The biggest sporting event in the world continues with the Group H Ghana v Uruguay clash that should be plenty entertaining at a minimum.
With so many games and so little time, our Group H Ghana v Uruguay Match Centre tries to sum it all up as quickly as possible before and after the game and with just a hint of cynicism. If you wanted professional and/or good you’d be on the BBC website, not here. Essentially, we watch and follow the game so you don’t have to.
With answers to the key questions prior to the match and our Minutes that Mattered summary and stats post game, it is a real Who Cares guide to the 2022 World Cup for the person on the go.
Enjoy the Group H Ghana v Uruguay Match Centre.
KICKOFF – FRIDAY 2ND DEC – 18:00 (QATAR) 15:00 (UK) 02:00 (AEDT)
Group H Ghana v Uruguay Match Review
Uruguay have beaten Ghana 2-0 but ultimately it wasn’t enough to snatch second place in Group H as South Korea beat Portugal in the other game. Uruguay fell short by scoring one less goal than South Korea.
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
1’ Min Nothing quite like starting a game where there has been a massive hangover of controversy of cheating at a previous World Cup, from which Luis Suarez is still a public enemy, with an early Klinsmann Trophy nomination. Uruguayan defender Gimenez is the paid actor this time for a football infomercial of alleged contact. Alleged is generous, it was closer to none.
4’ Min Darwin Nunez storms into the Uruguay penalty area and falls over trying to claim a penalty, the referee isn’t fooled and nor should he have been.
10’ Min Ten minutes in and it is quite the scrappy affair, with plety of time being spent by players lying on the ground.
15’ Min Genuine chance for Ghana and it is Jordan Ayew who gets the first shot at goal away of the match. Ayew floats along the edge of the penalty area and get a shot away that the goalkeeper pushes away and his teammate Mohammed Kudus isn’t quite quick enough to get the rebound as he jumps over the keeper to avoid contact. The referee appears to blow a penalty for offside anyway.
But hang about, there’s a delay in Uruguay taking the free kick, and it appears VAR is in the ear of the on-field referee. After the usual painful delay, the on-field referee does the dreaded air square of VAR and heads over to the monitor. He checks for the contact between the Uruguayan keeper and Kudus. After careful viewing of the incident the referee says….
PENALTY TO GHANA
Uruguay are obviously in disbelief about it all, with Darwin Nunez taking it worst and earning a yellow card for his trouble. And that will probably be trouble as he’ll probably et a second yellow before half time.
Andrew Ayew steps up for the penalty and….
PENALTY SAVED
Ghana 10 goes right, but the Uruguayan keeper correctly guesses also and he saves with ease and denies Ghana the lead.
As if this game needed any more spice….
21’ Min Big chance for Uruguay as they break from halfway and Darwin Nunez gets one on one with the Ghana keeper. Nunez manages to chip the keeper and the ball is on its way to glory, but Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu makes in back in time to makes the clearance.
26’ Min GOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL FOR URUGUAY
Uruguay steal the ball from Ghana on the halfway line, then a floating cross is put into the box and slowly drifts past two Ghana defenders who could have done better, and the ball falls to Luis Suarez who takes a shot at goal. The Ghana keeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi stops the ball but it bounces up and into the path of Giorgian de Arrascaeta who gets down low to head the ball across the line from close distance.
URUGUAY 1 GHANA 0
30’ Min GOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL FOR URUGUAY
Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Luiz Suarez combine for a second goal in quick succession. After a quick flurry of passes from the halfway the ball falls to Suarez who chips the ball over the Ghana defence and de Arrascaeta hits the ball on the volley to score his second goal. The Ghana keeper possibly could have done better, but it was lovely ball movement and finishing from Uruguay prior to and for the goal.
URUGUAY 2 GHANA 0
41’ Min And it’s like a cheap WWII movie here as there are multiple players from both sides rolling around for multiple afflictions. None will win an oscar, nor as it turns out a free kick.
43’ Min Free kick for Uruguay in a dangerous area but like a dodgy curry the ball goes straight through everyone.
45’ Min Right minutes of added time is declared, mainly from the delay with earlier VAR and associated arguing after.
45’+6 Min Uruguay’s Facundo Pellistri chases a through ball into box and falls to the ground. Initial thoughts turn to how VAR can over-analyse this, but the referee boldly waves away the contact and tells the forward to get to his feet.
Uruguay takes a 2-0 lead into the break, with the 2-0 lead significant as it moves Uruguay into second place. However, if South Korea can take the lead against Portugal, they will go ahead into second based on goals scored. So Uruguay need to try and keep scoring. Ghana needs to stop them because if they can draw they can end up second, as long as South Korea don’t lead by more than one. Sounds too complicated to care about at 2am? Sure. Bring on the second half then.
HALF TIME – URUGUAY 2 GHANA 0
46’ Min Both Ayew brothers have been replaced at half time. With Ghana needing two goals to draw level and take second place in the final table we find it odd to take away both players.
47’ Min Ghana go close to start the second half. A shot across the goal goes close, as does Mohammed Kudus looking for the follow up.
57’ Min Chance for Uruguay as Darwin Nunez goes charging into the box and is knocked over but the contact is waved away as non a penalty. Initially….VAR is eventually called upon and the on-field referee wanders over to his viewing area once more. And the non-penalty decision remains.
65’ Min Uruguay go close to adding a third, but Facundo Pellistri pushes a relatively easy chance into the side netting. Both he and Luis Suarez are replaced afterwards.
70’ Min Uruguay go close again with Federico Valverde taking a shot from a long way out that forces an unconvincing save from the Ghana keeper.
75’ Min Ghana are starting to show more urgency in attack, but they need to. They require two goals to draw and save their World Cup campaign. A few crosses have gone into the box without success as did a corner kick.
79’ Min Big chance for Ghana as the ball falls to Antoine Semenyo on the edge of the box but he pushes the ball to the right. Hr puts that on target it had enough power to beat the Uruguayan keeper.
81’ Min Another big chance for Ghana. Mohammed Kudus does put a shot on target and it is smashed towards goal but produces a brilliant save from the Uruguayan keeper to push the ball wide of the goal.
Big moment away from this game – South Korea have scored and taken the lead against Portugal. This means that South Korea have taken second place off Uruguay. They are equal on points and goal difference but South Korea have scored two more goals. So Uruguay need two more goals or just one from Portugal and none from Ghana. Ghana need two goals to steal second off both teams.
88’ Min Huge save from the Ghana keeper to deny Edison Cavani from close range.
90’ Min Eight minutes of added time to come.
90’ +2 Min Edison Cavani hits the turf in the penalty box looking for a penalty, he doesn’t get it and time ticks on.
90’ +5 Min Another save from the Ghana keeper to deny a break away goal for Uruguay. \
90’ +6 Min The Uruguayan keeper returns the favour down the other end and makes a great save to deny Ghana.
90’ +7 Min Uruguay go close again as Sebastián Coates pushes a Cavani cross just wide of the post.
90’ +9 Min Uruguay get a free kick 25 metres out. This is the ultimate last chance saloon. Nicolás de la Cruz takes the kick and finds the Ghana keeper.
Referee blows the whistle to end the World Cup for both Ghana and Uruguay. Both teams will have regrets about their first two games, Uruguay especially as they ended up missing out on the knockout stage by scoring one less goal than would have seen them qualified.
Final Score
GHANA 0
URUGUAY 2
Giorgian de Arrascaeta 26′ Giorgian de Arrascaeta 30′
HT Uruguay 2-0
Player of the Match
Sergio Rochet
Group H Ghana v Uruguay Match Stats
Coming soon.
Group H Ghana v Uruguay Starting Teams
GHANA (4-2-3-1)
1 Ati-Zigi
26 Seidu
18 Amartey
4 Salisu
17 Baba
5 Partey
21 Abdul Samed
19 Williams
10 A Ayew
9 J Ayew
20 Kudus
URUGUAY (4-4-2)
23 Rochet
13 Varela
2 Giménez
19 Coates
16 Olivera
8 Pellistri
15 Valverde
6 Bentancur
10 de Arrascaeta
9 Suárez
11 Núñez
Group H Ghana v Uruguay Match Preview
Why should you care?
Because this match has history, and involving occasional villain Luis Suarez. A more in depth memory on the Ghana-Uruguay rivalry is here.
On top of that rivalry, Ghana seem to be this World Cup’s entertainment machine. With a 3-2 loss to Portugal to start their campaign and a recent 3-2 win over South Korea. What more do you want.
Who should you care about?
As per the above link, Luis Suarez is the man that Ghana will be waiting for, so hopefully he’ll get plenty or at least some game time.
Sadly a bit of ignorance on our behalf pre-tournament not knowing that Brighton’s Tariq Lamptey was playing for Ghana and he ha been good too.
Full 2022 World Cup Squads & Stats
Is there a barely interesting fact?
Uruguay have won both of their group stage games against African sides at the World Cup, and scored three goals each time.
Ghana have never played a South American side in the group stage.
Who will win?
Ghana 2 Uruguay 1
Full 2022 World Cup Predictions
What the Table?
Team / Played / Pts / Goal Scored / Goals Conceded / Goal Difference
| Portugal | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| Ghana | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| South Korea | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 |
