Varela header saves Portugal from another USA upset

Silvestre Varela celebrates after scoring his last second equaliser to deny USA an outright qualification

ABC

Portuguese substitute Silvestre Varela grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw with the United States in World Cup Group G and keep his team's hopes alive.

Just as it looked as though the Americans had secured a come-from-behind victory to qualify for the second round, Varela scored with a flying header from a Cristiano Ronaldo cross.

The result means that after two games, USA is level with Germany on four points. Portugal is joint bottom with Ghana on one point and faces a tough task to make the next round.

"When you concede in the last second it is unfortunate, but it was an amazing game from us, I can't ask for any more," US coach Juergen Klinsmann said.

The Americans face Germany in the final game and need a point to ensure qualification.

"We will take even more confidence into the next game. It will be another final but that is what the World Cup is about," said Klinsmann.

The US scored late to beat Ghana 2-1 in the first game and Clint Dempsey looked to have repeated the feat in the 81st minute against Portugal, steering the ball home with his stomach to give his team the lead.

Portugal lost its first game 4-0 to Germany and coach Paulo Bento said his team had to beat the Americans to stand any chance of progressing.

Portugal opened the scoring in the fifth minute when US defender Geoff Cameron swung a foot at a Miguel Veloso cross and succeeded only in slicing the ball across his own area right to the feet of Nani, who scored easily.

The Europeans then sat back in the heat and humidity, allowing their opponents to start dominating. The temperature in the Amazonia arena was 30 degrees Celsius at kickoff with a humidity reading of 65 per cent. 

Portugal still looked dangerous in the first half and Nani hit the left-hand post in the 45th minute from outside the area. The ball rebounded to Eder but his looping shot was brilliantly scooped over the bar by US goalkeeper Tim Howard.

As the second half progressed the Portuguese wilted and it was little surprise when US midfielder Jermaine Jones cut in from the left in the 64th minute and fired in a superb right- foot curling shot from 25 metres to equalise.

Portugal started with Ronaldo, who has been trying to shake off a knee injury. He was ineffective against the Germans and only shone fitfully against the Americans, leaving the best until last.

The US missed a great chance to equalise in the 55th minute when Michael Bradley's close-range shot was cleared off the line by Ricardo Costa.

Varela's goal was the second time he has struck late for Portugal at a major tournament. In Euro 2012, he scored an 87th-minute winner against Denmark in a first-round game.

Muller scores a hat trick as Germany thumps Portugal 4-0

German players huddle after scoring their opening goal

The Telegraph 

By Mark Ogden, Salvador

There are no ear-rings, bling or designer hair styles with Thomas Müller, but in a beauty contest against Cristiano Ronaldo in Salvador, the German delivered emphatic proof that substance beats style every time when you score a hat-trick.

Müller, the winner of the Golden Boot at South Africa 2010, put the current holder of the Ballon d’Or firmly in his place by leading Germany to victory against Portugalwith the first hat-trick of this World Cup.

How Ronaldo must wish he could play in white at the World Cup, just as he does for Real Madrid in La Liga. Then again, Germany are one of the few teams that can probably succeed well enough without him.

But in front of the watching German chancellor Angela Merkel, Joachim Low’s team showed they are determined to lead Europe’s challenge in Brazil.

Despite having won just three of their seventeen previous encounters with the Germans, Portugal went into this Group G fixture sensing the opportunity to improve their miserable record against the three-time world champions.

They had a fit-again Ronaldo in the starting line-up and the searing heat in Salvador, in excess of thirty degrees at kick-off time, would appear to favour a group of players accustomed to a Mediterranean climate over those from northern Europe.

Yet the only team affected by the broiling temperature was the Portuguese judging by their first-half capitulation.

As for Pepe, Portugal’s liability of a centre-half, it seemed as though he was suffering from some kind of sunstroke when he earned himself a red card, and almost certainly a suspension that will rule him out of the remainder of the group stage, for head-butting Müller on 38 minutes.

As one of world football’s most notorious hatchet men, Pepe will find sympathy in short supply following his moment of madness.

Perhaps the Real Madrid defender had realised at that point, however, that the game had already been lost and Müller was merely the victim of frustration boiling over.

Although Hugo Almeida and Ronaldo forced saves from Manuel Neuer inside the opening seven minutes, the early stages were dominated by Germany and Sami Khedira gave Portugal a warning of what was to come in the eighth minute when he shot wide of an empty net from twenty yards following a scuffed clearance by goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

Germany’s opening goal three minutes later was another example of questionable refereeing at this World Cup, with Serbian official Milorad Mazic awarding a penalty after Mario Götze went to ground under a challenge by Joao Pereira.