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The United States was eliminated
from the World Cup by Ghana for the second straight time as Asamoah
Gyan scored 3 minutes into overtime, leading the Black Stars to a
2-1 second-round victory Saturday night.


      Kevin Prince Boateng put Ghana ahead when he stripped the ball
from Ricardo Clark in the 5th minute and beat goalkeeper Tim Howard
from 16 yards.


      Once again, the U.S. came back, and Landon Donovan tied the
score with a penalty kick in the 62nd minute after Jonathan Mensah
pulled down Clint Dempsey streaking in. But no matter how much the
Americans pressured after Gyan scored, they couldn't tie it again.


      In the first-ever extra time World Cup game for the U.S., Gyan
got the winning goal when he took a long ball from Andre Ayew over
the defense and beat U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra, his teammate on
the French club Rennes. Gyan let the ball bounce, took a touch with
his chest, and with Jay DeMerit vainly trying to catch up, scored
over goalkeeper Tim Howard with a left-footed shot from 16 yards.

      There was no late magic this time to equal Donovan's injury-time
goal against Algeria that moved the Americans into the second
round. The closest the U.S. came to tying it again was in the 98th
minute, when Maurice Edu's header off Donovan's corner kick went
wide.


      With Howard pushed up, DeMerit's desperation long shot in the
final minutes went over the crossbar. Then Dempsey sent a header
wide.


      At the final whistle, Howard consoled Bocanegra and Maurice Edu
collapsed to the ground. Donovan exchanged jerseys with a Ghana
player and walked off the field, put on a coat, sat on the bunch
and hung his head.


      Meanwhile, the only African team left in the tournament
celebrated moving into the quarterfinals against Uruguay on Friday
in Johannesburg.
      

Gallery

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Sports

The United States was eliminated
from the World Cup by Ghana for the second straight time as Asamoah
Gyan scored 3 minutes into overtime, leading the Black Stars to a
2-1 second-round victory Saturday night.


Ghana eliminates U.S. for 2nd straight World Cup

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