Ghana 1-1 Australia: Harry Kewell Off As Wasteful Blacks Stars Held

There was no winner between the Black Stars and the Socceroos, despite Kewell's early red card.

Ghana were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Australia, leaving the World Cup hopes of both sides in the balance.

The Socceroos started the game in a positive manner, taking the lead through Brett Holman, but the match would soon turn sour for the Antipodeans when Harry Kewell was dismissed for handball on the line. Asamoah Gyan converted the resultant penalty, but the Black Stars failed to really assert themselves on the concluding hour.

After being trounced 4-0 in their opening game against Germany, Australia made a solid start to the game, steadying themselves after their rocky start to the tournament. Kewell was denied an early penalty when he seemed to have been tripped by Lee Addy, but genuine goal scoring chances were non-existent.

A positive run from Carl Valeri on ten minutes drew a foul from Antony Annan, which presented the Socceroos with a free kick in a promising position. Richard Kingson, who had earlier collided with Addy, got his body behind Mark Bresciano’s drive but fumbled it loose into the middle of the goal, where Holman pounced to push the Antipodeans into the ascendancy.

Ghana made steady progress in finding a leveling goal but didn’t look especially menacing immediately after falling behind. Andre Ayew and Gyan both had shots deflected past by Lucas Neill blocks.

Then the game turned. Ayew showed good tenacity to break into the box down the right before cutting a pass back to Jonathan Mensah on the penalty spot. The Free State Stars center-back, who was winning only his third cap, fired a strong shot at goal, though his effort was blocked by the upper part of Kewell’s right arm. Having been stationed on the line, the Galatasaray player, who has been heavily criticized in the Australian press, was dismissed. Gyan sent Mark Schwarzer from the resultant penalty.

Prince Tagoe and Gyan both snapped shots off target soon after the goal as the Black Stars really sought to press home their advantage, but some of the momentum was lost as Australia were able to retain possession for significant spells under little pressure.

Kevin-Prince Boateng made a couple of good forays in the dying stages of the first period. Two minutes before the break the midfielder drove a low shot towards Schwarzer’s far post, but the shot-stopper got down superbly to turn away. Bizarrely, referee Roberto Rosetti awarded a goal kick.

The Black Stars were quite clearly intent on making a quick start after the break. Kwadwo Asamoah had a shot fly wide within 60 seconds of the restart and soon Schwarzer would be forced to push away an 18-yard curler from Gyan.

This impetus soon faded, with Ghana playing the game at a strangely slow tempo. They were still controlling the game and were showing no fear of shooting from range, though none of their ambitious efforts remotely tested the experienced Australian custodian.

Australia’s attacking threat was extremely limited but substitute Scott Chipperfield had a golden chance to regain the advantage. Luke Wilkshire made a strong run down the right before delivering to the back post, where the winger steamed onto the ball unmarked but headed over.

Guile was frequently lacking in much of Ghana’s build-up play, meanwhile. A deft pass from Asamoah to Gyan was very much the exception, but the chance was wasted by the Stade Rennais striker, who sent his first time drive from the edge of the penalty box just wide.

The inability of the Africans to piece together a string of meaningful attacks gave the Socceroos the confidence to push additional players forward to worry the inexperienced Ghana rearguard. A well-worked move unlocked the Black Stars’ defense, but Wilkshire lacked the composure in front of goal to beat Kingson. Josh Kennedy couldn’t get sufficient hold of the follow-up to defy the goalkeeper.

Instead of Ghana finishing the match the stronger of the sides, it was in fact Australia who looked likelier to find the net in the closing stages of the game. Several dangerous crosses were slung into the Africans’ box, but after a couple of hairy moments, Milovan Rajevac’s side survived.

Jonathan Mensah had a late header wide as the Black Stars missed a late chance to pinch all three points. Schwarzer then turned over a fierce stoppage time shot from Quincy Owusu-Abeyie.

With just one point, the Socceroos need to defeat Serbia in their final game to stand a chance of reaching the last 16, while Ghana need at least a draw against Germany to book their place in the latter stages of the competition.