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Key events
The story so far
Ghana have been all sorts of fun. They lost 3-2 to Portugal in a thriller, then beat South Korea by the same score.
Uruguay started with a 0-0 draw and were a bit unfortunate to lose 2-0 to Portugal. Scoring a goal today would be a big start.
The permutations
Ghana A win against Uruguay will put Ghana through. A draw will be enough unless South Korea beat Portugal, in which case Ghana must hope South Korea pull off only a one goal victory, otherwise the Asian side will pip them on goal difference.
Uruguay must win, and hope that South Korea do not win against Portugal. If both Uruguay and South Korea win, then their relative goal differences will decide who qualifies. Uruguay start with a goal difference one worse than South Korea, so would have to beat Ghana by more than South Korea beat Portugal.
(With thanks to Martin Belam)
Team news: Suarez starts
Of course he does. He replaces Edinson Cavani in one of three changes from the defeat to Portugal. Giorgian de Arrasceta and Facundo Pellistri are in for Diego Godin and Matis Vecino, which probably means a switch to a back four. And with Godin out of the side, Suarez will take over as Uruguay captain. Of course he will.
Two changes for Ghana, both at full-back. Alidu Seidu and Baba Rahman replace Tariq Lamptey and Gideon Mensah.
Ghana (possible 4-2-3-1) Ati-Zigi; Seidu, Amartey, Salisu, Rahman; Partey, Abdul Samed; Kudus, J Ayew, A Ayew; Williams.
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Uruguay (possible 4-4-2) Rochet; Varela, Gimenez, Coates, Oliveira; Pellistri, Valverde, Bentancur, De Arrascaeta; Nunez, Suarez.
Referee Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Preamble
Great rivalries are supposed to develop over time. Ghana v Uruguay is different. They’ve only ever played each other once, in the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup, but it was a uniquely astonishing game that created an instant rivalry.
I’m sure you know what happened: Ghana were about to score a 120th-minute winner, and became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, when Luis Suarez pushed Dominic Adiyiah’s header off the line with both hands. He was sent off, Asamoah Gyan missed the penalty, Uruguay won the subsequent shootout and Suarez danced on Ghana’s grave.
Twelve years on, here they are again. Only one team can go through to the last 16 (there’s a small chance they’ll both go out, but we’ll come to that), which means another fight to the death.
Suarez, the greatest World Cup villain since Diego Maradona, seems to be cruising for a bruising; he appeared at a press conference yesterday and pointedly declined to apologise for the handball. He probably has a point – I suspect 99 per cent of footballers would do the same thing in his position. The biting, on the other hand; that’s his own little foible.
If Ghana win today, they will close the book on Suarez’s World Cup career. He, and Uruguay, are unlikely to go quietly.
Kick off, and it surely will 3pm GMT, 6pm in Al Rayyan, 3pm in Accra, midday in Montevideo.
