2014 FIFA World Cup Group G facts for kids
Group G of the 2014 FIFA World Cup was an exciting part of the tournament. It featured four strong teams: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, and the United States. The games for this group took place from June 16 to June 26, 2014. In the end, Germany and the United States both played well enough to move on to the next round of the World Cup. Germany finished at the top of the group.
Contents
Group G Standings
This table shows how each team performed in Group G. It lists their wins, losses, and how many points they earned. The teams with the most points moved forward in the competition.
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Germany |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 |
 United States |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
 Portugal |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | -3 | 4 |
 Ghana |
3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 1 |
Group G Matches
Here's a look at each of the exciting matches played in Group G.
Germany vs. Portugal
These two teams had played each other 17 times before this World Cup. Germany had won their most recent game 1–0 in the UEFA Euro 2012.
In this match, Germany scored first with a penalty kick from Thomas Müller. This happened after João Pereira fouled a German player. Later, Mats Hummels scored another goal for Germany from a corner kick. Just before halftime, Portugal's player Pepe received a red card, meaning he had to leave the game. Thomas Müller then scored again. He scored his third goal in the 78th minute, making the final score 4–0 for Germany.
| 16 June 2014 13:00 UTC−3 |
Germany |
4 – 0 | Portugal |
Salvador Attendance: 51,081 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Müller  12' (pen.), 45', 78'Hummels 32' |
Ghana vs. United States
Ghana and the United States had met twice before in World Cup matches. Ghana won both previous games by a score of 2–1, first in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and then in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
In this match, Clint Dempsey scored for the United States just 30 seconds after the game started. This was one of the fastest goals in World Cup history! The U.S. team kept their lead for a long time. But in the 82nd minute, André Ayew scored for Ghana, tying the game. However, the Americans quickly scored again just four minutes later. John Brooks scored with a header, giving the U.S. a 2–1 victory.
| 16 June 2014 19:00 UTC−3 |
Ghana |
1 – 2 | United States |
Natal Attendance: 39,760 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Ayew 82' |
Dempsey 1' Brooks 86' |
Germany vs. Ghana
Germany and Ghana had played each other twice before this match. One of those games was in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which Germany won 1–0. This game was special because two brothers, Kevin-Prince Boateng (playing for Ghana) and Jérôme Boateng (playing for Germany), faced each other on the field.
Germany scored first in the 51st minute when Mario Götze scored from a cross by Thomas Müller. But Ghana quickly tied the game three minutes later with a header from André Ayew. Ghana then took the lead when Asamoah Gyan scored in the 63rd minute after intercepting a pass. Luckily for Germany, Miroslav Klose scored to tie the game again from a corner kick. This goal was Klose's 15th World Cup goal, which tied the record held by Ronaldo from Brazil. Klose also became one of only three players to score in four different World Cups, joining Pelé and Uwe Seeler.
| 21 June 2014 16:00 UTC−3 |
Germany |
2 – 2 | Ghana |
Fortaleza Attendance: 59,621 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Götze 51' Klose 71' |
A. Ayew 54' Gyan 63' |
United States vs. Portugal
These teams had played 5 games before, including a match in the 2002 FIFA World Cup group stage. The United States won that game 3–2.
In this match, Portugal started strong. Nani scored in the 5th minute after a clearance from Geoff Cameron landed right at his feet. The score stayed 1–0 for a long time. Then, Jermaine Jones scored for the United States from a corner kick, tying the game. The Americans then took the lead when Clint Dempsey scored from a cross by Graham Zusi. But in the very last minute of the game, Varela scored for Portugal from a cross by Cristiano Ronaldo. This goal was one of the latest goals ever scored in a FIFA World Cup match. The game ended in a 2–2 draw.
| 22 June 2014 18:00 UTC−3 |
United States |
2 – 2 | Portugal |
Manaus Attendance: 40,123 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jones 64' Dempsey 81' |
Nani 5' Varela 90+5' |
United States vs. Germany
The United States and Germany had played 5 times before this match. Germany had won their previous World Cup games against the U.S. in 1998 (2–0) and 2002 (1–0). The coach for the United States team, Jürgen Klinsmann, used to play for Germany and even coached the German team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
This match was very close and had no goals for a long time. Finally, in the 55th minute, Thomas Müller scored his ninth World Cup goal for Germany. This goal was the only one in the game, and Germany won 1–0.
| 26 June 2014 13:00 UTC−3 |
United States |
0 – 1 | Germany |
Recife Attendance: 41,876 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Müller 55' |
Portugal vs. Ghana
This was the first time these two teams had ever played against each other.
| 26 June 2014 13:00 UTC−3 |
Portugal |
2 – 1 | Ghana |
Brasília Attendance: 67,540 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boye 31' (o.g.) Ronaldo 80' |
Gyan 57' |
See also
