Natal: Ghana face USA in the group G match in their tenth World Cup outing against USA who are playing their 30th match.
Ghana have the youngest squad at the World Cup, their average age among the 23 players at 25 years, 5 months and 12 days.
Ghana and USA have met in the previous two World Cups, and their U-20 counterparts met at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Turkey 2013 last summer.
The eventual third-place finishers blew past the Americans in an electrifying show of speed.
Ghana:
Ghana will lineup in their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with the main focus being on their attack and the stern midfield they have at their disposal. The likes of Micheal Essien, Suley Muntari and Andrew Ayew provide quality as well as experience in the heart of the midfield, whereas Kevin Prince-Boateng will look to play a key role in the attack. Chelsea's youngster Christian Atsu could surprise a few with his skill and flair and can be one of the leading young prospects of the tournament.
Appiah's use of 4-4-2 and often 4-5-1 gives them an alternative plan going into the game which could prove to be useful in defending against the likes of Portugal or Germany when needed.
Ghana's strength lies in their experience. The likes of Essien, Muntari, Gyan, Boateng have all played for leading European clubs and have the experience of handling pressure situations. Appiah has done well to get the best out of this side on numerous occasions and their impressive qualifying campaign serves as an indication of that.
Their major weakness though comes in the defense. As much as their front men look established and well settled, the same cannot be said about their rear guard. The full back position remains one of the major issue of the side as Samuel Inkoom has hardly done enough to warrant a place in the team whereas the center back position looks unsettled too as Appiah still does not know his best back four.
Ghana could surprise a few in this summer's tournament. The squad is experienced and have players capable of producing inspirational moments when needed. They could possibly manage to surpass the group but anything more than that looks a distant dream.
USA:
USA's major strength lies upfront with the likes of Zusi, Dempsey, Bradley all having a relatively decent seasons with their repective clubs. What will be worrying though is the form of striker Altidore who has had a torrid season for Sunderland this time around. The absence of Donovan though comes as the major blow for the side and could hurt them. Klinsmann might have taken a big step by omitting the star midfielder, but it is a gamble that could backfire.
Beasley's impressive performances as a left back comes as a much needed boost for the side. The midfielder turned defender has done well for the national side over the years and could provide necessary cover for the defense.
