Kickin' it with Katie

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Here we go again…

Same team. Same circumstances. Different round, but the goal was still the same—win or go home. In the first round of knockout matches the United States found themselves playing a familiar foe. The road into the next round was through Ghana, just as it was in 2006.

After the States' thrilling match against Algeria, it seemed they would have gained some adrenaline from Landon Donavon's last-minute game winner. Well, for the third time in the last four games, the red, white and blue fell behind in the first fifteen minutes.

In the fifth minute, Kevin-Prince Boateng outmuscled two U.S. defenders to slide the ball between Tim Howard and his near post, which became his first mistake of the World Cup.

I watched the game with six of my FGCU Women's Soccer teammates and about 30 out of 150 girls we hosted for camp. The other 120 girls watched upstairs. Groans filled the entire Outdoor Sports Complex building.

Panic seemed to set in for the Yanks as the whistle blew for halftime. It wasn't until 17 minutes into the second half where the equalizer was scored. Jonathan Mensah, for Ghana, brought Clint Dempsey to the ground as he sprinted through the penalty box. Donavon netted the PK, and again gave the U.S. some new light.

During a time where the U.S. should have settled down, the players seemed to do the complete opposite. Long ball after long ball was lofted to the frontrunners in hopes that they would catch a break. Not in any game during this World Cup did that strategy work for Michael Bradley and his team. The FGCU players and I sat in our locker room wondering why our nation's team wasn't moving the ball around or playing to feet—strategies that helped in previous games.

Both teams outlasted each other and the clock. Two fifteen minutes of overtime were necessary as the scored stayed tied. Ghana didn't waste any time scoring in the third minute. Asamoah Gyan blasted the ball right over Howard. He didn't have a chance. Finding themselves down again, the Yanks did their best to equalize, but didn't quite have the opportunity.

Each time a rhythm seemed to be created, a Ghanaian player went to the ground with false injuries. Those are the kind of things that take away from "the beautiful game."

Donavon said from the beginning that the U.S.'s goal was to get out of the group stages. It was achieved. And even though many of us knew the World Cup trophy wasn't going to come to the States, it was easy to fall into the idea that it was a possibility.

 Before all of this drama occurred, Uruguay and South Korea battled for the first quarterfinal spot. A wicked free kick in the first few minutes almost gave the South Koreans the lead until the "ping" could be heard from the ball hitting the crossbar. In the eighth minute, Diego Forlan crossed the ball into the penalty area just beyond the outstretched South Korean keeper. Luis Suarez, on the other side of the six-yard box, nailed the ball into the back of the net.

The resilient South Korean side found life in the 68^th minute when Lee Chung-Yong headed a loose ball over Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera. Thirty minutes of overtime seemed to be looming until Suarez sidestepped two defenders and bent the ball far post. The ball swerved in the rain gracing the round pole and into the back of the net. What could be argued as the goal of the tournament gave Uruguay the win and a bid to the quarterfinals.

What would a round of the 2010 World Cup be without some referee drama?

During Germany's shellacking of England 4-1, there was a disallowed goal. Chelsea star Frank Lampard hit his signature rocket shot that ricocheted off the bottom of the crossbar, about two feet into the goal, back up to the bottom of the crossbar and into the German keeper's hands.

The goal would have tied the round-of-16 match between the historical foes; however, because of fast reactions by Manuel Neuer, the ref waved off any notion that the ball crossed the line. Whether or not the outcome of the game would have been different had the goal been registered will be debated in English football until World Cup 2014.

After a goal had been disallowed when it should have been given, a goal was given when it should have been disallowed. Lionel Messi tore down the field dribbling right into the Mexican keeper. The ball came back out to Messi's feet, and then he volleyed it towards Carlos Tevez who headed the ball home. Replays show, however, that he was clearly offside.

Even if the goal had been taken away, it didn't matter. Six minutes later, Gonzalo Higuain capitalized on a mistake by Mexican defender Ricardo Osorio. Osorio nonchalantly went to pass to the defender to his left, but instead Higuain picked up the ball and slid it into the goal. Tevez scored his second of the match seven minutes into the second half putting the sky blue and whites up 3-0. Mexico's lone goal of the game was scored in the 71^st minute by Javier Hernandez.