Miroslav Klose equalled Brazilian great Ronaldo's FIFA World Cup all-time scoring record and helped Germany draw 2-2 against Ghana in a Group G match
Fortaleza (Brazil): Miroslav Klose equalled Brazilian great Ronaldo's FIFA World Cup all-time scoring record and helped Germany draw 2-2 against Ghana in a Group G match here Saturday.
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Both teams remained scoreless after a plain first half before Germany broke the deadlock 51 minutes into the match, reports Xinhua.
Mario Gotze met a cross ball whipped in from the right flank and the Bayern Munich midfielder nodded home after the ball deflected off his left knee and past Ghana's goalkeeper Fatau Dauda.
Germany's forward Miroslav Klose celebrates after scoring during the Group G football match between Germany and Ghana at the Castelao Stadium in Fortaleza during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. AFP PHOTO
The jubilant German fans in the Castelao Stadium only had celebrated for three minutes before Ghana's Andre Ayew equalised.
Ayew's header was more powerful as it flew into the bottom left of the goal.
Asamoah Gyan gave the "Black Stars" the lead nine minutes later after he ran into the box and beat German keeper Manuel Neuer with a brilliant finish into the side netting.
The Germans were struggling to even the score and brought in their seasoned centre forward Klose in the 69th minute.
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The 36-year-old only needed two minutes to fulfill the mission.
German defender Benedikt Howedes flicked on a corner kick and the ball sneaked past everyone else in the box.
Klose touched home in the far post and scored his 15th goal in World Cup to level with Brazil's Ronaldo as the all-time top scorer in the tournament.
The goal also made Klose one of only three players to have scored in four World Cups after Brazil's legend Pele and Uwe Seeler of Germany.
Germany maintained the same line-up they used in the 4-0 win against Portugal in their opening match with Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller, who scored a hat-trick Monday, still playing as the solo forward.
Ghana made two changes in their starters as Harrison Afful replaced Daniel Opare in the right full-back position and Kevin-Prince Boateng replaced Jordan Ayew in the attacking line to meet with his half-brother Jerome Boateng from the German side.
The 31-year-old Michael Essien, the veteran midfielder of the "Black Stars", was again left on bench by coach Kwesi Appiah.
After the draw Ghana managed to keep their last-16 hope alive with one point from two matches while Germany still need to be cautious since the four points they pocketed can guarantee nothing in the group which also includes the United States and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
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