Thaindian News

By Meena Kar
Rustenburg, June 27, (THAINDIAN NEWS) USA’s dream-run in the FIFA World Cup ended in a dramatic manner as Ghana scored a match winning goal in extra time. The US fans were left heart broken as their team fought bravely to end the 90 minutes with a 1-1 score and then crumbled under pressure to give Ghana the lead in the third minute of extra time. Though there is no golden goal rule in this year’s FIFA World Cup, the US team looked unlikely to score an equalizer in the 15 minutes of extra time because of Ghana’s strong defense. The golden goal rule, however, became a hot search on the web because of the fans who thought USA lost due to the golden goal rule.

Instead of the golden goal, FIFA has introduced the system of extra time of 15 minutes in 2006. After the two 15 minute extra time halves are over and there is no determining goal then the teams will head for a penalty shoot. However if a team leads at the end of the 1st 15 minute extra time half that will be the determining score of the match and there will not be a second half of extra time. The match against USA was a crucial one for Ghana as they were the last African nation in the tournament. The USA team on the other hand had nothing to lose because they had proved themselves already by going further than teams like Italy and France.

USA found themselves on the uncomfortable end of the dramatic finish as Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan scored the net in the third minute of extra time. Earlier Ghana started well by scoring in the 5th minute of the first half. The Americans, however, equalized in the second half with a penalty kick from Landon Donovan.