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The dream ends - Starlets out
(From Caesar Abagali, GNA Special Correspondent in
Ulsan, South Korea)
Courtesy Ministry of Education, Science and Sports)
Ulsan (SK), Sept. 5, Ghanadot/GNA - The dreams of Ghana's
Black Starlets to cruise to the finals of the World Cup U-17
were derailed when Spain on Wednesday shocked them and the
Korean fans with a well deserved win of 2-1 to end the
Ghanaians aim of conquering the world the third time.
The Spaniards won the hearts of Korean fans right after the
referee's whistle to signal the end of proceedings of the
match for their good performance against Ghana.
The usual shouts of "Ghana!, Ghana!!, Ghana!!! by Korean
fans was conspicuously missing, an indication that fans this
time round did not admire the play of the Starlets' as
compared to their other games played in the tournament.
The game was virtually played in the middle of the pitch
with the Spaniards taking absolute control and preventing
the Ghanaians to have a hold of their normal ball possession
to break through their defense.
Starlets striker Sadick Adams had a glorious chance to open
scoring as early as the second minute of the first half but
failed to find the net even after displacing the goalkeeper.
The lead goal-scorer of the Starlets, Ransford Osei also
failed to shine with his only chance coming in the 39th
minute when his header was perfectly saved by the Spaniards
goalie, who performed marvellously well to save his side
from defeat.
Chances upon chances from both sides failed to yield any
fruitful results and but for the intervention of Eric Opoku
in time added on in the first half, the Starlets would have
conceded its first goal.
Opoku defended well and scooped the ball out of the goal
line to the relief of few Ghanaian fans and the technical
bench when the goal hungry-looking Spaniards found their way
into the Starlets goal area.
The resumption of the second half did not see much
difference as the Spaniards kept mounting a sustained
pressure in search for goals.
The introduction of Abeiku Quansah, whom some Korean sports
journalists said did not deserve to be on the bench in a
crucial match such as this, could also not
salvage the situation.
The Spaniards however managed to break the deadlock in the
77th minute throughby Daniel Aquino when he received a cross
from the left wing and made no mistake to find the net to
register the first goal.
The goal silenced the stadium since the Koreans had favoured
and supported the Ghanaians but 'wonder' striker Sadick
Adams revived Ghana's hopes three minutes later when defied
a dangerous attack on him and meander unto the wings before
delivering a terrible shot into the far corner of the net
for the equalizer in the 80th minute.
The game from then became a ding dong affair with for both
sides on full flight and it remained difficult to fully
predict the winner as the two sides played with equal
strength, resilience and determination before referee Salvio
Fagundes Filho of Brazil ended the match for the
commencement of an extra time of 30 minutes.
The Spaniards had the upper hand of the game and when it
seemed the match was to be decided on penalties, the
Spaniards had a free-kick right at the edge of Ghana's goal
area.
The kick was brilliantly taken for danger man Bojan to surge
forward to once again silence the Starlets in 26th minute of
the extra time to score the winning goal to end Ghana's
dream.
The defeat brings to two for the Starlets, all by European
teams in the tournament, after Ghana lost 2-3 in the group
stages to Germany.
This is also the first time that Spain has been able to
defeat Ghana since the commencement of the tournament.
Ghana would be next meet either Germany or Nigeria on Sunday
for the third and fourth place positions.
Nigeria and Germany would play their semi-final match on
Thursday to decide on who goes to the finals.
GNA
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