Portugal 2-1 Ghana: Five talking points

Even a victory over Ghana wasnt enough for Portugal as their 2-1 win meant that both Portugal and Ghana were knocked out of the tournament. A game that promised so much failed to deliver in the opening half, which was scrappy. But things got a lot better in the second, with both sides intent on attacking.In the end, Portugal were left to rue on their 4-0 loss to Germany in their opening game and ponderoverwhat might have been.Here are the five major talking points from the game.

#1 A game of two halves ended in disappointment for both sides

As clichéd as it might look, this was a game of two halves. The first half started brightly enough with both teams looking intent on scoring, taking the pressure off and breaking the shackles. But after a bright few minutes, the game turned into a foul-fest.

The first 26 minutes saw 14 fouls being committed in total by both sides and somewhat surprisingly, nobody being booked. The half was scrappy, with there being a foul almost every other minute. The opening goal did little to change that and up until half-time, it was a very physical game with chances few and far between.

The second half however was much better, in terms of the quality of play. Although the fouls didn’t stop completely, their frequency went down and both teams started to pass the ball around and play a little bit of football.

Towards the end, after Ronaldo scored what would turn out to be Portugal’s winner, the game was so open that it was a surprise that the game finished 2-1.

By the end, with Germany winning both sides knew they had to go for it and that made for a highly entertaining final half hour, which more than made up for the physicality of the first half.

#2 Ronaldos finishing lets Portugal down

Portugal needed a five-goal swing from the last round of games in Group G to qualify for the Round of 16. To say that the task was improbable would have been an understatement. But if there was one man who could guide them through, it was Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal’s talisman and record goal scorer was burdened with the responsibility of helping his side beat Ghana.

Even though Ronaldo broke his World Cup drought and scored what was his 50th goal for Portugal, his misses ended up costing the Iberian side.

Whether it was a glorious header he directed straight at the Ghanaian keeper early in the first half or his efforts in the second half, which weren’t much better, one thing became very clear, Ronaldo didn’t have his shooting boots on.

For if he did, with the kind of form he had coming into the World Cup, he would have scored at least five, broken all sorts of World Cup records and helped his side into the Round of 16. He didn’t and thus Portugal were swiftly knocked out.

#3 Ghana pay the penalty for not taking their chances

On another day, Cristiano Ronaldo would have made better use of the chances presented to him. On another day, Ghana might have taken the chances that came their way and made it to the round of 16, for the second-straight World Cup.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be their day and even witch doctors were unable to help them beat Portugal and qualify for the next round.

But all of this would have been completely different had Ghana merely taken their chances. First, it was Gyan, Africa’s record goal scorer at the World Cup who missed an easy chance in the first half. Although he atoned for it by scoring the equaliser, Majeed Waris wasn’t so lucky a little while later.

Just five minutes after Gyan scored, Waris missed a sitter from just a few yards, with the goal at his mercy. Had he scored it would have been 2-1 to Ghana and the comeback would have been complete. But he didn’t and that was what cost Ghana their place in the Round of 16.

#4 Over-reliance on Ronaldo cost Portugal dear

Given their deficiencies in the squad, not many expected Portugal to go a long way into the tournament, but not many would have predicted that they will bow out at the group stages itself.

When you have the world’s best player playing for you, it is only natural that you turn to him at every opportunity. Argentina do the same with Messi, but the only difference is that his supporting crew is far better.

Portugal came into the World Cup with a strike force that was unlikely to cause any trouble, a defence that was talented but highly temperamental and a midfield that had some good players, who were either on the bench or busy throwing hissy fits every time a decision didn’t go their way. And then they had Ronaldo.

Unfortunately for Portugal, the pressure on him was just too much. The fact that Ronaldo missed so many chances might not have mattered if they had a goal threat apart him. But they didn’t and in the end that was their undoing and showed that putting all your eggs in one basket is never really a good way to go.

#5 Injuries and suspensions affected both sides

The news that the Ghana Football Association had suspended both Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng indefinitely for disciplinary reasons would hardly be the way for a side to prepare ahead of such a crucial encounter.

Although Ghana gave it their all, it wasn’t good enough at the end. The pace, power and precision Boateng could have brought to the Ghana attack would have surely made a difference to the side. (Muntari was suspended anyway)

Portugal on the other hand, were without their first choice keeper Rui Patricio and even had to substitute second-choice keeper Beto in the final few minutes. Although the man between the sticks had no bearing on any of their results, the men before them did.

Although Pepe and Alves were back in central defence, the absence of Coentrao really hurt them in an attacking sense. As good as Miguel Veloso was, going forward, the presence of the Madrid full back would have certainly added an extra dimension to the attack, especially as Portugal enjoyed a field day on the left.