World Cup, USA vs Germany results: Americans lose 0-1, but advance

The United States and Germany both came into the day looking for a win. Neither needed a win to advance to the “Round of 16,” a draw would advance them both. Even with a loss either team could still advance with a loss depending on the outcome of the game between Ghana and Portugal.

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There were plenty of story lines heading into this match up. The USA has a German head coach in Jürgen Klinsmann and several German-American players on their roster.

There was some suggestion that the two sides could collude to arrange a draw, guaranteeing both a spot in the knockout round, but Klinsmann shot that idea down because a win is vital for pairing in the knockout round.

The runner-up in Group G would have to face the Group H winner, which is likely going to be Belgium, a team with stars all over their roster. The only way to avoid Belgium is for the Americans to get a win in their game against Germany.

Out of the gate things didn’t look great. The Americans were on the defensive for the most part and being dominated in possession. The United States looked like they were just playing defense and weathering the storm as Germany had chance after chance. Omar Gonzalez, who was in the game for Geoff Cameron, made some splendid saves to keep the Americans in it and Tim Howard came up big in goal.

As the first half progressed the Americans were able to weather the storm and get some chances of their own, none of which found the back of the net. They brought that 0-0 draw to the break, a result good enough for both teams to advance.

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There was some suggestion that the teams might abandon their forward pushes to win the game and play defensively content with the draw. The Germans made a substitution at the half bringing on Miroslav Klose, the all-time leading German goal scorer and tied for World Cup all-time leading scorer.

In the mean time Portugal was ahead in their game against Ghana thanks to an early own-goal. A Portugal win was preferable to a Ghana win because of Portugal’s inferior goal difference.

Early in the second half the German change benefitted them. The German’s got a corner kick and kept it short. The first shot was stopped by American goal keeper Tim Howard. The rebound wound up with Thomas Müller who booted it on goal inside the right goalpost.

Meanwhile in Ghana’s game, they scored to tie things. A draw between Ghana and Portugal would make the outcome of the United States game irrelevant. The United States continued to weather the German attack and occasionally got a chance of their own, though none ever being of any real threat to the German goal.

In the 80th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo scored to give Portugal the lead over Ghana, taking the pressure off the Americans who couldn’t get any sort of offense going.

In the stoppage time the United States got their best two chances of the game, with Bedoya’s shot being saved by a sliding Phillipp Lahm.

A Clint Dempsey header moments later missed the mark, and the United States nearly tied the game.

It wasn’t the strongest showing for the Americans, but they’re through to the next round where they will play Belgium, the likely winners of Group H.

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