World Cupdate

The Round of 16 got underway today with two games, Uruguay at South Korea early and USA vs Ghana later.  Uruguay favored here in the match with their 1-3-2-4 attack featuring Luis Suarez at point, while South Korea countered with a 1-4-4 battle plan with Park Chu-Young at the head.  Things looked promising as Park Chu-Young got an early ripper off the post, but then went badly for the Taeguk Warriors as Luis Suarez then got an early chance for a goal and capitalized at 7.'  In a hole early, South Korea had to step up or go home.  The goal seemed to deflate South Korea through the first half and the game settled into a counter chess match, Uruguay more than happy to defend their early lead, and the South Koreans then looking to craft something off a set piece, playing an almost maddeningly patient game.  This continued for the rest of the half, South Korea advancing the ball with chess moves, then La Celeste countering in a blitz.  The second half was more of the same as the rain picked up in Port Elizabeth. The South Korean's patience actually starting to crack Uruguay's nerve a bit, and it paid off with a set piece header from Lee Chung-Yong at 68.'  Uruguay then tried to step up the pace with a number of shots taken on South Korean keeper Jung Sung-Ryong.  That culminated with Suarez again showing why he was the most dangerous man on the pitch with a dimension-warping bender off the corner kick at 80' that teleported to the side of the net and in.  Time now against the Taeguk Warriors and they moved up to try to get something.  That something was almost Lee Dong-Gook's shot that nearly howled past keeper Muslera in the rain-slick evening at 86'.  Three minutes stoppage wasn't enough, and Uruguay advances 2-1.  South Korea were the better team for 80 minutes, but Luis Suarez's two goals were the stat that mattered in the end.

Uruguay will then face the winner of the USA-Ghana game, and that started out an ugly affair, the USA bringing a 2-4-4 attack led by Jozy Altidore and Robbie Findley and the Black Stars taking in a 1-3-2-4 plan led by Asamoah Gyan.  But it was Kevin Prince Boateng who plain out beat keeper Tim Howard just five minutes in, and the Cardiac Kids were in an immediate hole once again as the Black Stars played for the hopes of entire African continent and it showed.  Ghana dominated the early game and the US looked like the team that was totally outplayed by Algeria and England for 80 plus minutes.  Maurice Edu was subbed in for Ricardo Clark at 31' and that finally seemed to boost the US team towards making some offense, but the Black Stars simply owned the USA in the first half.  The second half would require another miracle if the USA wanted to advance.  Bob Bradley went with Feilhaber over Findley and immediately sparked the Yanks' offense, but time was working against them as Ghana settled into a defensive/counterattack mode that kept the US honest, but that pressure led to a yellow card in the box on Jonathan Mensah and Landon Donovan's penatly kick was golden for the Yanks as they equalized at 62'.  The US then looked much better and suddenly Ghana were the ones looking stunned.  Boateng was subbed out for an injury at 78' and the USA had their chance to take the lead.  The USA pressure kept up by Ghana regrouped and blocked out the Yanks...taking us into extra time.

In extra time it was 30 minutes no matter what transpired.  Hercules Gomez in for Jozy Altidore but it was Ghana who took the lead right back at as Asamoah Gyan blasted it in at 93' and the USA was right back in the hole.  The USA recovered and mustered more than a few chances, but the clock was now the enemy for the Yanks. The second extra session was a struggle to see if the USA could find anything else in the tank to fuel a goal.  A few free kicks came close but the USA were clearly exhausted and Ghana just needed to survive.  Into final stoppage time and the USA threw every last ounce at Ghana...even Tim Howard out of the box and up at midfield...but no miracle today for the Yanks.  Ghana wins 2-1 and will face Uruguay, and the USA goes home in a heartbreaker...but you have to hand it to Ghana as they carry Africa's hopes forward.