The United States recorded a stunning 4-0 victory over Ghana in an international friendly held in Tennessee, marking their third consecutive win over the Black Stars.
The American team delivered an exceptional first-half performance, with Dortmund midfielder Giovanni Reyna scoring a brace, former Chelsea star Christian Pulisic converting a penalty, and Monaco forward Folarin Balogun also finding the net at the Geodis Park.
The damage was done in the first 45 minutes of the game, and Ghana couldn’t recover, succumbing to their second defeat in the October international window. The Black Stars had previously suffered a 2-0 defeat in North Carolina to Mexico. Coach Chris Hughton had admitted their defensive issues in the Mexico game and vowed not to repeat those errors against the USA.
However, their defending was even worse on Tuesday night, and the USA capitalised on their poor performance.
This loss marks Ghana’s third consecutive defeat to the USA, after winning the first two meetings in 2006 and 2010, both at the World Cup. The USA exacted their revenge at the 2014 World Cup and have since had the upper hand whenever the two teams have faced off.
Hughton made changes to the team that lost to Mexico, including replacing Lawrence Ati-Zigi in goal with Belgium-based goalkeeper Abdul Nurudeen. Despite conceding four goals, Nurudeen was arguably Ghana’s best player in the first half.