Goals: Portugal—Boye 31’ (own-goal), Ronaldo 80’; Ghana—Gyan 57’
Recap: A mildly entertaining affair saw Portugal defeat Ghana 2-1 on Thursday.
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Ghana opened the affair in the 31st minute thanks to a peach of a finish from defender John Boye. Unfortunately for the Black Stars, it was scored for the other side. Portugal would carry a 1-0 lead into the locker rooms. Drama would ensue. A finish from Asamoah Gyan in the 57th minute put Ghana one goal from advancing to the Round of 16. Cristiano Ronaldo had other plans. A dagger in the dying minutes of the match left both teams eliminated from the tournament.
Key Moment: A comical decision from Fatawu Dauda cost Ghana a result in Brasilia. Rather than catch a cleared cross, Dauda opted to parry directly into the face of danger. CR7 was merciless with his finish, ending Ghana’s World Cup dreams.
Man of the Match: Cristiano Ronaldo was dangerous in every sense of the word in Portugal’s victory. The reigning FIFA Ballon d’Or finished with eight total shots and one goal.
Lesson Learned: Ghana cost itself advancement to the Round of 16. Infighting, two own-goals and a howler from Dauda will ultimately define the team’s 2014 World Cup campaign. More composure would’ve seen the Black Stars in the second round.
Up Next: Both teams return home to prepare for the next World Cup cycle.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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