Uruguay line-up: Muslera, Lugano (Scotti, 38'), Fucile, Victorino, Cavani (Abreu, 76'), Suarez, Forlan, Perez, M.Pereira, Arevalo, Fernandez (Lodeiro, HT)
Ghana line-up: Kingson, Sarpei, Gyan, Pantsil, Mensah (c), Annan, Inkoom (Appiah, 74'), Muntari (Adiyiah, 88'), Vorsah, Asamoah, Boateng
In what was a tale of Uruguay versus Africa the rest of the world looked on with mixed support; the romanticists wanted Ghana to win to Africa that happy ending, the purists wanted Uruguay to win because on paper they are the better team, as for the neutrals they didn't really mind who wins but would have thought Uruguay would be the team to do it. It was indeed Uruguay who dominated the first quarter of the match as Ghana failed to get going and Forlan looked very much in the mood to spoil the African party via his dangerous set-pieces. Kingson was very much Ghana's hero as he dealt with chances from both Forlan and Suarez. He even had to stop his own captain from scoring when a shot deflected off Sunderland's Mensah. But Uruguay failed to take advantage of their sustained pressure and Ghana suddenly got themselves in the match. Vorsah and Gyan managed to just hit the edge of the post round about the half-hour mark and it was Uruguay who was holding on. Kevin Prince-Boateng was looking very good yet again and was pulling Ghana's strings, he could have put Ghana ahead just before half-time with a spectacular bicycle kick, but unfortunately for Ghana he didn't connect with it properly and it went over. But Ghana were to have a lead going into half-time via the last action of the half; Muntari found himself in space 35 yards from goal and he decided to smash one, Muslera could only see it late and was unable to prevent it going into the bottom corner.
The second half started the same as the first with Uruguay on the front foot as they searched for that equaliser. Within ten minutes of play Uruguay did find their equaliser courtesy of a curling free-kick from Diego Forlan. Uruguay continued to pile the pressure on and Forlan was playing some great football, a cross managed to beat Kingson but the confident Suarez could only volley into the side netting when many would have put their house on him putting Uruguay ahead. Again Ghana took a while but they did get themselves back in the game and the match started to open up. Suarez nearly took advantage again but Kingson wasn't going to be beaten by his near post and he punched away Suarez's shot in the 71st minute. Again Forlan's free-kicks were looking dangerous and Kingson just couldn't live with them as one hit the side-netting and one was headed over by Suarez who could have had at least a hat-trick.
Neither side could break the deadlock and the game moved into extra time where Ghana began to look the better side, possibly because of their extra time experience against USA in the last round. Gyan began to look predatory and he fired a header over the bar before seemingly beating first-half substitute Scotti but Scotti managed to flick his leg at the ball, which could have gone anywhere, and it managed to just go wide where his defensive partner was on hand to clear for a throw. Boateng also came close for Ghana but his last minute header went just wide. The ultimate drama was to follow and it wasn't even the penalty shoot-out yet; with just seconds left in extra-time and the match hurdling towards the shoot-out Uruguay were desperately hanging on, a corner swung in and Suarez was on the line to block a Mensah header before another header came in and Suarez stopped it via his hands. Ghana were awarded a last gasp penalty and Luis Suarez was sent off meaning he would miss the semi-final, although that looked unlikely with Asamoah Gyan stepping up to take the penalty. Having scored two penalties already this tournament it could be an inevitability that Gyan would score again, but his powered attempt hit the bar and Uruguay were somehow saved, much to the delight of Suarez who was watching from the side.
Uruguay suddenly found themselves to still have a chance of winning and the dreaded penalty shoot-out arrived. Uruguay went first and Diego Forlan made sure Kingson wasn't going to save his penalty. For Ghana, to credit his bravery after just missing a penalty Gyan stepped and made no mistake by sending his effort into the postage stamp (top-corner). Without Suarez to take one, the second fell to Maximiliano Pereira and he blazed it over the bar, Africa could dare to dream. But it was to be short-lived as Appiah stepped up to take the third penalty to make 3-2 but his rolled effort went straight into the arms of Muslera and scores stayed level at 2-2. The tide turned as under-20 World Cup winner Adiyiah stepped up and produced a similar effort to Appiah just with more power and again Muslera saved. This left Sebastien Abreu to step up and win the game for Uruguay, he played a cool, almost ridiculous chip that because Kingson dived to his left found its way into the net. Uruguay now meet Holland in the semi-finals but have worse problems than the Dutch as they will be most definitely without Suarez and Fucile but could also be without captain Lugano as he limped off in the first-half which should give Holland the edge.
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