Both squads went into this final group match with a chance for advancement.
The player with perhaps the best name in the tournament - Razak Pimpong - started for Ghana for the first time in this World Cup.
Ghana got a goal in the 22nd minute.
Haminu Dramani stole the ball from the States' Claudio Reyna just outside the USA area, and found himself with a one-on-one situation with keeper Keller for an easy finish.
It was injury added to insult as Reyna had to be stretchered off for colliding knees with Dramani on the dispossession.
Reyna returned five minutes later, and Ghana keeper Kingston looked in need of the stretcher himself, following a side swipe by a Statesman. Tit for tat?
In the 29th minute, Razak Pimpong smartly split two defenders on a run and first timed a shot just wide of the far post.
A Ghanaian defensive lapse in the 43rd minute led to a goal for USA.
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Ghana man Derek Boatend had the ball stolen in his own half by DaMarcus Beasley, who then sprinted with ball on foot all the way to the area and sent a cross for a first time Clint Dempsey strike into goal.
In stoppage time before the interval, the West Africans converted a penalty kick after Razak Pimpong was brought down in the area by USA's Onyewu Oguchi.
OO was judged too harshly, some will say.
Stephen Appiah took the spot kick the way a spot kick ought to be taken - driven hard and high, whizzing into corner of goal.
And so it was.
Ghana qualified for the next round while United States went home after a dismal Cup: in three matches, no wins, only one goal actually scored (save an own goal courtesy of Italy), a minus four goal difference, only one out of a possible nine points, and last place in Group E.
It all added up to a tie with Iran for 25th place amongst 32 teams.
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