Off Topic » Germany was held to an entertaining 2-2 draw

FORTALEZA, Brazil -- Miroslav Klose rescued a point for Germany, and equaled the World Cup scoring record in the process. Germany was held to an entertaining 2-2 draw by Ghana on Saturday and needed Kloses second-half equalizer to avoid another second-game letdown that has plagued the team in recent tournaments. Klose now has 15 career World Cup goals, equaling the mark set by former Brazil star Ronaldo. He celebrated the goal with his trademark somersault. "It wasnt perfect, but I cant remember the last time I did it," Klose said. "Still, 15 goals in 20 matches, thats not bad." Just like in 2010, Germany won its opening game of the World Cup 4-0 but struggled in its second game. Four years ago, it was beaten 1-0 by Serbia, and the Germans were on the verge of losing again on Saturday. The draw was good news for the United States, however, as the Americans would advance from the group if they beats Portugal on Sunday. "Ghana really threw everything they had at us. It was a very animated match. Both teams had many chances, and many counterattacks," Germany coach Joachim Loew said. "Thats not how the match was planned, but thats how it turned out." Klose scored the equalizer in the 71st minute, less than two minutes after coming on as a substitute, when a corner by Toni Kroos was flicked to the far post by Benedikt Hoewedes and the striker slid in to knock the ball into the roof of the net. Ronaldo reacted with a tweet: "Welcome to the club (hashtag)klose. I can imagine your happiness!!!! What a great Cup!!!?" Mario Goetze had put Germany ahead in the 51st, but Ghana equalized three minutes later through Andre Ayew. Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan then put the Africans ahead in the 63rd, only to see Klose cancel out his goal. The 36-year-old Klose is in his fourth World Cup and had been level with former Germany striker Gerd Mueller on 14 goals. Ronaldo also scored his 15th against Ghana, in a 3-0 win in 2006 in Germany. With coach Joachim Loew preferring to play with a "false nine" system without a striker, Klose sat out Germanys opening 4-0 rout of Portugal. But with Ghana threatening to put a damper on Germanys hope of winning the group, Loew turned to his veteran, who delivered again. "I am very happy for Klose. He was on the pitch for two minutes and he scored. Its sensational for his career," Loew said. "He is a player who can come on and have a decisive impact. Thats great for me, for the team, and for him." Still, the result revived Ghanas hopes of progressing after its opening 2-1 loss to the United States. "It was a good competitive game. We did our best and we had many other chances that could have produced goals," Ghana coach James Appiah said. "Ghanaians have a strong mentality when it comes to football, to fight to the end to matter what is happening. Playing against Germany is difficult especially when you are a goal down. So you have to have the right players with the right mentality on the pitch." Germany took the lead when Thomas Mueller sent a dipping cross toward Goetze, who attempted a header but the ball bounced off his left knee into the net. Germanys lead lasted only three minutes. Ayew rose between Per Mertesacker and Shkodran Mustafi to head the equalizer inside the far post from a cross from Harrison Affu. With the non-German side of crowd loudly behind the Ghana team, the African side kept putting pressure on the favoured Germans. Gyan beat an offside trap by Mats Hummels and Mertesacker in the 63rd, ran into space and fired the ball past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into the far corner to raise Ghanas hopes of an upset. In between the first two goals, a fan ran onto the pitch waving his shirt. He did not threaten any players but shook hands with Ghanas Sully Muntari, who escorted him off the field before he was picked up by a security official. Ushers then moved to block stairwells leading to the pitch. Both teams had late chances to grab the winner but Neuer and his Ghana counterpart Fatawu Dauda produced good saves. Muntari picked up a late yellow card late in the match for his second booking and will miss his teams final group game against Portugal. Schalke forward Kevin-Prince Boateng played from the start for Ghana, pitting him against half-brother Jerome Boateng, a Germany defender. There was little contact between the two and Jerome was substituted at halftime with a hip injury. Mueller, who scored a hat trick against Portugal, had to be helped off the pitch after the match with a bloodied face after colliding with John Boye. -------- Lineups: Germany: Manuel Neuer; Jerome Boateng (Shkodran Mustafi, 46th), Per Mertesacker, Mats Hummels, Benedikt Howedes; Sami Khedira (Bastian Schweinsteiger, 70th), Philipp Lahm, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil; Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze (Miroslav Klose, 69th). Ghana: Fatau Dauda; Harrison Afful, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah; Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari, Mohammed Rabiu (Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, 78th), Christian Atsu (Mubarak Wakaso, 72nd), Andre Ayew; Kevin-Prince Boateng (Jordan Ayew, 52nd), Asamoah Gyan. Maurice Cheeks Jersey . The third-seeded Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., was coming off a semifinal appearance at the French Open. She took the opening set before the unseeded American came back for the 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory. Cheap 76ers Jerseys China http://www.cheap76ersjerseys.com/ . In Europe, top teams seem to be largely happy with their squads after spending nearly $1 billion in the off-season. And although English league clubs are unlikely to splash cash in January, Arsenal and Chelsea could be tempted to strengthen their squads with new strikers. Darryl Dawkins Jersey . Players suspended during the season for a performance-enhancing drug violation will not be eligible for that years post-season. In addition, discipline will increase from 50 games to 80 for a first testing violation and from 100 games to a season-long 162 for a second. A third violation remains a lifetime ban. Landry Shamet Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington.PRETORIA, South Africa -- A woman screamed and then there was silence, according to South African prosecutors pressing a premeditated murder case against Oscar Pistorius. Next, the indictment says, witnesses heard gunshots and more screaming at the home of the Paralympic champion, who says he shot his girlfriend by mistake on Valentines Day. The sequence of events outlined Monday could bolster an argument that the double-amputee Olympian was intent on killing Reeva Steenkamp after an altercation and was not reacting fearfully to what he thought was an intrusion in his home, as he has said. Prosecutors revealed a list of more than 100 witnesses, some of whom live in the gated community where she was killed. Pistorius wept and prayed in court as he held hands with his brother and sister before being served with the indictment. The athlete will face an additional charge of illegal possession of ammunition when his blockbuster trial starts on March 3 in a court in the South African capital, Pretoria. The indictment in the Pretoria Magistrates Court yielded new details about how prosecutors will pursue a case that has gripped the world because of the celebrity status of Pistorius, who overcame his disability to become a global phenomenon, only to see his name and accomplishments tarnished by his role in a violent death. The timing of the indictment was melancholic because Steenkamp would have celebrated her 30th birthday on Monday. The main charge laid by prosecutors carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years in prison if Pistorius is convicted. The prosecutions allusion to a possible fight between the couple at Pistorius villa before the shooting raises the possibility of a motive. Pistorius denies committing murder and says he mistook Steenkamp for a dangerous nighttime intruder. He says he thought she was in bed when he fired four shots through the locked toilet door, and only shouted at her to call the police before realizing what had happened. Steenkamp was hit three times by the shots. Prosecutors also said in the indictment papers that Pistorius shot "with the intention to kill a person," and even if his story is found to be true, he was still guilty of murder. That secondary argument seemingly allows for the possibility that Pistorius could escape the more serious charge of premeditated murder, but still be convicted of murder without premeditation, which carries a sentence of 15 years in prison. South Africa does not have the death penalty. The state hinted that its case would hinge on the witnesses who say they heard a woman scream before the gunshots inside the gated complex in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14. "Some of the state witnesses heard a woman scream, followed by moments of silence, then heard gunshots and then more screaming," the prosecution said in the 11-page indictment. The court set March 3-20 as the trial dates. Prosecutors submitted a lisst of 107 witnesses who they can call at the trial, including members of Pistorius own family: His uncle Arnold, sister Aimee and brother Carl.dddddddddddd Also listed were people who lived or worked in the gated community where Steenkamp was killed, as well as police officers, paramedics, doctors and friends of Steenkamp. In some more new detail, prosecutors said the 29-year-old Steenkamp died just after 3 a.m. on Feb. 14 of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the autopsy. Pistorius, 26, wore a dark suit on Monday and had longer hair than during his last appearance in June. The athlete wiped away tears with a tissue before he sat in the dock with his head bowed. Just feet away, some of Steenkamps friends also sat in Courtroom C. They had earlier told South African media that she had planned to go to Las Vegas to celebrate her 30th birthday. Pistorius stood and spoke twice during the proceedings, first responding to the magistrates question at the start on whether he was OK by saying: "Under the circumstances, ja (yes)." He also was asked if he understood the indictment and he said, softly, that he did. Prosecutors said the second charge of possession of illegal ammunition relates to a lack of proper licensing for .38 calibre bullets found at Pistorius home. Pistorius shot Steenkamp with his licensed 9mm handgun. The trial will be held at another court, the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, where a judge will ultimately pronounce the athlete innocent or guilty. South Africa does not have trial by jury. "We are thankful that a trial date has been set and that we can now start preparing for the court case," Pistorius uncle, Arnold, said in a statement. Although the word "premeditated" was not used in the indictment, prosecutors said the main charge was premeditated murder. "When you talk of intentional, its premeditated. Intentional. He wanted to do that," prosecution spokesman Medupe Simasiku said. Marius du Toit, a defence lawyer and former state prosecutor in South Africa who is not involved in the case but has been following it, explained that the country didnt use the term premeditated in its indictments, but the legal section quoted in the indictment related to a charge of premeditated murder and the state was seeking a life sentence. This month, the office of South Africas police commissioner said detectives, forensic experts, ballistics experts, psychologists and other professionals are confident they have the evidence to convict Pistorius after a six-month investigation into the killing. The most telling evidence -- apart from the witness testimony -- may be in records on cellphones found at Pistorius home and through examination of the door through which Pistorius shot. The trajectory of the bullets could show if Pistorius was standing on his stumps when he shot, as he has said, or if he was on his prosthetics, as the prosecution has said. ' ' '