Having suffered defeats in the last two World Cups to the same opposition, USA will have revenge on their minds when they take on Ghana in a Group G encounter in Natal on Monday.
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The Group G encounter is scheduled for a 7 pm local time (3.30 am IST, 11 pm BST, 6 pm ET) start with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online HERE in India. Catch the match in the UK on ITV and BBC with the live streaming option HERE or HERE. US viewers can watch the big game on ESPN and ABC while you can also live stream the action HERE. Australia viewers click HERE to watch the game online, while South Africa viewers can catch the match HERE.
The US do not have happy memories of facing Ghana, who inflicted a 2-1 defeat on them at the 2006 World Cup, a result which ended their hopes of making the last 16. The second time the two teams met, Ghana dumped the US out again, with a similar 2-1 victory in the round of 16 in South Africa.
Those two losses will still be rankling the USA national team, and retribution can be gained with three points over the Africans at the Estadio das Nunas come Monday.
"There is nothing better than starting against a team that beat you in the last two World Cups," said US coach Klinsmann, who was Germany manager when the first defeat was handed by Ghana at the 2006 WC. "There is nothing like starting the World Cup like it's a final."
While not too many would tip the US to get out of a group that also includes Germany, Klinsmann's home nation, and Portugal, the former striker, who controversially left out Landon Donovan from his final 23-man squad, insisted his side are fully capable of going all the way to the final.
"Expectations now in the United States are very high," Klinsmann added. "We are growing the game better not only on the national level. The [domestic] league is more and more competitive, in every area the game is growing. We want to drive this as the locomotive as the national team.
"No matter what the circumstances are, no matter how the game goes this group is ready to make it happen. I booked my flight home after the final."
This match is quite crucial for both sides. Fail to get a single point on Monday, then you could just be looking at an early flight back home, considering the next two matches will be against Germany and Portugal. Klinsmann called USA's first group game as a final of sorts and Ghana will head into the match with the same mind set, while also being wary of that revenge subplot.
"They are coming for revenge," Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan said on Sunday. "Mentally, they don't want to lose to us for the third time. It's going to make it very interesting and difficult for us. But we're ready to go out and give our all tomorrow.
"Back home expectation is high. In 2006 we got through the group stage and in 2010 we got to the quarterfinals. Now the people back home believe we can do more. That's pressure but sometimes pressure is a good thing. We believe in ourselves, we are confident in our quality."
Expected lineups: Ghana: Kwarasey; Afful, Boye, Mensah, Asamoah; Muntari, Essien; Jordan Ayew, Boateng, Andre Ayew; Gyan.
USA: Howard; Johnson, Cameron, Besler, Beasley; Bedoya, Beckerman, Jones, Bradley; Dempsey, Altidore.
Prediction: 1-1
