RUSTENBURG, South Africa — Grim-faced American players trudged one by one on their way out of Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
Their World Cup was over.
They’ll have four long years to dwell on what might have been, how the most-talented team in U.S. soccer history was knocked out in a game the Americans were convinced they should have won.
There was no nail-biting comeback this time as the U.S. relied on late rallies once too often.
Life on the World Cup edge came to an exhausting and crushing end against a familiar foe Saturday night, when Ghana — led by Asamoah Gyan’s goal three minutes into overtime — posted a 2-1 victory that ended a thrilling yet futile tournament for the U.S. in the second round just when it seemed the Americans had a relatively easy path to the semifinals.
“We felt like we had a great opportunity,” goalkeeper Tim Howard said. “We just gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb. We just couldn’t come back.”
Kevin-Prince Boateng put Ghana ahead when he stripped the ball from Ricardo Clark in the fifth minute and beat Howard from 16 yards. It was the third time in four games the U.S. fell behind early, and once again the Americans rallied.
Landon Donovan tied the score with a penalty kick in the 62nd minute, his record fifth goal for the U.S. in World Cup play, after Jonathan Mensah pulled down Clint Dempsey streaking in. But that was it.
There was no offense left, no spark, no fire — unlike the first-round come-from-behind draws against England and Slovenia, and Donovan’s memorable injury-time goal against Algeria that lifted the U.S. into the knockout phase.
“We tried to push and push,” U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. “I don’t know if we just didn’t have anything left because we had been pushing so much the entire tournament.”
Ghana, the only African team to advance past the first round of Africa’s first World Cup, eliminated the Americans for the second straight World Cup following a 2-1 win that knocked out the U.S. in the group phase in Germany.
“A stinging, tough defeat,” said Bob Bradley, who faces an uncertain future as U.S. coach. “It’s a feeling of disappointment for the team and also all our fans.”
