The USA saw their dreams of beating Portugal dashed last week as Portugal’s Silvestre Varela scored an equalizer in the 95th minute.
Our guys were off to a shaky start after Portugal’s Nani scored the first goal of the game in just five minutes, while the rest of the first half remained goalless.
Both teams had a renewed sense of vigor for the second half, with the USA looking ready for victory after Jermaine Jones’ 64th minute goal, followed by Clint Dempsey clinching the lead in the 81st minute.
However, after five minutes of injury time were added, Varela did what nobody thought possible, scoring an amazing last minute header after a superb cross from Ronaldo, equalizing the game’s final score.
The USA’s next challenge is to take on Germany on Thursday. The pressure is on for our guys, who could do with a win to progress beyond the group stages in the tournament.
With the current standings, a draw between the USA and Germany could mean that both teams can advance to the next stages.
However, if we lose to Germany, then the fate of our 11 will be in the hands of the Portugal and Ghana match at the Estádio Nacional de Brasilia on Thursday. Ideally, a tie between the two would be perfect, as we will still advance to the next stages.
This is where it gets truly complicated. If Ghana and Portugal have a clear winner and the USA lose, we will have to rely on goal difference, which is in our favor at the moment, but if we tie with Ghana or Portugal on goal difference, we can only rely on total goals scored.
These are of course worst case scenarios, and the best outcome for both Germany and the USA would be a draw. This has not gone unnoticed by some sports commentators, who have even gone as far to suggest that the two teams will collude for a draw to ensure they both make it past the group stages.
The technique is known by some as a ‘biscotti’, named so after Italy lost out in the Euros in 2004 after Sweden and Denmark drew 2-2.
But team managers have been quick to dismiss the allegations, and are looking forward to the game on Thursday.
USA manager Jürgen Klinsmann said: “The US are known to give everything in every single game. We have that fighting spirit and determination to try to win every game and therefore we will go for a win against Germany.”
Become a Harlem Insider!
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
