Ghana vs. Australia World Cup 2010 Live Blog: Results, Scores & Analysis

Come one, come all and enjoy some banter and conversation based on the beautiful game of football. I will be covering the events of the contest between Ghana, who are the only African team to win a match thus far in the World Cup, and Australia, who concede four in their opening game against Germany.

Full-time Synopsis:

Overall the game was decent with some good pieces of football. Both defensives started to make mistakes which gave the frontmen chances.

There was very little creativity up front on both sides and a draw seems the correct result. Ghana will have to face Germany in their final game and that will be a tough contest considering how poor Ghana were playing a ten man Australian side.

94: The final whistle is blown and the game ends 1-1.

93: What a waste. Kingston hammered a great kick-out down the line to release Gyan. He had three men coming in to the box but his cross was shocking and flew over the bar.

Pantsil looks like he may have suffered a broken nose as he receives attention in his own box.

92: Nice shot and nice save. Ghana came close from a long-range effort but the Aussie keeper palmed it away.

90: Inches away! Muntari whipped in a great ball from the left side and Jonathan just powered his header over the bar

88: What a brave save. The Ghana keeper came out to make a save and received a kick or two from an on-charging Aussie forward.

86: Craig Moore just received a booking and will miss the game against Serbia because of it.

Ghana are looking very shaky at the back and they are causing more problems for themselves.

85: Australia look the more likely to score and win this game despite being down a man.

83: Annan gives away a smart free-kick as Australia where breaking towards the Ghanian goal. He receives a yellow card for his efforts.

Australia Sub: Rukavytsya comes in for Wilksire.

81: A draw really does not help either side. Ghana will have to go to Germany and hope that they do not get beaten, as a loss to Germany and a Serbian win would see them get knocked-out.

While a draw against Ghana and a win against Serbia could still see Australia qualify their goal difference of -4 would make that a very hard task to complete.

79: Ghana's defense has become very nervous. Jonathan gave away possession and a free-kick very cheaply.

77: Oh! Just about. Craig Moore threw his body forward and just nipped the ball away from his area preventing a one-on-one.

Ghana Sub: Asamoah comes off for Muntari

76: The game has opened up as Australia start to push forward looking for a goal. Ghana are still lacking creativity up-front.

74: Kennedy has caused Ghana some difficultly since coming on for them. Wilkshire really should have put Australia ahead.

72: What a save. Kingston makes up for his failings in the first half with a sublime stop to prevent Australia going a goal up.

71: Great ball. Prince-Boateng slipt the Aussie defense with a fine through-ball for Gyan, but his shot went horribly wide.

70: Another long-shot effort from Ghana goes hopelessly off target. I really expected Ghana to show some attacking force going forward against a poor back-line of Australia.

68: Australia Sub: Holman comes off for Kennedy.

67: Oh so close. The ball was whipped across the Aussies box and their was no-one at the back post to tip it in. Australia were very fortunate.

66: Chipperfeild, who just came off the bench had a great chance to get a header on target but got under the ball and sent it flying over the bar.

65: Australia Sub: Chipperfeild enters the game and replaces Bresciano

62: The noise level raises around the stadium. The vuvuzela blowers are in high spirits.

59: Ghana have really struggled to create anything off real menace in Australia's final third.

56: Ghana Sub: Tagoe goes off for Owusu-Abeyie

54: As always the horrible orange and grey Nike boots are on show in numbers. People think that their is something wrong with the Adidas ball. It is the fact that Nike boots do not compute with Adidas balls.

50: Ghana are taking the game to the Aussies, but all their shots are coming from long range, which will suit their opponents.

45: Ghana get the second-half started

Half-time: The only conciliation for Australia if they lose today is that the Rugby side also lost so most Aussies will care more about the rugby lose compared to the football lose.

First-half Synopsis:

The game has had spells of good football, but at times the game has been very slow and scrappy. Both goals came from defensive failings rather than offensive greatness. The big call of the half was Harry Kewell's red card which was deserved and a draw is probably the fairest result.

45: The referee blows the whistle very early, and almost before the 45th minute.

Ghana's last three World Cup goals have came from the spot, and that was their fourth penalty in six games.

One all at the break.

43: What a stop! Arsene Wenger are you watching. The Aussie keeper got down very fast to tip Boateng's powerful, low drive around the post.

39: Australia's last two attacks lead to nothing, but Ghana look like they can be had with long ball over the back-line.

Ghana's Addy get a yellow card, which was greeted by boo's from the Aussie fans who were chanting "off".

35: Australia have impressed me with how they are still trying to take it to the opposition. 

34: Australia are passing and holding the ball quite well considering they are down a man.

Ghana have yet to exploit the extra space they have been gifted.

29: After giving themselves the best possible start Australia have shot themsevles in the foot and will be limping for the next hour in this contest.

Ghana have a great chance to put themselves in the driving seat in Group D now.

25: Gyan steps up to take the penalty and slots it into the right hand corner. 1-1 and Kewell can have no complaints about the red card.

24: He is taking a early bath. Kewell blocks what would have been a sure Ghana goal with his arm and sees red.

For the second game in a row Australia are down to ten men.

23: Again Neill gets across to block what could have been a very dangerous Ghanian shot.

21: The beehive which is the mass sound of vuvuzelas is in full swing.

Important defensive block by Lucas Neill, as Ghanian attacker, Ayew, thundered a shot goal-ward.

19: I am very surprised with the number of empty seats in the stands. Considering that Ghana are the only African side to win a game thus far, I was expecting a sell-out.

18: Since the goal the game has become very scrappy. Plenty of stoppages has lead to the flow of the game dying.

15: Group D is shaping up to be a mouth-watering affair heading into the final games of the group.

If Australia manage to hold out for the win, all four teams will be on three points heading into the final games.

13: Australia deserve their lead, they have started the brighest of the two sides and after their horrible display against Germany, they got the start they need. Along with a little piece of luck.

11: Its there... Gooooaaaalllll. And I can see why Kingson does not start for Wigan now.

Bresciano took a free-kick from a central area. The keeper got behind it but fluffed it and the ball fell to Holman who slotted it home.

09: I really like Ghana's jersey but I have to ask what Puma where thinking. Ghana are nicknamed the "Black Stars", not the "Two-toned Grey Stars". Nice jersey though.

08: Who would have thought that Wigan Athletic would have two goalkeepers starting (Ghana/Serbia) at the World Cup neither of which start for Wigan.

07: Free-kick for the Aussies in a dangerous position. The ball is whipped in but goes harmlessly out for a goal-kick.

05: The Aussies have started well considering they are coming off the back of an embarrassing defeat to Germany.

Ghana seem quite tentative.

03: A coming together in the Ghana penalty area. The ref says play-on, and it was the right call.

A major chunk of the playing area in the shade, while the far wing is in the sunshine. That may play apart in some errors.

00: The officials are dressed in red, which seems strange to me, I would think that the last thing a referee would want to be wearing is the color read.

The game is underway.

5 minutes until kickoff: I can notice some empty seats in the ground which is somewhat disappointing considering the ground is not one of the biggest. But I must say that the supporters are making themselves heard.

14 minutes until kickoff: I would presume that the Australia team is in high spirits, because surely they can't play any worse against Ghana as they did against Germany.

Team News:

Ghana: 4-3-3

Kingson

Pantsil - Addy - Jonathan - Sarpei

Annan - Asomoah - Prince

Tagoe - Gyan - Ayew

One To Watch: Asamoah Gyan

Australia: 4-3-3

Schwarzer

Wilkshire - Moore - Neill - Carney

Valeri - Holman - Culina

Emerton - Kewell - Bresciano

One To Watch: Harry Kewell

Prediction:

I think that Ghana will be too strong for a weak Australia side who are without their best player, Tim Cahill, due to suspension. A win for Ghana will almost guarantee them qualification from Group D, while a win for the Aussies will have every side in the group going into the final group game level on three points.