WC 2014 Matchday 5: Germany thrash Portugal, USA edge out Ghana

Click here for the Live Match Centre | Click here for the World Cup Schedule | Click here for the best World Cup quotes GHANA 1-2 USA - click here to read the match report. - Full-time: USA avenge their 2010 defeat with a 2-1 win — Ghana dominated and attacked with lots of invention but the Americans held on. - GOAL! 86th minute: Corner and Brooooookkkksss… boom! Header’s in, USA 2-1. The substitute is overcome with emotion. - GOAL! 82nd minute: Ball comes in to Gyan at a tight angle on the left inside the box and he backheels it into the path of Andre Ayew who scores with the outside of his foot! What a lovely move – fantastic goal! - 71st minute: And on comes Michael Essien a few minutes after Gyan swivelled on a Boateng pass and hit hopeful shot onto a USA defender’s knee. Boateng followed that effort up with a ridiculously taken volley which flew very very high. - 58th minute: Early cross from the right and Gyan wins the header at the edge of the box – the cross has the power and the striker glances it beautifully towards goal only to see Tim Howard get a palm to it at full streatch. It would probably have flown just wide. Kevin Prince Boateng is now on for Jordan Ayew. - 45 + 4 minutes: Jordan Ayew finds acres of green on the right wing and passes it perfectly for his brother Andre in the box — but the shot is scuffed, doesn’t connect and basically just a very poor attempt. USA lead 1-0 at half-time. - 32nd minute: Gyan cuts in and sends a low rocket towards the far post but Howard is up to the task. What a shot though – perfect connection and it had half the stadium on tenterhooks. Meanwhile, Dempsey’s down with a bloodied nose — not an elbow this, but a knee from Boye. - ALTIDORE OUT - 20th minute: USA’s primary striker pulls up clutching his hamstring and is stretchered off. Aron Johannsson replaces him — also remember, there’s no Landon Donovan in the squad. This could be really bad. [caption id=“attachment_1573865” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Dempsey’s goal was timed at just 29 seconds. AP[/caption] - GOAL! 1st minute: Oh what an amazing run and finish from Clint Dempsey! He collects the ball skillfully before beating a man and slotting it past the keeper from a tight angle with a low left-footed strike which nestles into the far corner of the net. What a start for USA! Ghana XI: Kwarasey, Gyan (c), Opare, Atsu, A. Ayew, Muntari, J. Ayew, Rabiu, Mensah, Asamoah, Boye USA XI: Howard, Bradley, Besler, Beasley, Dempsey (c), Bedoya, Jones, Beckerman, Altidore, Cameron, Johnson IRAN 0-0 NIGERIA - click here for the match report. Full-time: Nigeria had a flurry of chances at the death with Odemwingie and Shola Ameobi spurning good opportunities. Iran’s defence is very solid though, but they benefitted from a profligate Nigerian attack. 0-0. 75th minute: How many chances has Dejagah had! Another fine cross comes in from the left but the striker leaps too early and the header’s harmless in the end. - 62nd minute: Quite cagey the second half, which is peppered with solo runs which have been stopped easily by defenders and speculative efforts from distance. First 0-0 of World Cup 2014 on the cards? - 38th minute: Dejagah takes a header from point-blank range but Vincent Enyeama is a safe pair of hands and has kept Nigeria in the game. Brilliant save. - 7th minute: Emenike shows his immense physical strength by brushing aside a challenge on the left wing and putting the ball into a dangerous area. The initial tap-in is cleared but Ahmed Musa is lurking and his shot just fizzes wide of the far post. Iran XI: Haghighi, Heydari, Haji Safi, Hosseini, Sadeghi, Nekounam (c), Timotian, Montazeri, Ghoochannejad, Dejagah, Pooladi Nigeria XI: Enyeama (c), Ambrose, Oshaniwa, Oboabona, Omeruo, Mikel, Onazi, Azeez, Musa, Moses, Emenike GERMANY 4-0 PORTUGAL - click here for the match report. As if Ronaldo didn’t have a bad game, Germany coach Joachim Leow had to do this! Lonely, frustrated, dejected: The many faces of Cristiano Ronaldo Number Cruncher: How Germany Mullered Portugal - Full time: If Germany were considered as favourites for the tournament, then they’ve just confirmed that status with a scintillating performance. They sent wave after wave of attack and it was only time before Portugal would break — and they didn’t just break, they simply disintegrated against the quartet of Muller-Gotze-Ozil-Kroos. - 75th minute: Massive appeal for a penalty as Ronaldo takes a shot and the rebound plays its way into Eder’s path. The No 11 tries to bring it down and Howedes throws his body in a high tackle — referee says the defender got the ball and Ronaldo almost runs into him asking for the spot-kick. It’s still 3-0 Germany. - 70th minute**:** Muller plays in Gotze with a beautifully weighted ball from the right. The 22-year-old is free in the area and controls the ball, finds space between two defenders and shoots only to a deflection save a certain goal.  Ronaldo’s shots so far - two blocked, one saved, one off target - 65th minute: It gets worse for Coentrao — he’s been stretchered off after pulling his hamstring. Meanwhile, Ronaldo takes a freekick from a scoring area and hits the wall. Not Portugal’s day.- Half-time: Portugal go in trailing by three goals and Portugal haven’t yet made a tactical switch to cover for Pepe’s dismissal. Portugal must now think of damage control rather than outwitting this brilliant German unit.

- GOAL! 45th minute: Atrocious defending by Portugal, some of it thanks to their best centre-back not being on the park — Ozil puts in a ball from the right which is headed down by Howedes and it falls to Toni Kroos. The in-demand midfielder finds Muller in the box and the striker takes the ball down and hits a powerful snapshot to make it 3-0. Game over? - RED CARD! 37th minute: Pepe and Muller in a one-on-one struggle with the former winning the ball as Muller went down holding his face. The referee said play on but Pepe had to go and headbutt the German who was sitting on the pitch in (alleged) agony and the referee shows a straight red! Clearly that was not for the foul since he had said play on, but it’s a straight red for the aggressive reaction from Pepe.

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- 35th minute: Oh my word that is close. Portugal work a low diagonal from inside the box through Coentrao and a German defender gets his foot on it nearly scoring an own goal. The resulting corner headed just over by Eder, who has come in for the injured Almeida. - GOAL!! 32nd minute: Germany get in behind the Portugal defence again with Ozil setting up Gotze for a shot which was deflected for a corner — which Mats Hummels sends into the net with a thumping header. 2-0 to Germany.

- 24th minute: Nani finds some space on the right and takes a speculative effort which is just over. Portugal look slightly frustrated and Ronaldo has been completely clamped down as of now. - GOAL!! 12th minute: Pereira tugs at Gotze in the box and the Bayern man takes a tumble — referee points to the spot and Thomas Muller takes a perfect penalty in the bottom corner to put Germany 1-0 up. - 8th minute: Ronaldo leads a three-on-two attack for Portugal but the angle is too tight for him from the left and Neuer saves it. Seconds later Patricio’s loose pass is straight to Khedira whose shot towards the empty net is off target! - 5th minute: Ronaldo breaks on the left and puts Hugo Almeida through on goal, the striker expects Neuer to come off the line and chips it straight into his hands. First proper chance of the game. - 2nd minute: Cross comes in from the right and Muller rises for it — Patricio is aware of the danger and the ball is cleared.

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8.30 PM: So Cristiano Ronaldo STARTS for Portugal – he did say that he was perfectly fine after training yesterday but any clouds of doubt hovering above his fitness have been dispelled. The FIFA world player of the year will be on the pitch from the off. Germany XI: Neuer; Boateng, Hummels, Mertesacker, Höwedes; Lahm, Khedira; Özil, Kroos, Götze; Müller. Portugal XI: Patricio; Coentrao, Pereira, Pepe, Alves; Moutinho, Meireles, Veloso; Nani, Ronaldo, Almeida. [caption id=“attachment_1573369” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ronaldo’s massive statue in Hong Kong. AP[/caption]