This weekend, the American team continues its fabulous march to destiny with a match against Ghana, the sole remaining Africans, in a meeting with uncomfortable hegemonic overtones, not that American fans give a shit. Here is a reductively short perversion of what both teams need to do to win the match.

Ghana Has To Do Two Things:

1. Find A Goal

Ghana have only scored two times. Both were penalties by forward Asamoah Gyan. Gyan runs the channels well, links up play and helps his teammates, but he does not really look for goals. Ghana are formidable defensively because they don’t throw players forward, ever, but the Americans are weak at tracking back up the middle. Make the likes of Maurice Edu, Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber and Jose Torres defend their area and you can hurt the USA. Let them attack all day and you will lose.

In their final group match, Ghana somehow didn’t mark German midfielder Mesut Ozil, which allowed him time and space to score a winner. In other words, they elected not score in the name of caution and conceded anyway. This incoherence is Ghana’s major issue.

2. Win The Last Twenty Minutes

The best thing about the American team is their strength at the end of the match. They simply blew the Slovenians off the pitch, and could have done so to England if they’d had the confidence. Remember Jozy Altidore’s run against Jamie Carragher? Altidore can do that all day long.

Ghana could do everything right for seventy minutes and still lose. The USA believes that it will win. Ghana cannot flinch; they need to stay ferocious at the end and kill the game. They need to cut off Landon Donovan’s supply, make Michael Bradley chase backwards for the ball, starve Altidore and Dempsey of possession. The American system flourishes under pressure. Ghana needs to interrupt it.

The United States Has To Do Two Things:

1. Win The First Twenty Minutes

This Americans team does not show up until the end of the first half. One day, they will play a world-class side who will use this flaw to embarrass them. That side might not be Ghana, but you never know. The USA needs to concentrate. Ghana are just as quick and strong as the Americans; they are the youngest team in the tournament. England may defend like a sculpture garden, but these guys are really, really fast, so the likes of Donovan and Bradley won’t have the advantage.

The team who makes the first mistake in knockout rounds goes home almost every time. Comebacks stop when the group stage ends.

2. Keep The Faith

This team is incredibly, indomitably courageous. Most teams would have curled into a ball and started crying if they got robbed by the officials the way the Americans did. This optimism will terrify other sides. It is team USA’s greatest asset.