Recife/Brasilia: Germany’s Thomas Mueller is matching Lionel Messi and Neymar goal for goal as the celebrated forward joined the other two on four goals in this World Cup to help his side get past the USA 1-0 and top Group G here on Thursday, with the American team also advancing to the last-16.
On a rainy afternoon, it was complete German domination at the start of the first half with the European powerhouse maintaining almost 70 percent possession, which tested the US defence.
In the other match, Portugal downed Ghana 2-1 but both teams have to bid goodbye to the tournament, finishing third and fourth in the group, respectively.
The Jurgen Klinsmann-coached side counter attacked with Garaham Suzie’s effort going barely over the bar after the Americans made their first collective move up the field.
Arsenal star Mesut Ozil also came up with a chance in the 35th minute after beating his defender but an alert US goalkeeper Tim Howard, who has a record 103 caps to his credit, was quick to fend it off.
In an otherwise clean half, Schalke 04 centre back Benedikt Howedes earned a cautionary yellow card after stopping an American counter-attack by pulling down US right back Fabian Johnson.
The half saw another booking after US midfielder Gonzalez dragged down Bastian Schweinsteiger before the No. 7 could pass to Mueller.
There was no change in the nature of the weather come the second half but German coach Joachim Loew came up with one change in Miroslav Klose coming on the field for Lukas Podolski.
Klose (15 goals in World Cups), who is currently Germany’s all-time top scorer having beaten the record previously held by Gerd Muller (14 goals), did try to head in a pass but missed the goal by a distance.
But Mueller closed the gap as the celebrated forward found the back of the net for Germany in the 55th minute. The No. 13, who struck his ninth World Cup goal in all, fired in the rebound from the top of the area into the back of the net.
Having recovered from a nasty head injury the Bayern Munich star picked up in the last drawn game against Ghana after a collision of heads with defender John Boye, Mueller once again look like the impact player that he has been for the Germans.
In the last four World Cups Mueller and Klose have scored 24 goals between them.
Meanwhile, in Brasilia, Cristiano Ronaldo’s first goal of the World Cup earned Portugal a 2-1 win over Ghana but couldn’t prevent his team being eliminated from the tournament along with the Africans.
Portugal finished level on four points with second-place United States in Group G but with an inferior goal difference.
Ronaldo slammed in the winner with his left foot in the 80th minute to break his drought in Brazil and give Portugal their first win.
Ghana captain Asamaoh Gyan’s 57th-minute header canceled out an own goal scored by team mate Boye in the 31st.
It was a bittersweet ending to the World Cup for Ronaldo, who has been nursing a left leg injury and seen the likes of Brazil star Neymar and Argentina captain Lionel Messi upstage him.
He barely celebrated his strike in the Brazilian capital, knowing his team still needed more goals – or a seismic turn of events in Recife – if Portugal was going to sneak into the last-16 at the Americans’ expense.
In the end, Ronaldo actually had two great chances in injury time, but glanced a close-range finish over the bar and then shot straight at Fatawu Dauda when one on one with the goalkeeper.
The result brought to an end a typically eventful few weeks in Brazil for the Ghanaians, who were part of thrilling games against the US and Germany before their campaign ended in turmoil on and off the pitch.
Their players took to the field in the Brazilian capital amid a dispute with the country’s football federation over alleged unpaid World Cup bonuses. Adding to the chaos, two of the team’s star players – Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng – were booted out of the squad hours before Thursday’s kickoff for disciplinary reasons. (AP)