Ghana are Africa's last remaining team in the 2010 World Cup and hope to become the third African team to reach the quarter-finals; following in the football boots of Cameroon (Italy 1990) and Senegal (Korea-Japan 2002).

Inside five minutes, Ghana forced Team USA to try and come from behind again.

Ricardo Clark lost the ball around the halfway line allowing Kevin-Prince Boateng to take the ball and run the length of the pitch; eventually shooting the ball low, between a late-diving Tim Howard and his right post.

Ricardo Clark then picked up a yellow card for a hot-headed challenge; clearly frustrated for giving the goal away.

Another yellow card ten minutes later, this time for Steve Cherundolo on the edge of the US area, and Tim Howard redeemed himself by saving the Asamoah Gyan free-kick.

The volume of the vuvuzelas increased in the thirty-fifth minute, in appreciation of Richard Kingson's left-foot save from Robbie Findley.

Two minutes later and it was Tim Howard's turn to save from a fast approaching Kwadwo Asamoah.

Half-time: 0:1

Half-time substitute, Benny Feilhaber, was into the Ghanaian penalty area early; forcing Richard Kingson into a left-hand and foot combination save.

Team USA started the second-half brightly, picking holes in the Ghana defence on a number of occasions; but the United States lacked the final player to connect, or were denied by the ever alert Richard Kingson.

Just after the hour, United States were back in the game, after Jonathan Mensah fouled Clint Dempsey in the penalty area. Landon Donovan sent Kingson the wrong way but looked stunned for a second; when the ball hit the post, then the back of the net.

A minute after Asamoah Gyan tried to aim a glancing header into the USA top corner, the Americans looked composed going forward, smartly releasing Michael Bradley behind the Ghana back line. The bosses so probably shot too early and Kingson held the ball on the ground comfortably.

Jozy Altidore had a great chance to put the United States in front, with ten minutes to go; but, in stretching to beat the pursuing Mensah, scuffed the turf and skewed his shot.

Teams would normally be dragging out time with substitutions at such a late stage of the game, but with extra-time looming both managers still hard one option available to them.

Ghana had a chance to score with the last corner of the game but fluffed it and both teams would have another thirty minutes to try and get a result.

Into Extra Time.

Bob Bradley made his final substitution at the start of extra-time; looking for fresh legs up front, Herculez Gomez on for Jozy Altidore.

But it was a long ball upfield by Andre Ayew that brought the breakthrough; Asamoah Gyan sprinting shoulder to shoulder with Carlos Bocanegra. Bocanegra tried to nudge Gyan of the ball; the Ghanaian stumbled slightly but ploughed on, to fire over Tim Howard before Jay DeMerit could get back to help.

It had been pleasing to see two teams play the game of football like men; not rolling around and trying to con the referee - until the second period of extra-time.

Hungary's Viktor Kassai has also played his part in deciding what has been fair challenges. Maybe the call on Andre Ayew for clipping heels was a close one.

It's all about nerves in the last ten minutes of extra-time, and some were starting to fray. The United States continued to push; there were still seconds on the clock and even Tim Howard came up to put himself about.

At the end of a great evening in Rustenburg, Ghana become the third African team to reach the quarter-finals and perhaps England can think themselves lucky that they didn't top the group and have to play them.

USA 1 Ghana 2

If Slovenia had won this, they would have gone five points ahead of England and been the first team to qualify for the second round.

The game hadn't really looked like much when Tim Howard was watching Slovenia move forward in the thirteenth minute. Valter Birsa struck the ball from so far out that the Everton goalkeeper probably thought the unpredictable Jabulani would float high or wide.

The ball did take a swerve, but the height of the flight didn't alter and America went a goal down.

Slovenia did everything they needed to do to keep ahead, and just when the United States thought that they might get a sniff at an equaliser, Slovenia took a slight tug at the Stars and Stripey nasal hair and made their eyes water; as Zlatan Ljubijankic calmly slotted the ball past Tim Howard with the inside of his foot.

Should Brad Guzan or Marcus Hahnemann be coming on for the second-half? Of course not, but that's the sort of rubbish you hear when an England goalkeeper only lets one soft goal go past him.

Half-time: 2:0

At the start of the second-half, Team USA's double substitution paid instant dividends, as Landon Donovan put the North American giants back in with a shout against the European minnows.

The US goal didn't really ruffle Slovenia; as they continued to play their short-passing game, in search of another goal.

The United States brought themselves level with less than ten minutes to play; a long ball was headed down by Jozy Altidore for Michael Bradley - the manager's son - to toe poke home.

With the USA level, the goalscorer's father went all defensive again - instead of pushing on for the win.

Maurice Edu couldn't believe that the USA's third goal was disallowed, for tugging off the ball.

So Slovenia are not through, and even if England beat Algeria later tonight, nothing in the group will be decided until next Wednesday. Slovenia must be very disappointed, but full credit to Papa Bradley's substitutions.

Slovenia 2 USA 2

England failed to make up for their 1950 defeat to the United States in Belo Horizonte; after yet another goalkeeping error just before half-time.

New England captain, Steven Gerrard, led the way forward by nipping inside Ricardo Clark - after a touch from Emile Heskey - and flicking the ball back across Tim Howard, to put Fabio Capello's team ahead within the opening minutes.

England were maybe a little lucky to escape unscathed from three successive US corners around the 13th minute; and Capello knew it.
After Jozy Altidore fluffed a header in the 19th minute, Aaron Lennon drove into the American area at the other end; Frank Lampard trying an overhead kick to return the American clearance.

While Tim Howard was receiving treatment after a heavy slide through by Emile Heskey, Fabio Capello decided to take off James Milner; who had received a yellow card shortly before.

England have a history of losing a player to a red card in important games, so perhaps the Italian was just being cautious.

A bigger case for concern in the England camp has been the goalkeeping position, though.

Clint Dempsey made life a little more miserable for West Ham's Robert Green, five minutes before half-time, when a low drive from the American spilled out of Green's hands and into the net.

Half-time: 1:1

There was more concern for Fabio Capello at half-time, when a second substitution had to be used to replace Ledley King with Jamie Carragher.

Robert Green managed to redeem himself when he turned a Jozy Altidore shot onto the post; fortunately there were no Americans following up.

Tim Howard managed to keep out sustained English pressure in the second half and help steer the Americans on a course for the second round.

England 1 USA 1