Stars cut Czechs to size

..and ignite first tournament surprise

Cologne, June 18, GNA - Ghana's Black Stars on Saturday cut the Czech Republic to size with a classy performance that produced a 2-0 win to enhance their chances of progressing into the second round of the competition.

The sparkling performances ended the nine match unbeaten record of the Czechs in all competitions.

The match, which was their second game played in Cologne saw the Ghanaians going on as underdogs but sold out a great game that fashioned the first goal of the tournament with a strike in each half to discipline the Czechs, ranked second in the world by FIFA and had topped Group E, until Saturday.

With Coach Ratomir Djukovic reshuffling his first team by introducing Habib Mohammed, Shilla Illiasu and Otto Addo for Emmanuel Addoquaye Pappoe, Sammy Osei Kuffour and Eric Addo, the Stars established total dominance on the game the bookmakers had tagged as a goner for the Europeans.

Asamoah Gyan made history by scoring the fastest goal in the tournament so far with that strike in the second minute with keeper Peter Cech gasping for breath.

The Modena striker, 22 and a contender for the Gillette/FIFA Young Player Award, finished a superbly fine move originated by skipper Stephen Appiah.

Appiah picked out Gyan with a pass that the later controlled with an amazing composure before taking a low left-footer strike just in the penalty area to record the first goal for the World Cup debutants and five of the Africans in the competition which, spans a month.

For a moment, a second goal appeared in sight when Mathew Amoah weaved his way through the Czechs and made the most of a defence mix-up to squeeze a shot, which narrowly missed target.

But two minutes later, the Czechs mounted a counter attack, with Marek Jankulovki supporting the attack from the lateral position sending a cross, but it failed to produce the desired result.

The Ghanaians gained confidence by the minute and stayed in charge of the game with great telepathic understanding, which on the 14 minute ensured a fine set up for the skipper, who took a hefty shot from 22-yards but it rolled so close off target.

Czech and Arsenal playmaker Thomas Rosisky produced a rear moment for the Stars defence which fared well all through when he crafted a ball that headed to goal until it was charged down by Richard Kingston in post who retreated to dive to his elastic limit to send the colourful stadium chanting.

When the Ghanaians took over, it was Appiah who sent a low but fierce shot bringing out one of the best saves in the Chelsea goalkeeper which kept the score line unchanged before recess.

The Czechs regrouped well and for a moment appeared to have found an antidote to the silky Ghanaians who came good with every move, attacked in droves and defended resolutely all day.

It was their influential play maker Pavel Nedved who thought the equalizer had finally come when in an off side position, sent in a header that rolled into the net but got uncounted.

Seven minutes on, a sweeping move brought the Czechs close to an equalizer but Jaroslav Plasil who was well set up from an acute angle in the Ghanaians defence, shot wide to keep the Stars lead intact. The Stars would attacked again and with a goal continuously looming with every move, but the Czechs who needed a win to advance to the next stage of the competition even before their third game against Italy on Thursday had to overwork themselves to keep the West Africans from increasing the tally.

In one of the numerous moves, Gyan picked out Amoah who ghosted passed the Czech defence built around David Rozehnal and was brought down for a penalty five minutes after the hour mark.

Whilst Referee Hovacio Elizondo was busily sending off the culprit Tomas Ujfalsi, Gyan stepped out and shot before a signal from the referee and this attracted a caution, which takes him out for the next game against bottom placed United States of America (USA).

When he was okayed to play, Gyan struck against the upright with Cech well beaten to leave the Czechs off the hook and the Ghanaian supporters hugely disappointed.

But Cech made amends for that miscalculation minutes on after Chelsea team mate Michael Essien, adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) after the game, raced deep into the Czech area after recovering from a counter that left the Ghanaian defence jittery, to send in a low one, which required a save reserved for his sort to underscore why he was tagged as among the goalkeepers to watch out for by pundits.

The second goal beckoned as the Stars stepped up their game again. Sulley Ali Muntari, who found his rhythm after a crappy performance in the opening match capped a fine combination invented by Gyan and Appiah with his trademark left foot from 12 yards on the 83 minutes to secure an insurance goal for the Stars.

Two fine saves from Kingston in the closing minutes of the game denied Libor Sionko and Jan Polak at least a consolation for the Czechs who played without influential strikers, Jan Kollar and Milan Baros.

LINE UP Richard Kingston, John Painstil, Habib Mohammed, Shiella Illiasu, John Mensah, Michael Essien, Otto Addo/Derek Boateng, Stephen Appiah, Asamoah Gyan/Razak Pimpong, Mathew Amoah/Eric Addo and Sulley Muntari.