Photo Credit: Themba Hadebe/Associated Press
Today the U.S. and Portugal’s highly anticipated game occurred in the depths of the Amazon jungle. The stars of both teams did not disappoint which made for an exciting game, which ended in a tie 2-2. In the setup before the game, the stakes were high for both teams in Group G. The U.S. would advance to the Round of 16 with a win due to yesterday’s tie between Germany and Ghana and their Portuguese counterpart had to win in order to survive.
Portugal came out striking first with a goal in the 5th minute by Nani, who took advantage of a defensive miscue by U.S. defender Jeff Cameron. However, the U.S. had the better 1st half when it came to possession. They had many tries to score a goal in the 1st half, but they couldn’t even up the score. The U.S. finally capitalized in the 64th minute with a sweeping goal by Jermaine Jones, which could not be stopped.
Both teams had plenty of chances to take the lead but neither team could get in the back of the net until the 81st minute when Clint Dempsey kicked the ball for a goal. Jubilation came from the U.S. team and the fans of the team as it cemented the team’s advancement to the Round of 16 for the time being. The U.S. did a wonderful job in defending during the last minutes of the game.
However, Portugal’s soccer superstar Cristian Ronaldo crossed the ball to Varela, who kicked the ball in during the last minute in extra time (90+5′). It was a heartbreaker for American fans and the team, because they were so close to making into the next round. However, it was a beautiful goal which concluded an exciting game.
Next the U.S. plays on Thursday against Germany at 11:30am. They move with either a win or a draw. Portugal plays against Ghana in which they have to win in order to survive. If those games go anything like the today’s game, stay tuned for an exciting finish from Group G.
