Sports News of Monday, 3 July 2017
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2017-07-03
Asamoah Gyan
Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan feels the Black Star’s chaotic preparations for their international friendly against the USA negatively affected them as Ghana lost 1-2 to Bruce arena’s side at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at East Hartford’s East Hartford’s Rentschler Field.
Gyan, a veteran of two previous meetings with the USA in the FIFA World Cup, claimed the game in Connecticut was “more than a friendly” but Ghana’s preparations had not reflected that.
Members of the side arrived in bits to the Black Stars’ Connecticut base last Thursday and missed training as a result on that day. Rain then delayed their scheduled training the following day.
“We have hardly trained since the Mexico game,” Gyan told KweséESPN.
“That plus the difficulties with travelling could affect us but we are professionals and desperately want to win this game so we will forget that and give of our best on the field.”
Gyan had played in two of the three previous Ghana-USA meetings and scored the winner in 2010 to help Ghana through to the quarterfinals of the World Cup in South Africa with a 2-1 win. Four years later, he started in Natal as the USA exacted revenge with a 2-1 win of their own in the group stages of Brazil 2014.
Last Saturday, Dom Dwyer scored a goal on his international debut as Gyan missed a penalty but later made amends with a brilliant free kick in the second half.
Sporting Kansas City forward Dwyer, who became a US citizen three months ago, lashed home a first-half volley to fire the Americans ahead as they build towards this month’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The Ghana captain missed a penalty kick on the stroke of half time as US keeper Brad Guzan punched the kick to safety meanwhile saved a penalty on the stroke of half-time to preserve the American lead at the break.
Another debutant, FC Dallas’s Kellyn Acosta scored the USA’s second goal in the 52nd minute as Bruce Arena’s team took a 2-0 lead.
But Gyan made amends for his earlier penalty miss with a thunderbolt free-kick into the top corner to give Ghana hope – his 51st international goal – but US finished strongly to close out the win.
