Americans to set record straight with Ghana's Black Stars
Juergen Klinsmann's team seek to avenge two losses against Ghana in a 'must-win' encounter
Notions of righting wrongs and exacting revenge will add an extra pinch of spice when Ghana take on the United States today in a group G match that looks like a must win for both teams.
With encounters against Germany and Portugal to come for both teams in arguably the toughest first-round group, anything less than the full three points at the Dunas arena could be fatal to their hopes of a spot in the last 16.
Ghana lit up the last World Cup in South Africa when they came within one missed penalty of being the first African team to reach the last four after Luis Suarez's infamous handball in the quarter-final against Uruguay.
It's not going to be easy. We have to make sure our players are playing their roles well
With big name players like Michael Essien, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Asamoah Gyan back on board, Ghana have arrived in Brazil confident they can right what they see as the injustice of their home continent exit.
The United States' last two World Cup campaigns have both been ended by the Black Stars, so Juergen Klinsmann's team will also feel they have a record to set straight.
At their slick best, as they were in South Africa and when they thrashed South Korea 4-0 in Miami in their final warm-up last week, Ghana are an intimidating prospect for any side.
Defeats to Zambia and Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the last two African Cup of Nations, however, are perhaps indicative of a team that lets the pressure of the occasion get to them.