DAY 16 REVIEW

Uruguay was the first country to book their place in the quarter-finals with a barely deserved victory over South Korea. In doing so, they reached the last eight for the first time since 1970, and became the first South American country apart from Argentina or Brazil to reach this stage since Peru in 1978. The difference can be put down to two factors – partly a ghastly error by Korean keeper Jung Sung-Ryong, but mainly, the brilliance of Uruguay’s star striker Luis Suarez. After a slow start against France, Ajax’s highly rated star has been getting steadily better, and he has a big future ahead of him. Expect a big price tag on his head this summer. South Korea showed much of the early promise, with striker Park Chu-Young hitting the post with a curled free-kick after five minutes, so it was a surprise when the South Americans took the lead three minutes later. And it was a glaring mistake from keeper Jung, as he inexplicably left Diego Forlan’s cross from the left which rolled along the six yard box. Suarez was more alert, and tapped in at the back post for his second goal of the tournament. From there on in, Uruguay were on the back foot as South Korea poured forward with wave after wave of attack, save a penalty appeal when Alvaro Pereira’s strike struck the arm of Ki Sung-Yeung. Chu-Young fired wide from 25 yards and blazed over when clear inside the penalty area. But Korean luck was to change with just over 20 minutes remaining, as the Asians grabbed a deserved equaliser. Another Chu-Young free-kick was inadvertently headed up in the air by Uruguay substitute Mauricio Victorino, and keeper Fernando Muslera was caught in two minds. Bolton winger Lee Chung-Yoo didn’t need a second invitation, and nodded the loose ball into the vacant net, despite the attempted clearance of Jorge Fucile. This forced Uruguay to offer more as an attacking entity, but Korea almost completed the turnaround but Lee failed to trouble Muslera. After Suarez missed a simple chance, he settled matters in brilliant fashion with ten minutes remaining. A Forlan corner was half cleared to the edge of the penalty area, and substitute Nicolas Lodeira headed the ball down for Suarez. From there on in, it was all about the Ajax man, as he controlled the ball in the left corner of the box, fashioned a yard of space for himself, and curled a quite brilliant shot into the back of the net, off the inside of the post. This sparked frantic celebrations, in the by now awful weather conditions, but South Korea had one more great chance to take the game into extra-time – former Middlesbrough winger Lee Dong-Gook hit a weak shot at Muslera after being put clean through, and despite the ball slipping under the jersey off the rain sodden pitch, captain Diego Lugano was on hand to mop up the danger. Uruguay saw out the rest of the game in relative ease, and can look forward to a quarter-final with either USA or Ghana, in Soccer City, next Friday.

Ghana became only the third African side to reach a World Cup quarter-final, following a hard fought and topsy-turvy encounter with USA in Rustenburg. In doing so, the Black Stars emulated Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 in reaching the last eight. The Africans were undoubtedly the better team in the first half, and deservedly went into the break with a one goal lead. The game started in cagey fashion, but exploded into life in the fifth minute, as USA again found themselves having to come from behind, as they did in their opening game in the same Rustenburg venue. Michael Bradley found Ricardo Clark with a square ball, and the midfielder tried to beat his man. He failed to do this, and the loose ball broke for Kevin Prince-Boateng. The Portsmouth player burst forward, and as Jay DeMerit backed off, he fired in an early left-footed shot which flashed into the bottom corner. American keeper Tim Howard will have been disappointed to have been beaten on his near post, but it was a fabulous finish. Clark’s evening got worse two minutes later, as he was booked as Prince-Boateng again got the better of him. Ghana was easily on top at this point, as USA struggled to make any impression on the game. Prince-Boateng fired another shot over the bar, Asamoah Gyan tested Howard with a free-kick, and young Samuel Inkoom wasted an excellent chance to cross to an unmarked Prince-Boateng after Gyan started a quick move. Clark’s evening went from bad to much worse as he was hauled off by coach Bob Bradley, who had clearly seen enough. Rangers’ Edu replaced him, but Clark looked utterly dejected, and will know how James Milner felt two weeks ago. The States had a brilliant chance to equalise before half-time, as a mistake in Ghana’s defence gave the ball to the previously quiet Landon Donovan, and he slipped the ball through for Robbie Findley. But one-on-one with keeper Richard Kingson, the Wigan player came out on top, saving with his legs. In an open match, Ghana could have extended their lead just a minute later, as another mistake from DeMerit (perhaps showing why he is playing in the Championship) allowed Kwadwo Asamoah a clean run on goal, but Howard came to his country’s rescue. Bradley, aware of his teams capacity to come back from the dead, made a second substitution at half-time, with former Derby midfielder Benny Feilhaber came on for the disappointing Findley. And they started the second half with real purpose, as Ghana, perhaps aware of the history awaiting them, dropped deeper and deeper as they invited American pressure. Feilhaber almost made an instant impact. Steve Cherundolo’s cross evaded Jonathon Mensah, and Jozy Altidore knocked the ball into the path of Feilhaber. But, eight yards from goal, Kingson made a fabulous one-handed save as the substitute poked the ball towards goal. Ghana was offering almost nothing as an attacking force, Donavon was becoming more of a presence and Bradley was starting to break forward from midfield. Donavon swung in an excellent cross that just evaded Dempsey, and John Mensah produced a brilliant last ditch tackle on Feilhaber on the edge of the penalty area. But USA got the equaliser their second half pressure had deserved just after the hour mark, and it came from a likely source. Feilhaber’s nutmeg fed Dempsey, and the Fulham winger scampered into the box only to be upended by Jonathon Mensah, for a stonewall penalty. With the hopes of a nation on his back, captain fantastic Donavon stepped up to slot the penalty into the net, off the inside off the post, to level the scores. That penalty made Dempsey America’s all time leading World Cup scorer, and his team was now in complete control. Kingson produced some more great goalkeeping minutes later, as Altidore raced towards goal down the inside left, and he slid to dispossess the former Hull loanee on the edge of the penalty area. In a rare Ghana attack, Gyan headed a difficult chance over the bar, but USA had a brilliant chance to take the lead with 15 minutes remaining. A poor defensive line saw Altidore find Bradley onside, but the manager’s son, unaware of how much time and space he had at his disposal, shot across Kingson, but without the power needed to seriously trouble the keeper. An even better chance fell to Altidore four minutes later. He tussled with John Mensah for a long ball, and showing great honesty, he stayed on his feet before they both tumbled, and he could only jab the ball wide of Kingson’s post. Ghana were leaving Gyan completely isolated in the American half, but to his credit, the Rennes forward kept plugging away and trying to take up good positions. By this stage, both teams seemed to have settled for extra-time after an entertaining, and at times breathless, 90 minutes. And that is exactly what both teams got. Three minutes into the extra period, and just as Ghana looked like they were tiring and USA looked the only likely winners, a moment of brilliance from the tireless Gyan put their noses back in front again, and delighted the whole of Africa. A long ball from Andre Ayew gave him something to chase, and as he split DeMerit and Bocanegra, and as the latter tried to barge him over, and the striker showed tremendous balance to stay on his feet and regain his composure, before smashing a shot into Howard's top corner. USA had to come from behind again, and having brought on Herculez Gomez for Altidore for their final substitution, Bradley had played his last card in terms of player changes. Not surprisingly, though, the States came back fighting, as Feilhaber saw a shot blocked before Edu glanced a Cherundolo cross wide after Kingson flapped at the ball. But as the first half of extra time meandered along, Bradley had another huge job at hand to lift his players in the interval. Ghana's defence stood resolute, though, and American desperation was portrayed by Jonathon Bornstein, who was cleared fouled outside the penalty area by Ayew but waited until he had crossed the line before throwing himself to ground. The referee was not fooled. Meanwhile, Ghana made their final change, bringing on the experienced (but highly controversial) figure of Sulley Muntari, to help shore up the slender advantage. But having come back from the dead so many times already in South Africa this summer, the USA had no energy reserves left in the tank. For Bob Bradley and his men, it will be a case of what might have been. For Ghana, and Africa as a whole, they move on to a quarter-final date with Uruguay on Friday, with the chance to enter the history books by becoming the first African side to reach the last four of football's biggest stage.


GOAL OF THE DAY – Second by Luis Suarez.
There was strong competition from Kevin Prince Boateng’s quality opener against USA,and Gyan's goal in extra time which regained the lead for Ghana, but a moment of magic from Suarez dragged his team towards a barely deserved quarter-final berth. It was especially impressive given the adverse weather conditions and high stakes. Receiving the ball in the left corner of the penalty area following a Diego Forlan corner, a cross back into the box seemed the best option available. But befitting the confidence of a player who scored almost 50 goals last season for Ajax, he manufactured a yard of space before curling a quite brilliant effort into the far corner off the inside of the post. Simply stunning.

PLAYER OF THE DAY – Luis Suarez.
What a difference a great striker makes. And that is exactly what Suarez has the ability to be. He comes alive when the ball is in and around the penalty area, and that is something that cannot be taught. He was the difference today, and expect him to draw a big transfer fee this summer. Certainly more Ruud van Nistlerooy than Mateja Kezman, in terms of prolific strikers in the Dutch top flight.

GAFFE OF THE DAY – Jung Sung-Ryong.
The South Korean keeper gave his team a mountain to climb with this shocking error in the eight minute. His defence is partly culpable too, as everyone left a Forlan cross, except for Suarez at the back post, who gleefully tapped the ball in.

DEJECTED LOOK OF THE DAY – Ricardo Clark.
After a disastrous half an hour, midfielder Clark will nonetheless be gutted to have been hauled off by coach Bob Bradley. He was culpable for the goal by Kevin Prince-Boateng, he was booked just two minutes later and failed to help USA gain a foothold in the midfield. But he cut a dejected figure as he trudged off the pitch, and despite some words of consolation from Bradley, one can only imagine what must have been going through his mind, sat on the bench.

FANTASY TEAM
Luis Suarez was the undoubted star, as his two match-winning goals enabled Uruguay to qualify for the last eight, and he was joined Robert Vittek, David Villa and Gonzalo Higuain at the top of the scorers chart. At the other end of the pitch for the South Americans, keeper Fernando Muslera and defender Maxi Pereira were unable to keep Uruguay’s fourth clean sheet of this World Cup. And finally, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit and Michael Bradley contributed veey little as their USA team was surprisingly knocked out, 2-1 after extra-time by Ghana.