2014 FIFA World Cup

 

 

 

One week, and twenty games into the 2014 FIFA World Cup, there have already been some dramatic matches and surprising results, including the early elimination of Spain, the defending champion. Thousands of fans from around the world are in attendance in Brazil, while millions more are watching from home, setting new records in internet-video volume. Host nation Brazil appears to be living up to its obligations so far, despite early worries about readiness. Gathered here are images from the first few games, and some of the fans riding the emotional rollercoaster of cheering for their teams as they battle in Brazil.     Is there anything more pointless than a World Cup opening ceremony? Joining the league against the march of the unstoppable Sepp Blatter perhaps? Trying to find where the money’s gone again? Putting the toothpaste back in the tube? The Olympic flame lighting gala is part of the wonder of the event. Fortunes are spent, the biggest names are hired. Histories unfold and the Arctic Monkeys rock out. By contrast, there will be 18th birthday parties in Essex this weekend that have more wit and imagination than this. +20 Trio: Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte perform during the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup in Arena de Sao Paulo +20 Start: J-LO acknowledges the crowd after singing the official World Cup song 'We Are One (Ola Ola)' alongside Pitbull +20 High notes: Singer Leitte performs during the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup where the Brazuca ball was before it split into segments There were plenty of perfectly viable ways to start this World Cup — the ceremonial beheading of various disgraced FIFA executive committee members, for instance — but Brazil 2014 went for the usual. A cast of hundreds twirling colourfully but to no real purpose, representing the same old cliches that bear about as much resemblance to the true soul of Brazil as Morris dancers would cut to the heart of old England. Still, it was good to see the spirit of Frank Sidebottom rekindled in the dancers with what appeared to be footballs for heads. They resisted the opportunity to do Frank’s own World Cup song, Three Shirts On The Line — a pulsating tale of the time his ball went over next door’s fence — but you can’t have everything. All opening ceremonies have a central theme, though, and this was no exception. Nature, people and football — ‘Brazil’s greatest treasures,’ according to FIFA, who would know a bit about plundering them — were the subject of this one, which included 660 dancers, floaters and others just standing for large parts of the process wondering how hot it could get inside a giant football head before a person passed out. As ever, the action was ripe with hidden meaning. +20 In the mood: J-LO, Leitte and Pitbull perform on the central stage in Sao Paulo ahead of the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia +20 The World Cup stage: The Brazuca ball split into segments to allow Pitbull, J-LO and Leitte to perform during the opening ceremony +20 Looking on: A Brazil fan waits for the start of the Group A match against Croatia, which the host nation won 3-1 +20 A mix of all kinds: A Mexico fan looks on while wearing his eccentric peacock-feathered headdress during the opening ceremony in Sao Paulo Many had the tall folk on stilts down as representing the trees of the Amazonian rainforest, but those of a more creative bent will have instantly spotted the subtle representation of England’s back four against Germany in Bloemfontein. The same stilted sideways movement, uncannily similar pace. Maybe the trees turned quicker and had a better positional sense, but there is always a degree of artistic licence where these festivals are concerned. Soon after, dancers in national costumes old and new celebrated together, some performing somersaults and cartwheels, representing the joy that is felt among the various members of FIFA ExCo when the bloke from Qatar turns up with a sackload of readies. More formally attired attendants represented the lawyers telling journalists they can’t make jokes like that, because nothing of this nature has been proven. And that they’re racists, probably. It really was a most heart-warming scene. Meanwhile, extras dressed as flowers, sprouts, sprites and other stuff you pick out of a salad stood around doing, well, nothing really. Everyone was waiting for J-Lo. Peace: A Brazil fan waves the peace sign during the opening ceremony and another two supporters give a thumbs up as J-LO performs in Sao Paulo +20 Joy and mirth: Fans watch on as the World Cup gets underway with an opening ceremony at the Arena de Sao Paulo on Thursday before kick-off   All smiles: Brazil fans were certainly up for the opening ceremony as they watched on ahead of the Brazil v Croatia clash in Group A There is always a big ticket item at opening ceremonies and Jenny from the block was Brazil’s. All week, stories have circled: would she turn up, if she did would she perform or mime, is there genuinely nobody in a country populated by close to 200million that can carry a tune without having to import mundane duds from the Bronx? And then she appeared, ruined Ary Barroso’s wonderful Aquarela do Brasil — the only vaguely Brazilian music on offer — and was shortly joined by Pitbull to do the same to other FIFA endorsed dirges too miserable to mention. God, it was rotten stuff, although all involved seemed very pleased with themselves. At the end they disappeared into a hole in what appeared to be an overripe mango, which was strangely appropriate. A little awkward! Pitbull helps J-LO out of the elevated paltform that seemed to get stuck on its way up +20 Proud: A female Brazil fan shows off her colours at the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 World Cup ahead of the Brazil and Croatia clash in Sao Paulo +20 Fans cheer before the start of the first Group A match between Brazil and Croatia, as the opening ceremony seemed to get them in the mood +20 Performers dance during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Opening Ceremony at Arena de Sao Paulo on June 12 So what was the stadium like? Was it ready? Was if functioning? Mostly. The helicopters circling overhead told a different World Cup story, one of resentment and unrest, but nothing fell down, so by the standards of modern tournament organisation, this equates to a triumph. The Arena Corinthians is another of those FIFA-endorsed projects that goes down so well in countries whose citizens still dwell in slums. Sao Paulo, the club and the city, had a perfectly passable 67,000-capacity stadium in town that needed modernisation. Instead, FIFA insisted on a new ground and this was built to the east of the city for Sao Paulo’s great rivals Corinthians, huge and white, with fabulous views of the local poverty. +20 Home: A fan kisses a fake World Cup trophy ahead of the match between tournament-favourites Brazil and Croatia +20 Packed: The general view of the arena during the opening ceremony as fans piled in to see Brazil v Croatia +20 A festival of colour: The opening ceremony did not disappoint in terms of colour as its huge selection of dancers had their costumes at the ready +20 Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo There was bunting hanging from the houses nearby but it had seen better days. Brazil is a hot country and material quickly fades, but even so this looked as if it had been put up some time ago in an attempt to affect enthusiasm for the project, rather than in a frenzy of anticipation as the World Cup drew near. Maybe this will change as the competition progresses and Brazil with it, but right now the idea of football returning to its spiritual home feels like a headline more than a truth. Those inside the stadium were noisy, enthusiastic and clearly good to go, but the rest of the country is still asking what the World Cup can do for them. They’ll hang out the bunting when they have something to bunt about.       Wrapped in a Spanish national flag, a soccer fan reacts in frustration as she watches the live broadcast of the World Cup match between Spain and the Netherlands inside the FIFA Fan Fest area on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 13, 2014.(AP Photo/Leo Correa) 2 Robin van Persie of the Netherlands scores the team's first goal with a diving header in the first half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group B match between Spain and Netherlands at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, on June 13, 2014.(Jeff Gross/Getty Images) # 3 Fans cheer before the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Croatia, the opening game of the tournament, in the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana) # 4 Men watch the 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match between the Netherlands and Australia on a laptop, at a camel market in Daba near Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, on June 18, 2014. (Reuters/Mohamed Alhwaity) # 5 Soccer fans celebrate the second goal scored by Brazil striker Neymar, during a live broadcast at a World Cup viewing party at the Jockey Club, in Rio de Janeiro on June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) # 6 A fan donning miniature national flags representing Italy, Germany, Mexico, France, Spain, Brazil and Bosnia in her hair smiles, prior to the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza, Brazil, on June 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) # 7 People sit on sofas as they watch the opening game of the 2014 World Cup between Brazil and Croatia, during a public viewing event at the Alte Foersterei stadium in Berlin on June 12, 2014. Berlin's Union soccer club has invited its supporters to bring their sofas to its stadium to watch World Cup soccer matches on a giant screen in a communal living room atmosphere.(Reuters/Thomas Peter) # 8 Brazilian patient Luana, 10, talks with her doctor before the 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Cancer Itaci Hospital in Sao Paulo on June 17, 2014. (Reuters/Nacho Doce) # 9 Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa makes a save during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico at the Arena Castelao in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) # 10 An Argentinian soccer fan holds a statue of the Virgin Mary and a portrait of player Lionel Messi as he gathers with others to watch Argentina's World Cup match with Bosnia on an outdoor screen set up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 15, 2014.(AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia) # 11 Mexico's Andres Guardado (top) is fouled by Brazil's Daniel Alves during their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014. (Reuters/Kai Pfaffenbach) # 12 Honduras players Roger Espinoza, left, and Luis Garrido complain to referee Sandro Ricci from Brazil after he awarded a goal to France using goal line technology during the group E World Cup soccer match between France and Honduras in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 15, 2014. (AP Photo/David Vincent) # 13 Fans of Chile and Spain gather at the FIFA Fan fest in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup Spain vs Chile match on June 18, 2014. (Tasso Marcelo/AFP/Getty Images) # 14 Ivory Coast's Serey Die is overcome with emotion, hearing his country's national anthem played before the group C World Cup soccer match between Colombia and Ivory Coast in Brasilia on June 19, 2014. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) # 15 American soccer fans watch the match between Ghana and USA on a large screen at the FIFA World Cup Fan Fest on Copacabana beach on June 16, 2014. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) # 16 United States' Clint Dempsey celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the group G World Cup soccer match between Ghana and the United States in Natal, Brazil, on June 16, 2014. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) # 17 Soccer fans react at a viewing party at a restaurant in Pittsburgh after watching the United States score in the opening minute of play against Ghana in a World Cup soccer match in Brazil. The United States won the match 2-1. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) # 18 An Argentinian fan in front of Maracana stadium for the FIFA World Cup 2014 group match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzecovina in Rio de Janeiro on June 15, 2014. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images) # 19 Croatia's goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa fails to make a save as Brazil's Oscar scores his side's third goal during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Croatia in Sao Paulo on June 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) # 20 South Korean fans react as they watch the 2014 World Cup match between South Korea and Russia on June 18, 2014 in Seoul, South Korea. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) # 21 Pepe of Portugal headbutts Thomas Mueller of Germany resulting in a red card during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group G match between Germany and Portugal in Salvador, Brazil, on June 16, 2014. (Martin Rose/Getty Images) # 22 Fans of South Korea (left) Mexico (center), and Colombia cheer for their teams at the 2014 World Cup.(Eric Gaillard, Sergio Moraes, Sergio Perez) # 23 Brazil's Neymar reacts during a Group A soccer match against Mexico at the Castelao arena in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014.(Reuters/Marcelo Del Pozo) # 24 A fan of the Brazilian national soccer team watches the Mexico vs. Brazil match at the FIFA Fan Fest in Sao Paulo on June 17, 2014.(AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) # 25 Brazil's Paulinho (8) watches as Mexico's goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa punches the ball clear of the goal during the group A World Cup soccer match between Brazil and Mexico in Fortaleza on June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo) # 26 Joe Hart of England lands in the net after allowing Italy's second goal to Mario Balotelli of Italy during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match on June 14, 2014 in Manaus, Brazil. (Francois Xavier Marit/Getty Images) # 27 Uruguay's fans cheer before the start of the Group D soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica in Fortaleza on June 14, 2014.(Reuters/Mike Blake) # 28 Costa Rica's fans cheer during of the Group D soccer match between Uruguay and Costa Rica in Fortaleza on June 14, 2014.(Reuters/Mike Blake) # 29 A fan of Switzerland, carrying a child, takes a photo before their 2014 World Cup Group E soccer match against Ecuador at the Brasilia national stadium in Brasilia on June 15, 2014. (Reuters/Paul Hanna) # 30 Oribe Peralta of Mexico celebrates his goal in the second half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Mexico and Cameroon at Estadio das Dunas on June 13, 2014 in Natal, Brazil. (Julian Finney/Getty Images) # 31 Fans watch a live telecast of the Mexico vs. Brazil match at the FIFA Fan Fest during the 2014 soccer World Cup in Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Dario Lopez-Mills) # 32 Australian fans interview one another while waiting for the start the group B World Cup soccer match between Australia and the Netherlands at the Estadio Beira-Rio in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on June 18, 2014. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) # 33 Chile's Eduardo Vargas celebrates his goal against Spain during their 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro on June 18, 2014. (Reuters/Ricardo Moraes) # 34 Spanish fans react while watching their team play against the Chileans on a giant screen showing the FIFA World Cup match between Spain and Chile in Madrid, Spain, on June 18, 2014. (Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) # 35 Spain's Sergio Busquets reacts after missing a chance to score a goal during their 2014 World Cup Group B soccer match against Chile at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro June 18, 2014. Spain, current football World Cup champion, was eliminated from the competition after losing the match 2-0. (Reuters/Jorge Silva) # 36 Brazil fans kiss after watching Brazil play Mexico in their 2014 World Cup Group A soccer match at a public viewing area on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro on June 17, 2014. (Reuters/Lucas Landau)

The U.S. men’s soccer team regained its swagger against Ghana just in time to face a Portugal team limping into Sunday’s match with stars missing from injury or suspension. Portugal’s two best defenders, a striker and their starting goalkeeper will not play. Another defender will be a game time decision and best player in the world Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play despite reportedly suffering a career-threatening knee injury. The U.S. side has lost striker Jozy Altidore to injury and team captain Clint Dempsey has a broken nose but will play. Both teams are licking their wounds after only one match, but the Portuguese are a lot more vulnerable. +10 Man down: Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has ice put on his left knee after a Wednesday training session +10 The U.S. lost its best player: Striker Jozy Altidore (at right) screams while grabbing his left leg as Ghana's John Boye jogs past - Altidore is not expected to recover until after the World Cup +10 Broken nose: Clint Dempsey of the U.S. lies on the pitch injured after being kicked in the face by Boye (not pictured) during their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match earlier this week Reports out of Brazil earlier this week painted a dire picture for Portugal as it was revealed a team doctor told Ronaldo to pull out of the World Cup over fears a knee injury he has been suffering from for months could ruin the rest of his career. The Ballon d’or winner as world player of the year has been battling tendinitis in his left knee and thigh injuries, and doctors have warned continuing to sprint up and down the pitch could result in him tearing the patellar tendon, according to a Spanish newspaper. Ronaldo was then seen limping away from a practice field Thursday while icing his ailing knee, but several teammates have since insisted that he is fit and ready to go. ‘Cristiano is 100 percent fit to play,’ backup Portugal goalkeeper Beto said Friday. ‘Every match, if he starts to play, it is because he is fit to play.’ Midfielder Raul Meireles said he expects Ronaldo by his side when the whistle blows. ‘Cristiano played the last game,’ Meireles said during a Saturday news conference. ‘He trains every day with all of us. Cristiano is fit to play, that's all I can say.’ +10 Injured: Portugal defender Fabio Coentrao, pictured playing against Germany, will miss Sunday's game Out: Portugal forward Hugo Almeida (R) will also miss Sunday's match after suffering an injury versus Germany Huge loss: Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio will not play, Beto will take his place The U.S. is taking no chances and expects Ronaldo to be at full strength. ‘We have to be ready for him,’ United States defender Fabian Johnson said. ‘If he's going to play or not, we have to be ready for him.’ Other starting players out with injuries include defender Fabio Coentrao, forward Hugo Almeida and goalkeeper Rui Patricio. ‘At the moment, we have four players who will not be playing [on Sunday],’ Portugal manager Paulo Bento said, according to ESPN. ‘Secondly there is a possibility of having another absence, and I'm talking about Bruno [Alves] who will not train today. We will only decide today if he will play.’ Defender Pepe, widely considered the team’s best, is missing the game due to suspension. He was sent off with a red card during the match against Germany. Another defender, Bruno Alves, is working his way back from a serious thigh injury, it is not known if he will be in the starting 11. Escaping the ‘group of death’ the U.S. was slotted looks much more likely despite the Americans’ best striker, Altidore, possibly being out for the duration of the tournament with a strained right hamstring. On the fence: Defender Bruno Alves, of Portugal, may or may not play, according to the team's manager Banned: Portugal's defender Pepe gestures during a training session at the team's base camp in Campinas, he will miss the match versus the U.S. after being sent off with a red card against Germany In the middle of a rainforest: The US Men's National Team stretches Saturday prior to training at Arena Amazonia Looking for more of this: John Brooks (center bottom face down) of USA is celebrated by his teammates after scoring the winning goal during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G preliminary round match between Ghana - keeping the ball away from Ronaldo could lead to more celebrations for the U.S. like this one Another challenge facing both teams is the game’s venue – a city in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest. Manaus is considered one of the hottest cities in the world, but Arena del Amazonia is expected to be inundated with torrential rains for the majority of the match. Portugal is desperate for a win – losing to the U.S. would eliminate the team from advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament – but faces a tough challenge with many players out and their biggest star limping to the finish. A win means the U.S. would advance to the knockout stage for second World Cup in a row, something it has never done. The U.S. beat Portugal during the 2002 World Cup and hopes to repeat the feat Sunday, but it will need to improve upon its ghastly passing during the match against Ghana. The ‘That was a problem against Ghana, but I think it was the first game so you’re going to be a little bit nervous,’ midfielder Jermaine Jones said. ‘We have a win, so we can go win the next game with more trust in ourselves… take the ball and try to hold the ball better.’ Star midfielder Michael Bradley, perhaps the best player on the team with Altidore out, agreed, but also said the best teams win games in different ways. Keeping the ball away from Ronaldo is the only way the U.S. can hope to win this match and make it to the next round. With the most instinctive extension of his leg at the far post last night, Miroslav Klose moved one step closer to immortality. This is how the really great goal scorers do it; without fuss. It’s their job and to people like Klose it comes naturally. In scoring the 15th goal of his remarkable World Cup career, the German centre forward – on as a second half substitute – edged level with the Brazilian Ronaldo at the top of the all-time table. Perhaps just as importantly to him, he moved ahead of his compatriot, the great Gerd Mueller. VIDEO Scroll down for Klose in training with Germany squad before his fourth World Cup Prolific: Miroslav Klose scores his 15th international goal at World Cups for Germany to make it 2-2 High flyer: Miroslav Klose celebrates scoring Germany's second goal against Ghana on Saturday evening Can't believe it: Ghana keeper Fatau Dauda shows his anger after Germany score to level the game at 2-2 Head boy: Mario Goetze (centre) drifts between two defenders to score the opening goal for Germany +16 Back of the net: Mario Goetze scores the opening goal for Germany against Ghana +16 On form: Mario Goetze celebrates his third goal in as many appearances for Germany MATCH FACTS GERMANY: Neuer 6;  Boateng 6 (Mustafi 45mins 5.4), Mertesacker 6, Hummels  6, Howedes 6;  Lahm 7; Khedira 6.5 (Schweinsteiger 69mins 7),  Kroos 7; Mueller 6), Ozil 7, Goetze 7 (Klose 69mins 7.5). GOALS: Gotze 51, Klose 71 GHANA: Dauda 7; Afful 6.5, Mensah 6.5, Asamoah 6, Boye 6; Boateng (J Ayew 51mins 6.5 ), Muntari 6, A Ayew 7.5, Atsu 7 (Wakaso 71mins 6); Rabiu 6 (Badu 77mins 6); Gyan 8 GOALS: Ayew 54, Gyan 63 REFEREE: Sandro Ricci But, most importantly of all, Klose saved his team and his nation. Reeling from a stunning Ghana assault midway through the second half, Germany were trailing 2-1 in Fortaleza. For a few moments they looked as though they would join Italy, England and Spain in the World Cup hall of shame. Important players do important things, though, and when the big German defender Bendikt Howedes rose to flick on a corner 19 minutes from time, Klose was in the right place to earn his team a point. In recent times, Klose has replaced the somersault that used to follow his big goals with a simple pump of the fist. Last night, though, the acrobatics were back. 'I don't know how long it’s been since I did a somersault. but at least it worked out,' he smiled afterwards. Klose now has 70 international goals to his name from 133 games. It is a remarkable record and he had been tied with Mueller in the World Cup list since he scored twice in a 4-0 quarter-final win over Argentina four years ago in Cape Town. Klose in training with Germany squad before his fourth World Cup +16 Level best: Andre Ayew (right) rises above the German defence to head home for Ghana +16 No chance: A full stretch Manuel Neuer is unable to stop Andre Ayew equalising for Ghana +16 Saviour: Andre Ayew celebrates scoring for Ghana against Germany on Saturday night. These days, of course, he is not first choice. Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller is the modern go-to man and Klose perhaps arrived in Brazil not expecting to see much action. This was his first appearance of the tournament and his goal came from pretty much his first touch. Germany needed it, too, as another night of gripping, unexpected drama threatened to provide us with one more upset. How odd that was, too, as Germany did look as though they were going to coast to the top of the group with maximum points after shading the first half and then taking the lead. The German midfield functioned brilliantly at times in the opening period with Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil imposing himself on the tournament for the first time after a quiet game against Portugal and Toni Kroos looking the measured, astute passing footballer we know him to be. There were chances for the Germans during this time but they couldn’t take them. They almost scored a super goal in the eleventh minute as a Muller back heel gave Kroos the chance to shot. The ball may have found the corner, too, had it not struck a defender’s shin. Kroos and Ozil were combining very well as the half progressed and the two of them created an opening for Sami Khedira in the 18th minute only for the goalkeeper to save. Ozil then crossed low from the right for Muller who was denied by a tackle from John Boye. Mesut Ozil is all smiles in Germany training +16 Stunner: Asamoah Gyan fires past Manuel Neuer to put Ghana ahead against Germany +16 Dancing feet: Asamoah Gyan and his Ghana team-mates celebrate in spectacular after going 2-1 up Momentum was certainly building for Germany but for a while they couldn’t break through. Kroos shot over from distance and then Ozil chipped a pass through for Mario Goetze, whose volley found the goalkeeper’s midriff. Goetze was eventually to score the opening goal but he had to wait until the 51st minute to do it. A cross from Muller deep on the right found the Bayern Munich player squeezing in between defenders and his header ended up in the net off his own right knee. In the lead at last, Germany looked set to consolidate as they often do. It didn’t happen, though, and three minutes later Ghana caught them cold with an equaliser before taking the lead and turning the whole night on its head. Again the cross came from the right for the equaliser and it was Andre Ayew who climbed above the static Shkodran Mustafi to head powerfully to Manuel Neuer’s right and in to the corner. +16 Good Christian: Atsu tries to curl the ball around Mats Hummels as Ghana search for a goal +16 Flexible: Jonathan Mensash spectacularly falls to the ground during Ghana's game with Germany For Germany to concede one goal was careless but for them to concede again a few minutes later was criminal. This time they were architects of their own downfall as they gave the ball away in midfield and watched the superb Asamoah Gyan race away and score powerfully with his right foot. With Ghana energised and full of adrenaline now, Germany all of a sudden looked a different team and the Africans poured forward. Had the irrepressible Gyan found the corner instead of Neuer’s midriff after flying down the left in the 66th minute then the game could have been over.  As it was, Klose and Sebastien Schweinsteiger were sent on immediately and after the former scored the latter ambled forwards to head another chance over. In to the final stages and Germany could have won it. The breaking Muller was tackled brilliantly by Kwadwo Asamoah and then – two minutes in to added time – Klose spurned the chance to make history. With three weeks of this tournament to run, you wouldn’t bet against it happening would you? +16 Bloodied: Thomas Muller goes down after a colliding with John Boye of Ghana (not pictured) +16 Down and out: Thomas Muller and John Boye cllashed on the final whistle +16 Family affair: Germany's Jerome Boateng (left) embraces his brother Kevin-Prince Boateng before kick off The United States soccer team were just 30 seconds away from a historic win against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Brazil on Sunday night that would have booked their place in the last 16 of the World Cup. The Americans were about to walk off with their first come-from-behind win at soccer's showcase. About to advance with a game to spare. About to win consecutive World Cup games for the first time since 1930. But they wilted in the Amazon heat and humidity. Varela's goal on a diving header off Cristiano Ronaldo's cross on the game's last play gave Portugal a 2-2 tie Sunday on an exhausting night in the rainforest capital. +36 The United States soccer team were just seconds away from a historic win against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in Brazil on Sunday night that would have booked their place in the last 16 of the World Cup +36 USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann, right, embraces his captain Clint Dempsey at the end of Sunday thrilling 2:2 draw with Portugal Ronaldo, who has been playing despite a left knee injury, sent in a cross in the fifth minute of stoppage time and Varela scored with a diving header in the last seconds of the match. 'We had one foot in the door,' goalkeeper Tim Howard said. Now the Americans may need at least a point Thursday against Germany to advance to the knockout stage. They could advance with a loss, depending on the result of the Portugal-Ghana game that will be played simultaneously. Germany and the Americans both have four points, but the Germans have a better goal difference. Ghana, which lost 2-1 to the U.S., has one point, as does Portugal. Nani had scored first for Portugal, shooting past a sprawling Tim Howard in the fifth minute, but the Americans responded in the second half as Portugal seemed to wilt in the stifling heat. But Jermaine Jones' exquisite 28-yard shot tucked inside the far post in the 64th minute and Dempsey's goal off his stomach in the 86th put the Americans ahead 2-1. +36 Seconds from glory: Portugal's forward Silvestre Varela scores past U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard in the dying seconds of Sunday's Group G match between USA and Portugal at the Amazonia Arena in Manaus +36 Clint Dempsey celebrates scoring the U.S.'s second goal past Portugal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group G match between the United States and Portugal +36 Go U.S.A. Clint Dempsey, right scores against Portugal's goalkeeper Beto during a Group G football match between USA and Portugal at the Amazonia Arena in Manaus A screaming, pro-American majority in the crowd of 40,123 was ready to party late into the steamy night. 'It was unfortunate,' U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said, 'An amazing game, amazing performance by our guys. Nothing more that you can ask for. We just go it the tougher way. We've got to go and we've got to beat Germany, get a result against Germany, and that's what we're going to do.' Cristiano Ronaldo set up Varela for his late equalizer on a hot and humid night in the jungle on Sunday to give Portugal a 2-2 draw with the United States. Clint Dempsey, playing with a broken nose, then put the Americans ahead in the 81st. The United States captain used his stomach to direct the ball into the net from a cross by Zusi. +36 Back in the game! Jermaine Jones, left, celebrates after scoring the equalizing goal for the United States on the 64th minute The last-second draw denied the Americans a spot in the second round, but it kept Portugal alive in the tournament. The United States now has four points in Group G, the same as Germany. Both Portugal and Ghana have one point. ‘Obviously we're disappointed, but at the end of the day you've got to look at the positives, we got a point,’ Dempsey said. ‘It's going down to the last game and hopefully we get the job done.’ The United States now has four points in Group G, the same as Germany. Both Portugal and Ghana have one point. The Americans will face Germany on Thursday in Recife, while Portugal takes on Ghana at the same time in Brasilia. +36 Jermaine Jones of the USA scores the 1-1 goal during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G between the USA and Portugal in Manaus, Brazil +36 Portugal's Nani (17) watches as his shot goes past United States' goalkeeper Tim Howard to score his side's first goal during the group G World Cup soccer match between the United States and Portugal at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil ‘Now we have to go out and beat Germany, that's what we have to do,’ U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. ‘We have to play Germany, we have one less day to recover, we played in the Amazon, they played on a place with less travel. We have to do it the tough way.’ It was all Portugal for much of the first half, with Ronaldo in the starting lineup but getting less involved as the match progressed. The Americans, however, started to get more and more chances and even had a shot from Michael Bradley cleared off the line by Ricardo Costa in the 55th. The heat in the Amazon rainforest, however, seemed to slow the Portuguese as the match wore on. In the 39th minute, referee Nestor Pitana of Argentina called for a cooling break, the first such decision to be taken at the World Cup. At the start of the match, FIFA listed the temperature at 30 degrees C (86 degrees F) with 66 percent humidity. FIFA uses the ‘Wet Bulb Globe Temperature’ to determine when official cooling breaks should be added, and says the WGBT must be above 90 degrees F for them to be considered. +36 Nani celebrates after scoring the goal that has put Portugal 1-0 up against America during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G preliminary round match +36 Portugal's forward Nani, right, scores his team's first goal during a Group G match between USA and Portugal +36 Brazil bound? Irina Shayk posted this photo of her and a friend on board of a flight leaving JFK in the early hours of Sunday Relaxed: Despite her boyfriend, Cristiano Ronaldo's crunch match against the United States on Sunday, Irina Shayk walks through SoHo with a friend on Saturday   United States' goalkeeper Tim Howard, left, tries to rally his teammates after they concede an early goal while Clint Dempsey, right, battles with Ricardo Costa of Portugal during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G preliminary round match +36 Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal controls the ball against Geoff Cameron, left, and Jermaine Jones, right +36 USA coach Juergen Klinsmann, left, watches the action during the FIFA World Cup group G match against Portugal +36 United States' Clint Dempsey, right, gets in a shot despite the challenge of Portugal's Ricardo Costa during the group G World Cup soccer match between the USA and Portugal The breaks are supposed to occur in the 30th and 75th minutes. Dempsey's goal was his fourth at a World Cup and second at this year's tournament. Jones scored his third goal for the United States national team and first in almost two years. A win for the U.S. team would have ensured that they qualified from their World Cup group with a game to spare - an impressive feet considering they were drawn in the so-called group of death along with Ghana, Germany and Ronaldo's Portugal. In the stiffling heat of the Arena de Amazonia, in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, moths and mosquitoes circled as the players prepared for the dramatic clash - with fans from both sides joining in the pre-game celebrations. During Saturday's final training session for the U.S. team in their game before Portugal, a double rainbow was seen to shimmer - said by some to herald an occurrence with great meaning. Go U.S.A. The American team line up for the national anthem prior to their 2014 World Cup match against Portugal +36 US soccer fans wait for their team's game against Portugal at the FIFA Fan Fest on Copacabana beach +36 Lose today and his Portugal will crash out of the World Cup in Brazil at the expense of a resurgent USA +36 A USA win would bring a pair of American firsts: reaching the knockout stage or consecutive World Cups and advancing with a game to spare 'This is now the moment where you can prove yourself. This is the moment where you can step up and play those guys and put them in place,' U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. 'So we want to put Cristiano and his team in his place.' 'We want to get out there with all the energy that we have, with all the discipline that we're going to bring, with all the aggression we're going to bring to our play and make it our game,' he said. The Americans opened with a 2-1 win over Ghana on Monday behind John Brooks' 86th-minute goal, while Portugal dropped an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Germany. When Ghana and Germany tied 2-2 on Saturday, the U.S. was suddenly in position to clinch advancement with a win Sunday. 'That's a good result for us, to know that if we can win, we take care of business, the rest is history,' goalkeeper Tim Howard said. +36 Ready: Excited USA fans prepare for their historic match against Portugal in Manaus, Brazil +36 USA soccer fans wait for their team's game against Portugal at the FIFA Fan Fest on Copacabana beach June 22, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil +36 U.S. and Brazil fans walk outside the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group H match between Belgium and Russia at Maracana on June 22, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil +36 Anticipation: USA soccer fans wait for their team's game against Portugal at the FIFA Fan Fest on Copacabana beach June 22, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil +36 Red white and blue on the beach: USA soccer fans wait for their team's game against Portugal at the FIFA Fan Fest on Copacabana beach June 22, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil +36 Preparations: United States fans with their faces painted with the Stars and Stripes get ready for their much-anticipated match with Portugal in Brazil +36 Fancy dress: US soccer fan at the Arena Amazonia in Manaus excitedly gets ready to watch the United States v Portugal on Sunday +36 Outlaws: The American fans put on their best game faces prior to their clash with Portugal in the World Cup in Manaus, Brazil on Sunday +36 Supporters of USA seen on the street prior to the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G preliminary round match between USA and Portugal at the Arena Amazonia Stadium in Manaus, Brazil +36 Fan zone: Soccer supporters line up to show their support for the United States prior to their appearance against Portugal in the World Cup on Sunday USA and Portugal supporters arrive ahead of World Cup +36 Man down: Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has ice put on his left knee after a Wednesday training session +36 Disappointment: Cristiano Ronaldo is tackled by Per Mertesacker of Germany on June 16 when Portugal were trounced 4-0 by the Germans +36 Good omen? A rainbow is seen as members of the United States men's soccer team train at Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, June 21, 2014 +36 Preparation: United States' Clint Dempsey works out during a training session at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, June 21, 2014 +36 Important: United States' Clint Dempsey, center, and Julian Green, left, work out during a training session at the Arena da Amazonia in Manaus, Brazil, Saturday, June 21, 2014