Uruguay wins World Cup quarterfinal match against Ghana
Two-time winners Uruguay ended Africa’s World Cup dreams by beating Ghana -2 in a dramatic penalty shootout Friday after the match finished 1-1 during 120 minutes of play.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup just got incredibly interesting. The Netherlands defeated powerhouse Brazil 2-1 sending the tournament favorites home early. Uruguay, however, pulled off the most incredible “comeback” so to speak against Ghana.
The result means Uruguay
eturn to the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
Uruguay and Ghana seemed to be headed to penalty kicks with the game entering the 121st minute in extra time. Ghana was able to muster one last chance, a corner kick which would be the last play of the match before penalty kicks.
The ball was in the air; it floated; Ghana gets a head on it..saved by the goalie; they get a rebound; chested out by a Uruguay defender on the line; they get another kick..saved…but…it was blocked on a handball by Luis Suarez of Uruguay.
That means Suarez is ejected and Ghana receives a penalty kick; an unbelievable turn of events. Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan lines up for the absolute last play of the game before penalty kicks. He winds up, trots, fires and…it hits the crossbar!!!
Ghana was just inches away from wrapping up a spot in the World Cup semifinals. The chance of a lifetime was gone.
Now on to the penalty kick shootout…
Gyan, who had just missed the potential game-winning penalty kick, stepped up and buried his penalty kick. Diego Forlan of Uruguay matched it. The teams traded PK goals again. Ghana then missed…as did Uruguay. Ghana would miss again… but this time,Uruguay would take a one kick lead.
Ghana had one more chance. They needed a save to keep their dreams alive.
Sebastian Abreu for Uruguay calmly booted the ball into the net on a trick shot sending his nation to the World Cup semifinals.
It was surely, a devastating defeat for Ghana and Asamoah who had the chance to move on in the 121st minute on a penalty kick.
Luis Suarez was redeemed and his handball to stop a goal in the 121st minute ended up winning it for Uruguay. It should now be named Hand of God II.
The first Hand of God occurred in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when Diego Maradona hand-balled a goal vs. England in the knockout round. He would later score the goal of the century to finish England.
It was both the best match of this World Cup and the most important win by a Uruguayan team in four decades, because it sent the South Americans to the World Cup semifinals–where they will meet the Netherlands next week—for the first time since 1970. And that touched off spontaneous celebrations throughout the soccer-mad country
