening goal within the first minute. After their rude awakening, Ghana struggled to get into the game and although the two were always competitive, a lack of quality in front goal meant the big talking point was American striker Jozy Altidore leaving the field with a hamstring injury during the first half – his World Cup was over.
When Andre Ayew equalised for the increasingly desperately Ghanaians within the last ten minutes, he looked to have rescued a point for his side, only to see debutant John Brooks head a winner for Jurgen Klinsmann’s side almost immediately. Goals galore, last gasp winners, heroes and villains; Group G lived up to expectations from the start.
Game Two
The second set of games pitched both winners against both losers – meaning each one was do or die; the losers would go out. Germany looked to be settling into a familiar groove against Ghana early on, but stubborn resistance ensured the two went into half time goalless. Of course, a draw wouldn’t be enough for the Black Stars, but as soon as the second half started, they were behind to a Mario Gotze scuff.
James Kwesi Appiah’s side are no strangers to difficult situations, though, and they roared back into the match with a second goal in Brazil from Andre Ayew before Asamoah Gyan, still acting as figurehead of the team, smashed home to put them a goal to the good. With Germany on the ropes, Low turned to his old stagers and the introduction of Schweinsteiger and Klose turned the match back in Die Mannschaft’s favour almost immediately.
Klose scored his fifteenth World Cup finals goal to bring Germany level only a minute after entering the field, prodding home a goalbound effort from around a yard out – a true poacher’s finish by one of the World Cup’s true poachers. From thereon in, although Germany looked the more likely victors, neither side could be aggrieved with a point and both went forward knowing what was required of them in the last game.
Portugal’s game with the United States followed a not dissimilar pattern. Although Nani’s goal came very early on, they found themselves dominated by Klinsmann’s men during the first half, though without reward – indeed, it took one of the saves of the tournament from Tim Howard, changing direction as he fell backwards to tip a Ronaldo effort over towards the end of the first half, to keep the Portuguese down.
The second half continued in the same vein, but with Jermaine Jones replying with a shot from just outside the area to pull the USA level, and their pressure told more and more as Clint Dempsey, again, forced the ball home to give the Yanks the lead – a lead they held, and deserved to hold, until deep into injury time.
A Michael Bradley mistake allowed Ronaldo the space to float a cross into Silvestre Varela and, by earning the Seleccao a point, he saved their tournament. It was a cruel blow for Klinsmann’s side, whose never-say-die attacking had been infectious, even without Altidore. It also opened the intriguing prospect of both the United States and Germany both requiring a point from their final group game to progress – and in securing a draw, would eliminate the other two teams.
Game Three
On the final day of the first round, Germany played against the USA in a match that clearly looked to have more bite than a biscotto from the start. With the European side dominating possession and chances in the first half, they were unable to break through a stubborn American defence.
Meanwhile, Portugal had snatched a lead in their game through a John Boye own goal; the Ghanaian losing all sight of a cross and outwitting everybody as the ball looped into the goal behind him. In truth, Cristiano Ronaldo was a constant menace as he looked to score the goals to put Portugal through.
That dream looked more likely when Thomas Muller unleashed an inch perfect shot from just outside the area to give the German side the lead ten minutes into the second half. It was the Bayern Munich player’s fourth goal of the World Cup and, when Joachim Low chose to partner him with Miroslav Klose during the second half, the impotent pressure of the first half gave way to a more frantic game that saw both sides looking to score.
However, it was Ghana who scored the next goal, pulling themselves level against Portugal courtesy of talismanic Asamoah Gyan, a goal that put American hearts in mouths as they knew the tide could easily turn against them. The increased pressure didn’t effect Jurgen Klinsmann’s calm demeanour, however, and though the Yanks created a few chances on the counter-attack late on, they failed to get a point.
That failure meant the Yanks progressed on goal difference, as Ronaldo finally got his goal, ramming home from close range late on to lift Portugal up to third. Both the USA and Germany qualified, with Low and Klinsmann embracing fondly at the final whistle, but there was no doubt, given the determination and physicality of the game, that they had avoided the ‘biscotto’.
Group G ended with as much drama as it began.
