Win and you’re in.

Draw and you’re in.

Lose and you’re in? Thanks, Portugal.

Cristiano Ronaldo had to come good eventually and what better time to bury a consolation matchwinner than when a goalkeeper, in this case Fatawu Dauda, quite literally throws the ball at your feet. Once Ronaldo bulged the back of the net, the Ghanaian threat was quelled and the Americans had little to do other than hold on and avoid letting the scoreline turn lopsided.

As for the rest of the game, the US defended admirably, though the match in Manaus less than 4 days prior clearly had taken a toll on the Americans, especially in the midfield. Challenges lacked sharpness and the Germans carved the US open with dynamic running and quick, smart interplay, though standout performances from Omar Gonzalez and Tim Howard kept them at bay.

When the seemingly inevitable goal arrived, dispatched clinically by Thomas Müller, the US appeared to lack the energy and attacking desire to offer much of a fightback, instead focusing on insuring that there would be no repeat of Germany’s group opening thrashing of Portugal.

Player Ratings

Tim Howard – 8

Given the sloppy conditions, Howard’s clean, secure handling was an impressive feat. Did the right thing when he pushed Per Mertesacker’s header as far as he could, but was unfortunate to see it fall to exactly the wrong man, Müller.

Fabian Johnson – 5

Once Benedikt Höwedes earned an early yellow card, it seemed that Johnson would seek to torment him relentlessly, but the US right back failed to get forward with sufficient regularity. Struggled at times to track the German runs, specifically those of Lukas Podolski.

Omar Gonzalez – 7

Considering how few minutes he has played of late, Gonzalez stepped up with an immense performance. Used his long, lanky body to good effect as he was able to nip in to stop dangerous attacks on multiple occasions.

Matt Besler – 7

After some shaky moments in the lead up to the World Cup, Besler has returned to his consistent, reliable best.

DaMarcus Beasley – 6

Eagerly attacked his flank, providing a safe outlet when the US won possession. Combined well with both Brad Davis and Graham Zusi as he tried to help his side maintain possession and weather the German storm.

Kyle Beckerman – 6

Gave his all for the third straight match, though at times he looked positively exhausted. Involved in some heavy collisions.

Jermaine Jones – 7

Bombed forward to join the attack more than usual and nearly got on the end of some lovely service from Michael Bradley on one of his surging runs. As he tired, his passing became markedly less sharp.

Brad Davis – 4

Added a bit of composure to the US when they looked to move forward, but could not do much with limited touches and was largely a non-factor.

Michael Bradley – 6

Just because he wasn’t the best player on the pitch doesn’t mean he wasn’t efficient and clean in his distribution. Has gone from a deep lying distributor to playing just underneath the striker in the manner of months. Still fighting to adjust.

Graham Zusi – 5

Continued to show off an excellent work rate, but with the US under consistent pressure, Zusi was too careless with his touches and failed to do much with his set piece delivery.

Clint Dempsey – 5

Toiled primarily in isolation for the majority of the match. When he did manage to get on the ball, support was lacking, leaving Dempsey with few options.

Alejandro Bedoya – 5

Couldn’t pull the trigger in time as the match neared its conclusion, with Phillip Lahm racing back to deny the US their best scoring chance of the night.

DeAndre Yedlin – 6

Ran hard and was eager to create going forward, albeit in a brief cameo. His contribution nearly helped the US steal a late point.

Jurgen Klinsmann – 6

The decision to start Omar Gonzalez was yet another gutsy call by Klinsmann that paid off. Without Jozy Altidore, or any sort of replacement, the US struggled to create much of an attack against a German side with considerably better organization than the Portuguese.