Czech Republic v Ghana - Match Report

World Cup newcomers Ghana shock flat-footed Czechs

Ghana's "Black Stars" sliced apart the highly fancied Czech Republic 2-0 Saturday with a combination of speed and accuracy that threw Group E wide open and left the Czechs' World Cup hopes teetering.

The Czech Republic would have been humiliated were it not for a slew of close range saves from Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, especially aftre they were reduced to ten men when one of their defnders wazs sent off was sent off.

But Ghana's Asamoah Gyan also bounced the resulting penalty off the post, in the only flaw in an otherwise brilliant afternoon for the Ghanaians in their first ever World Cup finals.

After coach Ratomir Dukjovic surprisingly dropped one of their most experienced players, Roma defender Sammy Kuffour, the Ghanains made little bones of their tactics from the kick off.

Asamoah Gyan beat the Czech offside trap in the second minute on a through ball from Stephen Appiah, shooting low past the outstretched Petr Cech, as the Ghanaians pressed ahead from the kick off.

The Black Star's forwards, fed by precise passing from Michael Essien and Appiah repeatedly cut through the Czech's flat-footed defensive line with their speed.

The Czechs were lucky not to be three down by half time after Gyan again broke through but Cech saved at his feet, while Appiah shot narrowly wide with only the keeper to beat.

Failing to recover the form that defeated the United States 3-0, the injury-hit Czechs suffered from having only one striker and lacked the cutting edge they needed to stretch the occasionally shaky Ghanaian defence to breaking point.

But the Ghanains tightened up at the back and gained in confidence, and were rarely troubled by the cumbersome 1.96 metre gait of the Czech's lone striker, Vratislav Lokvenc.

In contrast with the lethal accuracy and pace of Ghana's packed midfield the Czechs desperately lacked deft footwork in the Ghanian penalty area.

The Ghanaians had trouble picking up Tomas Rosicky's runs through the middle, while Karel Poborsky shot wide following a build up down the right.

But the "Black Stars" repeatedly capitalised on the nervous-looking Czechs' inability to retain possession in midfield.

In the second half, the Czechs finally wrapped together their first fluid passing move through Pavel Nedved and first match hero Rosicky, but it was only brief respite.

Cech was forced into a brilliant save from Gyan after the Modena forward latched onto a low goalkick that bounced past the Czech defenders

However any Czech hopes faded half way through the second half when defender Tomas Ujfalusi was sent off for bringing down Matthew Amoah in the penalty area.

Cech then beat off a peppering of shots over the next 20 minutes from the unbridled Micheal Essien, Gyan, Appiah, until he finally succumbed to Sulley Muntari in the 82nd minute.