The United States edged Ghana 2-1 in their opening match go Group G, but the victory didn't come without great sacrifice as many players left the match with injuries. The status of Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore and Matt Besler could determine if the American Dream could become a reality.
Altidore is the big concern for the United States as he will have his hamstring re-evaluated in the coming days, but first reports are that it is just a strain. USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann was shocked that Altidore went down with an injury in the opening match.
"It was a little bit of a shock that Jozy got injured," coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "It was a tough pill to swallow.”
Clint Dempsey believes that his nose is broken after he caught a shin to the face, but was more concerned about Altidore after the match. Dempsey returned to the game after a brief stint on the bench and is expected to play in the USMNT’s next game versus, a Pepe-less, Portugal.
"My heart goes out to him because he's been working hard," said captain Clint Dempsey, the Americans' other starting forward. "He's been looking sharp. You know how much he wanted to do well. ... You could see the tears in his eyes going back to the locker room. We wish him a speedy recovery. He's a big player for us. It hurts to have him go out of the game today but other players have to step up now.”
Besler also left in the second half with a hamstring injury, but was removed to avoid further injuring himself. John Brooks, who scored the game winner for the United States, replaced Besler, but it unknown if Besler will make a return for the Portugal match.
[ESPN]
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