Sports Features of Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Source: Pobee-Mensah, Tony

Ghana Plays Exhibition Game As USA Survives Group Of Death

Yes it’s Monday morning quarterbacking, but much as I want to resist it, I feel if my words don’t get out and per chance clue somebody in, the only place we are heading in the Group Of Death is death.

Ghana played beautifully. I knew they would play beautifully. I will give them that any day. I said it before the game, and I will say it again. As far as soccer skills go, I will put Ghana against any team. I remember in past World Cup when Ghana played Brazil, a TV commentator said […it’s Ghana playing the beautiful game.] If skill alone will do it, then both Germany and Portugal have a lot to fear. But unless we do something different, we have a lot to fear. We cannot play an exhibition game at the World Cup especially within “the Group of Death”.

The few times that America got the ball close to our end, if they didn’t lose the ball, they got it to the front of our goal: that’s where the ball should be to score. At critical times like the dying minutes of the game when you are down, you have to get the ball in front of the opponents’ goal any way you can and take your chances. We never took such chance. At times when I thought the ball should go to the front of America’s goal so that we push our luck, the ball went to the wing as we tried to create opportunities. While we did that, we gave America a chance to shore up their defense. THE BALL SHOULD GET TO THE FRONT OF THE OPPONENTS GOAL, especially at critical times.

We can beat both Germany and Portugal. I know that, and at this time, we must. If we do not get the ball to the front of their goals and take our chances there, we will die at the Group of Death.

I am sorry to say but the coach bears the responsibility for the choices he made. Whatever his strategy, I believe that if you go into half time one goal down, you will consider making changes. I am disappointed that the coach didn’t think he should come out of the half time with fresh legs.