Ghana is making no apologies for its attacking style, despite taking just one point from two games at the World Cup. It's promising to use the same aggressive tactics in the final group match with Portugal.
The Africans held Germany 2-2 yesterday in one of the most entertaining games of the tournament, with Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan giving Ghana the lead before substitute Miroslav Klose equalised for the Germans.
"We didn't just want to sit back," Ghana coach James Appiah said. "I always believe that the best way to defend is to attack, and that was the strategy that we adopted."
After a laboured and goalless first half, the match came alive at Arena Castelao, with Mario Goetze's opener for Germany in the 51st launching a series of end-to-end attacks.
Ayew got his second goal of the tournament in the 54th, rising impossibly over the opposing defenders to head in a well-taken cross from Harrison Afful.
Gyan added a stylish second goal nine minutes later, picking up the ball from Sulley Muntari after Germany's Philipp Lahm lost possession.
The Ghana captain sprinted toward the goal and fired it past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, producing celebration dances from the tiny Ghanian supporters' section and converting Brazilians at the stadium to the African cause.
Playing its third straight World Cup, Ghana's hopes of advancing in Brazil now rely on a favourable combination of results in Group G, including a win against Portugal next Thursday.
Muntari is suspended for that game in Brasilia, and said the entire team was "praying that Portugal beats the USA tomorrow" to keep Ghana's hopes alive.
"It's sad when you come back from a goal down and in the end you don't win," he said. "It's not a good feeling. But the mood is easy now, the boys are chilling.
