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World Cup Day 5: Winning USA Goal Foretold In Player's Prophetic Dream
By
Dan Dickinson
Published Jun 17, 2014
Modified Jun 18, 2014
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By
Dan Dickinson
Published Jun 17, 2014
Modified Jun 18, 2014
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Monday's World Cup round brought us German firepower, Portuguese self-destruction, the first draw of the tournament, Joe Biden, and a premonition about a goal.
Last Night's Action
Germany 4, Portugal 0 (HIGHLIGHTS) Germany looked fantastic, surprising basically no one. Not only did their attack thrive with a Thomas Müller hat trick, but Manuel Neuer made nine saves to deny Portugal any consolation goal. Portugal suffered from injuries both self-inflected and otherwise: Pepe played his typical villain role, earning a red card for a head but, while Joao Moutinho left the game with a hamstring strain.
Nigeria 0, Iran 0 (HIGHLIGHTS) The tournament had gone 12 matches without a draw, let alone a scoreless one, but Nigeria and Iran ended that streak with a stalemate. Nigeria looked the better side but failed to convert any of their chances.
Ghana 1, USA 2 (HIGHLIGHTS) Have we mentioned that the US won? The victory was the first ever over Ghana, who knocked the US out of the previous two World Cups.
The Play To Watch
John Anthony Brooks, take a bow. The 21-year-old got on the end for a Graham Zusi free kick for a snap-down header that would win the game.
Brooks hardly knew what to do after he scored, and opted for a celebration that involved going to his safe place:
Today's Matches
Belgium vs Algeria (12PM ET, ESPN) Belgium's respectable attacking talents will try to break down a defensive Algeria side that hasn't won a World Cup match since 1982.
Mexico vs Brazil (3PM ET, ESPN) The hosts get their second match of the group stage, hosting a Mexican side that clicked well against Cameroon. Brazil remains the favorites, but do El Tri have it in them to upset Brazil in front of a home crowd?
Russia vs South Korea (6PM, ESPN) One more toss-up from Group H, as the final two teams get their first matches in. Expect Russia to try to work the ball up the middle, while Korea tries to exploit Russia's weaknesses out wide.
What Else Is Going On?
Reaction videos to John Brooks's late winner have been flooding in; The Guardian has a fine roundup. We're also partial to the visualization of Twitter activity during the game.
Brooks told reporters he had a dream that he would score in the 80th minute.
Mario Balotelli's Panini page for Italy is about as awesome as you might expect.
Veep in the house! Joe Biden was on hand for the game in Natal and visited the locker room after the game:
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Dan Dickinson
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