The goals just keep on coming in this wonderful World Cup, and the edge-of-the-seat oh-what-is-gonna-happen-now thrillers are not too far behind either, with Germany and Ghana putting on a second half show for the ages in an absorbing, don't-want-the-final-whistle-to-go 2-2 draw in the heat of Fortaleza.
Ghana couldn't really afford to end up on the losing side for the second straight time in Group G, and they showed some tremendous fight to come from behind and give their opponents a real scare, before that ruthless German efficiency ensured there would be no defeat yet at this FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
After a sedate first half, the game just burst into life in the second with Mario Gotze putting Germany ahead, only for Andre Ayew to equalise and Asamoah Gyan to give Ghana a can-we-hold-on-from-here lead. However, Miroslav Klose would come on from the bench and make an immediate impact, scoring a momentous goal to not just ensure a point for Germany, but also join Ronaldo at the top of the all-time goalscorers list in World Cup finals.
The draw means Germany now have four points from two matches, while Ghana, who play their final game against Portugal, stayed alive in this World Cup with their first point of the tournament.
The first half was tight and absorbing, with both teams defending well, while that little bit of cutting edge was missing. Germany did not have as much of the ball as might have been expected, with Ghana giving as much as they got, making a couple of really decent attacking moves.
The Germans did start the better, though, with Thomas Muller again making a nuisance of himself in the penalty box, while most of the team's best attacks came via the creative brain of Mesut Ozil.
Ozil saw plenty of the ball down the Germany right, with the couple of low crosses towards Muller just evading the striker, as the Ghana defenders, especially John Boye, pulled off a few important last-ditch clearances.
However, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira, so vibrant in the 4-0 win over Portugal, could not put their imprint on the game at all, which made Germany a little ineffective and predictable going forward at times.
Ghana, who made three changes to their side, enjoyed a length spell of pressure at around the half hour mark, while the African side were the team to test the goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, with Germany unable to trouble Fatawu Dauda too much. Christian Atsu forced a nice save from Neuer off a shot from 23 yards, while Sulley Muntari struck a thunderbolt from distance, which thankfully for the German goalkeeper came pretty much straight at him.
The subplots amidst the mega Group G plot, was a bit of a damp squib in the first half, with the two Boateng brothers – Jerome of Germany and Kevin-Prince of Ghana – hardly going toe-to-toe. There was just one instance when Kevin-Prince, playing mainly through the middle, just behind Gyan, got a one-on-one opportunity with Jerome, playing at right-back, but nothing really came of it as that contest left you with the same feeling as the first half – of wanting a little bit more.
The brotherly subplot was nipped in the bud by Joachim Low at halftime, with the Germany coach deciding to bring on Shkodran Mustafi for Jerome Boateng at halftime, while Kevin-Prince was also substituted five minutes into the second half.
The game did come to life early in the second 45, though, with Germany, who beat Ghana in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup, opening the scoring via the head and knee of Gotze. Muller played in a perfect cross for Gotze from the right, with the Germany playmaker getting in between the Ghana defenders and heading the ball in off his knee from six yards.
The lead lasted only three minutes, though, as Ghana were level via Andre Ayew, who leapt high into the air to power home a header past Neuer on 54 minutes. As Germany digested conceding the goal, Ghana, with their tails up, just carried on and were 2-1 up nine minutes later.
Sulley Muntari, after stealing the ball inside Germany's half, played a wonderful through ball for Asamoah Gyan, who, in acres of space, made no mistake with the finish, thumping the ball past Neuer. Ghana almost made it 3-unbelivable-1 soon after, but Jordan Ayew, in as a second half substitute for Kevin-Prince Boateng, fired his shot straight at Neuer, when he should have really picked out a teammate.
There was no letting up in this end-to-end cannot-take-your-eyes-off-it second half, though, as Germany struck right back eight minutes after Ghana's go-ahead goal, with Low's substitution working wonders.
Klose, as he always is, was in the right place at the right time, to tap-in off a knock on from Benedikt Howedes to score his 15th World Cup finals goal and equal the great Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer.
There was no let "let's take it easy and settle for a point" mentality from either team, as the game just saw chance after chance in the final ten minutes, with some last-ditch defencing, and some could-have-been-better finishing amazingly keeping the score at 2-2, and giving both teams an opportunity to fight another day.
