Black Stars vs Stars and Stripes

[Redder Lurtz]

Nice one Ghana. More fucking disgraceful commentary from ITV. Jim Rosenthal has just joined the list of ITV 'personalities' I plan to kill just for that Desailly interview, the sycophantic, patronising big nosed wanker. ITV make my fucking blood boil.

[RobbieOR]

It would be absolutely super if Drury got trampled to death by an Elephant over there.

 

It would be a crying shame wouldnt it?

[Brownie]

That Desailly is a bit of a dick aswell, calling Ghana his "own country". Why the fuck didn't he choose to represent them then instead of representing someone else's country just to win the world cup, dick.

 

I was thinking that too, fucking traitorous cunt!

[The Dude Abides]

Jesus Christ, when did he make his France debut? When he was a kid, it's possible he's done a bit of growing up since then. Does lots of work for good causes in Ghana now. Cynical bastards.

[Lee909]

Dessailly and the other French africans do could work back home

This explains playing for France

Born as Odenke Abbey to Ghanaian parents, Marcel had his name changed when his mother married the head of the French Consulate in Accra who adopted all the children (the former professional footballer Seth Adonkor, seven years his elder, was a half-brother of his). He arrived in France as a four-year-old and, following Adonkor's lead, began his career at FC Nantes, turning professional in 1986, two years after his half-brother had died in a car accident. In 1992, he moved to Olympique de Marseille, and won the UEFA Champions League the following year. In 1994, while playing for AC Milan, he again won the Cup (scoring in the final himself), being the first player to win the Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs. During his time in Milan he won two Italian league titles, in 1994 and 1996. Although he prefers to be a defender,[1] he also played midfield for some time.

[Il Fenomeno]

Jesus Christ, when did he make his France debut? When he was a kid, it's possible he's done a bit of growing up since then. Does lots of work for good causes in Ghana now. Cynical bastards.

 

Benitez did charity work in Liverpool, doesn't mean he is qualified to go on TV and shout about England being his own country. The country you choose to play for should be your home country, you can't play for 1 country and decide that you come from another.

 

If he's as proud as he says he is to be Ghanian then he should have played for them instead of selling out to France.

[Trumo]

Congrats to Ghana on making the quarter finals. If they get past Uruguay they will have gone much further than any African side in World Cup history.

 

However, they need to provide better support for Gyan. Willing worker as he is, it's a bit predictable when he's reduced to taking pot-shots from 40 yards. He took his goal very well, and worked his ass off as always. Ghana's midfielders are slightly different from the current typical West African norm. They have the energy and athleticism, but are first and foremost technical players who like to play the ball, and are comfortable with it.

They don't look like they'd be better off playing in the NBA. Inkoom came into the side and showed much better distribution than when I saw him play in the African Nations Cup, where he was wasteful.

 

Ghana have a solid defensive shape, and tick the boxes for aerial ability, strength, pace and the ability to read the game. They can also play the ball out of defence. As I said, their only big problem is getting adequate numbers in support of Gyan. It has to be said that they've managed all this without their midfield talisman Essien, and with minimal input from their other supposed leading lights Muntari and Appiah.

 

Regardless of whether they go any further, they have had a superb year in international football. They won the World u20 World Cup with the likes of Inkoom in the team, and a youthful squad made the final of the African Nations Cup. They are also the only African side to reach the knockout stages of the past two World Cups. Ghana have a valid claim to be considered Africa's strongest side.

 

USA supplied their customary work-rate and doggedness, but apart from the second half of normal time, they were distinctly second best. As well as they've done topping their group, they have to ask themselves as to why they only managed to get a foothold in matches once they changed the starting eleven.

 

Anyway, it's healthy for the tournament than an African side is still there, and there on merit, not aided by dubious refereeing like we saw in 2002 with South Korea.

[jsjazz]

Benitez did charity work in Liverpool, doesn't mean he is qualified to go on TV and shout about England being his own country. The country you choose to play for should be your home country, you can't play for 1 country and decide that you come from another.

 

If he's as proud as he says he is to be Ghanian then he should have played for them instead of selling out to France.

 

I have enough of pessismism and cynicism whenever I lok at any thread related to LFC, so I'm going to think happy thoughts for the world cup.

When he got picked as a youngster for France, he must have realised there was a higher chance of him failing to make the full team than if he opted for Ghana. Credit to him that he didn't take the easy option. Of course, he had a better chance of making it to major championships with France. I don't have a problem with him supporting his country of origin- I don't think was anti-France, was he?

[Guest Pistonbroke]

Good game that and you can't really argue with the result. It's goals what count and Ghana actually scored more than one for the first time in ages. Mick Jagger taking photos with his mobile in the Bill Clinton posse.. fucking knob.

[AmerScouse]

Fucking devastated but the better team won today. We were just not good enough today and we give away shit goals too often

[OmarVizquel]

What a cocktease. And what a waste of a priceless route to the semifinals. Ghana is not very good....unfortunately they were better when it counted tonight.

 

Overall an exciting WC for the team, but ultimately they'll know they should have advanced past a pretty pedestrian Ghana squad. Two exceedingly avoidable goals, and early goals at that. What a shame, because the US looked quite good at times.

 

Highlights of the tournament for the Yanks: Donovan upping his WC goal tally to 5 (2 in '02, 3 in '10), and making his case perhaps for a permanent transfer to a solid European team....he played very well; Michael Bradley showing glimpses -- I could see a top club having a go at him; Cherundolo had 3 great group games (and a stinker tonight);.....that's about it.

 

2014 is a long ways away.

[llego]

Gotta pin this one squarely on Bob. What the hell was that about anyway.

[The Dude Abides]

 

Overall an exciting WC for the team, but ultimately they'll know they should have advanced past a pretty pedestrian Ghana squad.

 

Ghana were and are a better side.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Did anyone see the look on Bocanegra's face when Gyan got away from him to shoot? For some reason he was looking in the air for the ball to drop out of the sky.

[Madness]

Ghana have done well in what has been a very poor tournament. No doubt that the best players and teams play in the Champions League.

 

Have to say how unlucky Cameroon were to come up against three sides all on their game on the day. South Africa were only a goal or two from qualifying from a tough group. Ivory Coast also came up against Brazil on a good day. Nigeria gave Argentina a really good game too. The only stand out team is the Dutch so far and the first test they get they will be found wanting as is often the case with them.

[OmarVizquel]

Ghana were and are a better side.

 

Not sure what "were and are" means -- before and after the match? -- but my point is that Ghana are hardly Argentina or Germany. It was a winnable game for the US....a tough match-up, yes, but a winnable one for this US team. Ah well.

[theghost]

With the right team we could have gone through. Clark and Findley are fucking shit and always have been. Edu and Feilhaber are part of our best 11. Unfortunately everyone knows this except Bob Bradley.

[James]

 

Haha.