USA Men Take Down Ghana in 2-1 2017 Friendly Victory

The United States men's national soccer team earned a 2-1 win over Ghana in Saturday's international friendly at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.     

While these squads have battled three times in the World Cup, neither side produced its best lineup in this exhibition. The Americans were preparing for the Gold Cup, leaving some of their key MLS and European-based stars to rest.

However, the less experienced lineup came through.

In the 19th minute, Dom Dwyer scored the game's first goal in his first appearance with the national team, and he showcased his physicality and aggressiveness throughout the contest.

Ives Galarcep of Goal.com liked what he saw:

Kellyn Acosta was another star against Ghana with his quality passing, and his score off a free kick in the 52nd minute made the difference in the victory.

Asamoah Gyan did his best to lift Ghana past the Americans, but his one goal in the 60th minute wasn't enough.

The rainy weather didn't slow down the Americans early, as the squad appeared to be in total control in the early going.

Not only did the midfield do a good job of controlling possession, but the team developed several quality chances for striker Dwyer up front.

After a few missed opportunities, the 26-year-old finally came through on this volley:

His wife and fellow U.S. soccer star Sydney Leroux Dwyer was probably the most excited, but she wasn't alone:

This score held until halftime, with Ghana getting only a few extended possessions in the final third. The best opportunity came right before intermission when a bad tackle by Jorge Villafana in the box led to a penalty kick.

Goalkeeper Brad Guzan saved the penalty shot from Gyan that would have evened the match:

Both sides showcased a better effort on set pieces in the second half.

The Americans doubled their lead after Kelyn Rowe was taken down just outside the box. Acosta made it count by curling a free kick around the wall and into the net:

ESPN FC summed up the action:

Ghana wasn't ready to give up, though, and the squad earned its own free kick not long after.

Gyan made up for his earlier miss, cutting the score to 2-1.

While the last half-hour of the match featured a few close opportunities from each team, neither was able to get another goal on the scoresheet. Guzan and the back four held their ground as the home team held on for the win.

The next stop for the United States is the Gold Cup as the squad battles for supremacy of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

Things will kick off with a match against Panama next Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, followed by contests against fellow group members Martinique and Nicaragua on July 12 and July 15, respectively.

Ghana will continue preparing for its next World Cup qualifying match in September.