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One thing which has been emphasised during this World Cup is that nothing can be taken for granted. Group G has proved no different. Portugal’s last gasp equaliser against the USA kept them alive, albeit by the skin of their teeth. Prior to that game, the Ghanaians had managed to keep their hopes alive by holding the fancied Germans to a 2-2 draw. What all this means is that going into the last two matches on Thursday, all four teams still garner hopes of qualifying for the Round of 16. Let's have a look at how things may pan out.
Germany and USA
Germany take on the United States, in a game that will be followed not just by the two countries, but also the Portuguese and Ghanians. Both teams sit on 4 points, which means that a draw of any kind will send both through, regardless of what happens in the other game. A draw would see Germany finishing atop the group ahead of USA on account of a higher goal difference. The draw would be the perfect result for both teams, and it also gives conspiracy theorists something to feed off.
Germany go into this match with a question mark over the fitness of right-back Jerome Boateng, who suffered a hip injury during the 2-2 draw with Ghana. The United States on the other hand, had lost their striker Jozy Altidore in the first game against Ghana, an injury which could have seriously affected their hopes. However, skipper Clint Dempsey has put in two top notch performances as a lone striker, a job he may not have expected to be doing. A banner during their match against Portugal saying “Broken nose but not a broken heart”, aptly summed up his efforts. Fitness of the players may still be a concern though, as they have travelled more than any other team during the groups stages, and have had two physically draining matches.
Meanwhile, as the Germans and the Americans do battle, Portugal and Ghana will be battling it out, while having a close eye on the USA vs Germany game. Both sides know that their fate is not completely in their hands, which is often a recipe for heartbreak. They also know that to stand any chance, they need to win. This could lead to a very fast game, with more focus on attack than defence. A draw does nothing for either team, so what we have is a game with both teams going for the win. With goal difference also coming into play, neither team can afford to sit back and defend a slender lead.
Portugal
Portugal go into the game in the least favourable position, with a goal difference of -4, courtesy their thrashing at the hands of Germany. If Germany were to beat USA, they would need a 5 goal swing in their favour, and if USA were to win, they would need an 8 goal swing. In both events, the qualifying team would be decided based on number of goals scored. At present, Germany have scored 6, USA 4, Ghana 3 and Portugal 2. The Portugal defence will see the return of Pepe from suspension, following his head butt on Thomas Mueller.
Cristiano Ronaldo started against USA, in spite of being slightly unfit, but it's hard to see him missing this game. He was quiet for the most part, but it was his sublime cross in the dying seconds against USA that has kept Portugal alive. One cannot help but feel that the only way they can get through is if Ronaldo produces a magical display. Portugal will also be monitoring the fitness of Bruno Alves and Hugo Almeida, both of whom sustained knocks, while Fabio Coentrao’s World Cup ended with a groin injury during their match against Germany.
Ghana
Ghana would feel they have a realistic chance of making the round of 16, and would be hoping for a big German win, to reduce the goal difference of the Americans. Of course, before any of this comes into play, they need to make sure they win against Portugal. They would be looking to win by a significant margin to improve their goal difference. They will have Michael Essien available, who returned to full training ahead of their last match, but played no part in it. His experience may be crucial in a tense game such as this. Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew will carry a large part of the burden, while Sulley Muntari misses this crucial game through suspension.
Conclusion
Having looked at both games and all four teams, it looks like the finish to this group could be very dramatic. Fans from Germany and USA will be hoping they don't need to follow the result of the other game, while the Portugese and Ghanaian fans will definitely be keeping tabs on the other game. Germany and USA will go into Thursday’s matches as favourites to qualify, but as we've seen, stranger things have happened. One thing we can be sure of is a roller coaster viewing experience. My advice is to keep your remotes handy, you're going to be switching channels a lot!
