USA vs. Ghana

Starting now.

Italy-Czech as well.

Yahoo matchcast available at
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/group/overview.html?group=E
Just click either of the green "LIVE" boxes.

If they advance, he will miss the next match.

Wow, this ref is quick to the cards..

Reyna is hurt.

Draman stole the ball from Reyna and walked in alone and shot the ball easily past Keller. In stealing the ball, Draman raked Reyna's feet pretty badly. Reyna is being stretchered off.

US needs at least two goals now.

Their knees hit. Dramans left knee hit Reynas left knee. Their feet never touched. After he subbed out, Reyna was sitting on the bench with an ice pack on his knee.

1-0 Italy.

USA needs 2...

The first time he has ever been subbed out in a World Cup game. His ankle never recovered from that injury in the 23rd minute.

Ben Olsen replaces him.

42nd minute. Still 1-0. US has had some chances, but have not capitalized.

44th minute! Dempsey from Beasley!

Beautiful play.

A complete travesty.

Ghana lead 2-1. What a joke.

Inches away from tying the game in the 66th minute

Maybe in 4.

The good:

Ghana's strikers. Took their goal well, looked generally dangerous throughout the game. Could have gotten lucky and bagged two or three more.

Clint Dempsey - great goal. It's a tough thing to do to hit a ball like that, and he executed it brilliantly. Every time he got the ball, he looked dangerous. He was the second-best player on the field for the US.

Oguchi Onyewu. Every time there was a 50-50 ball between Onyewu and a Ghana player, Onyewu came up with it. He was very unlucky to be tagged with the penalty - I didn't see a foul there. There are rumors that he's headed to Middlesborough after the tournament. If that's true, then Boro have a good one. I've said before that he's the best player on this team, and I stand by that.

DaMarcus Beasley was ok. I thought that putting him in a central role was kind of a strange decision, but he broke up a couple of dangerous looking counter-attacks, played a few deadly balls that didn't quite pan out, and was ruthless in assisting on the US's only goal. I thought he passed up on a couple of chances to run at people and be more dangerous, though.

Appiah and Essien were solid, passing the ball around nicely. Essien's yellow was harsh, and he'll miss the game that's probably against Brazil as a result - and he probably was Ghana's best chance to get the win there.

The bad:

Bruce Arena. Let's get one thing straight: must-win game, right? That means you have to score, yes? And you come out in a 4-5-1, with Brian McBride up front, alone? I don't get it. And why bring Josh Wolff, if you don't plan to use him in the 75th minute when you need a goal? Never mind taking Cherundolo off instead of Eddie Lewis when Johnson came into the game - a move that would have allowed Beasley to assume his more familiar position on the left wing, Donovan to camp behind the forwards, and Cherundolo to continue causing the damage that he was causing down the right.

The usually excellent Markus Merk, referee. Came out waving cards like they were going out of style. Bad call on the penalty.

Landon Donovan. Was he even playing? I suppose this might be considered Arena's fault, too - you've got to find space for a player with Donovan's style of play and skill set. Getting him jammed up in the midfield mess isn't a good way to do that, especially opposite a great player like Essien.

how quickly the other team scores again to go back in front. I've seen it 4-5 times thus far. Happened to the US today.

Not enough advertising revenue to be had here. At least that's the thought.