Disappointingly, the 2022 World Cup’s youngest team crashed out of the group stages in Qatar, after the final round of group stage games. And elimination followed a game where the barest Ghana needed was a draw. Yet it seemed an uphill task after conceding two goals to Uruguay.
Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s brace came six minutes apart in a first half the Black Stars failed to convert a penalty versus Uruguay – again. But conceding a second to Uruguay quickly after the first, summed up Ghana’s 2022 World Cup headache. Besides the time gap between Portugal’s first and second, the Black Stars’ six other goals conceded came within an average time of 0.54 seconds between them.
On the other end of the field, the Black Stars put up a better record as compared to their previous three group stage runs at the World Cup, where they managed to score 4 goals in 2006 and 2014, and 2 in 2010 (group stages). This year, Otto Addo’s men did one better, scoring five goals and with the seventh best xG from the tournament (4.5) per Footmob, the Black Stars did hold their own.
But conceding an xG of 5.6 – also the seventh highest in the tournament so far, meant they lived dangerously, and letting in 7 goals in three games, the third highest only behind Serbia (8) and Costa Rica (11) is testament.
However, the Black Stars were architects of their own failure with mistakes directly leading to 5 of the seven goals conceded.
Portugal v Ghana
While the Black Stars were still in it at 1-1, bloopers from Jordan Ayew and Baba Rahman meant the Black Stars were going to have to chase the game in extra time. In the build-up to Portugal’s second, Rahman loses his awareness, going absent-minded at a very crucial moment.
In his attempt to track his runner; Joao Felix, Rahman does a 360 turn, consequently losing track of the ball which goes through his legs at the point he resumes his original position to assess the situation.
But while Rahman makes the decision to do a 360, Mohammed Salisu starts a darting run to cover the space between himself and fullback, because invariably, that is where the danger lies since any ball played in-behind, will go through that space.
Therefore, Rahman’s defensive choice should have looked to control the inside space by forcing Felix wide. However, the crucial moment came with his 360 as Bruno Fernandes’ pass was a poor one and will have come directly to his feet had he held his ground.
For Portugal’s third, it also narrows down to a lack of awareness, as well as zero ‘scanning’. Arsene Wenger’s perceives the theory as “It is about getting as many information as possible before I get the ball. I call that scanning, I try to see what happens to a player in the 10 seconds before he gets the ball, how many times does he take information and the quality of information he takes,” and also adds that top players scan “six to eight times in the last ten seconds before they receive the ball, and the normal players three to four.”
Well, in the buildup to Portugal’s third, Jordan Ayew, who is now playing centrally as one of Otto Addo’s two number 8s, scans only once before receiving Thomas Partey’s pass. Immediately upon reception, he’s closed down by Felix, who arrives on his blind side.
Felix’s interception is completed by Cristiano Ronaldo, and the ball finds its way to eventual scorer, Rafael Leao after he’s played through by Fernandes.
South Korea v Ghana
When the half time whistle blew on November 28, more than a number of Ghanaians believed the second half was going to be a case of game management for the Black Stars as they led South Korea with two goals.
Ghana had scored twice within 10 minutes and despite it looking as if they had blown out of the blocks, the warning signs from the Asians, who failed to capitalise, were there. However, 13 minutes into the second half, they made profit of their toil as Cho Gue-sung pulled one back.
In the buildup to the goal, Tariq Lamptey intercepts as he breaks down the Asian attack. The fullback looks to immediately spring into attack by dribbling his way out of defence. However, with two Koreans baring down from his left and the touchline on his right, it seems a big risk.
Lamptey eventually loses out to Lee Kang-in who whips in a cross for Cho’s stooping header. But with this, it is a tad difficult to fault Lamptey as he had only two options after winning back the ball: either passing back to Amartey, who was set to be pressed by Lee or dribbling his way out.
But it’s in Korea’s second goal definite questions can be asked.
Kudus, who is Ghana’s right-winger when the team is in defense, is sucked in by the positioning of Korea’s left-back, Kim. As a result, when the Asians switch the ball to the left, Lamptey has to step out to close down Son Heung-Min.
Lamptey’s movement leaves space in the right hand channel of Ghana’s defense and Kim, who has now moved further up, runs freely into it from his central position. Before that moment, Son’s pass is rolled into that same space, but Kim manages to put in the cross before the ball rolls out.
Great effort, but it was criminal for Amartey to watch Kim run free into the space. And it gets even more bewildering when realisation hits of Amartey starting to close down Kim’s run, but freezes right at the start of the process, retreats into his 18-yard-box, giving the fullback all the space.
Ghana v Uruguay
In a game where the minimum requirement was a draw, the Black Stars went on to lose in crumbling fashion, 2-0. In Uruguay’s first, Jordan intercepts from a Fede Valverde lose touch. And as he seeks to dribble his way into the opponent’s half, he is unaware of a retreating Pellestri who nicks the ball.
Ball finds its way back to the feet of Valverde, who plays in Darwin Nunez. The Liverpool forward’s attempt to find Suarez is a bad one, but Amartey’s mistiming of his swing at the ball means the defender miscues the clearance.
The ball bounces past Alidu Seidu, who cannot do much since it comes quickly at him. Luis Suarez feigns a shot to beat the right back, but his ensuing one is unable to beat Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who is equal to it. However, the rebound from the goalkeeper’s save finds its way to Arrascaeta, and he heads home.
But Ati-Zigi will go on to have some question marks as the unassuming midfielder, grabs another goal goal six minutes later, after the Sky Blues break down Ghana’s defensive structure.
Varela’s positioning means Pellestri resorts infield. And he is picked up in the pocket of space – vacated by Partey, who steps up to press – by Valverde. Pellestri picks up Nunez, who heads it on to Suarez. At this point, Seidu, is caught out of position, so as Arraascaeta receives from Suarez, he is in acres of space within Ghana’s box.
The midfielder then volleys into Ghana’s night, with Ati-Zigi failing to save this time. But the St. Gallen goalkeeper’s shot-stopping choice raises questions, as with Arrascaeta’s volley on the carpet, it’s expected the goalkeeper attempts the save with his feet.
However, he opts for his hands but is slow in getting down.
Conclusion
While Uruguay managed to break down Ghana’s defensive shape for their second goal, the shape was resolute while Ghana remained in the tournament. Even in the break down of errors, the Black Stars had an average of three to five bodies against a counter attack. But coaching can only do so much.
It is critical to understand, in five of Ghana’s goals conceded, Ghana’s defensive structure and shape was still intact.
