Uruguay vs. Ghana 2010: One Day Later, Ghana Loss Still Hard To Swallow

It's still hard to comprehend what soccer fans witnessed yesterday. 

For those in America, fans had a chance to live through a "where were you" moment when Landon Donovan scored in the 91st minute to defeat Algeria in the group stages nearly two weeks ago.

People got another chance to witness one of those moments, but unfortunately it will not be for the joy and the happiness of the moment; but rather the utter despair, sadness, and realization that an entire continent was kicked in the stomach last night.

That is obviously the feeling that the Ghana team, the people of Ghana, and Africa itself felt when Asamoah Gyan, a feared striker failed to convert on a penalty kick in the 120th minute, a moment where the world felt that the Ghanians were destined to become the first African team to advance to the World Cup semi-finals.

It was the same Gyan, whose two converted penalty shots in the group stage allowed his team to advance to a game against the Americans, in which Gyan then scored the game winner in extra time.

But as Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez was leaving the field in tears after getting a red card by doing his best impression of a volleyball player by blocking the ball out of his goal, Gyan had his shot hit the crossbar.  And while the Ghanians still had a chance to win in the shootout itself, everyone had to question how the squad could respond.

And as two Ghanian players nervously missed their shots en route to Uruguay's victory, it became painfully clear what Gyan's miss meant. 

And while there will still be great soccer to be seen, as we saw today with Germany's sterling 4-0 victory over Argentina and Spain's 1-0 win, last night's epic encounter could be the moment that is most remembered years from now when people reflect upon this World Cup.

The frantic conclusion to the contest was one of the more painful and sad sports moments I've seen in my life.  I am no fan of Ghana, but I was hoping their team could make history and bring joy to nearly a billion people on the African continent.   But to see Gyan miss that penalty shot, and see his team lose the shootout was bad enough.  

To witness the sad aftermath on the field was bad enough.  But to see people in the streets of Akkra, the capital of Ghana, literally on the ground sobbing uncontrollably, the television viewer got to witness the true gravity of the game of soccer.  In the stadium, it was the first moment in three weeks where no one could hear a vuvuzela!

People in America talk about how much sports mean to them.   They will do stuff like paint their chests, or cook huge meals before a football game, or get together with families for a big party.   But to people around the world, the World Cup is something that's more than just a sport.  It's a spectacle that will literally change how people feel about themselves, their country, and in some cases, life itself.

If you think I am exaggerating, you can find more examples than just last night.  The French and Nigerian governments are planning to investigate just why their soccer clubs were so disappointing.  In France's case, not only did they lose, but they embarrassed themselves and their nation along the way.  

For the casual sports fan who already has their own negative opinions of soccer as a "wussy" sport where everyone dives, a sport where no one scores; that fan might not appreciate moments like last night.  While our nation thought it was cute to rally around the American team and "rally around the flag" like so many would say, the fans that jumped on the bandwagon bailed off just as fast when the Americans lost last week.  But for those who live in Africa, the bitter taste left in their collective mouths will take at least four years to get out.

Personally, I at least can somewhat understand how all those fans feel.   One of the many curses in sports I live with is that I am a Chicago Cubs fan.   And nearly seven years ago, the Cubs were five outs away from making their own history by going to the first World Series in nearly 60 years.  But an unwise fan got in the way of our destiny, the Cubs went on to give up eight runs that inning, and the rest is history.  The team and its fans have not been the same since.

But forward the team and people of Ghana must go.  There were some positives to remember for the Black Stars, who were only the third African team to make it to the quarterfinals.  The team is also extremely young and has other young talent that will crack the line up in the next four years.  Most people don't know, but Ghana won the under-20 World Cup last year. 

However, while one might want to put a positive spin on last night, the images that will continue to be conjured up will be like the one on this article.  Farewell Ghana, but this is a memory I won't be that thankful to remember.