Germany, Ghana play to 2-2 draw after wild stretch, leave Group G open

FORTALEZA, Brazil (AP) - Ghana held Germany to a 2-2 draw on Saturday despite veteran striker Miroslav Klose coming on as a substitute to tie the World Cup scoring record with the equalizer in their highly entertaining Group G match. Klose now has 15 career World Cup goals, equaling the mark set by former Brazil star Ronaldo.

Klose scored the equalizer in the 71st minute, less than two minutes after coming on, 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. The result means the United States would advance from the group if it beats Portugal on Sunday.

Mario Gotze 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 Muller on 14 goals. Ronaldo also scored his 15th against Ghana, in 2006 in Germany.

Group G Hysteria: Three Thoughts on Germany's thrilling draw with Ghana

With coach Joachim Low preferring to play with a ''false No. 9'' system without a striker, Klose sat out Germany's opening 4-0 rout of Portugal. But with Ghana threatening to put a damper on Germany's hope of winning the group, Low turned to his veteran, who provided again. The draw continued Germany's habit of struggling in second matches in a tournament and left it with four points from two matches.

The result revived Ghana's hopes of progressing after its opening 2-1 loss to the United States. Ghana has one point. Ghana gave the favored Germans a real contest in a pulsating match in the sweltering heat and humidity of Arena Castelao. But it was Germany that took the lead. In the 51st, Thomas Muller sent a dipping cross toward Gotze, who attempted a header but the ball bounced off his left knee into the net.

Germany's 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 favored 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 Ghana's hopes of an upset, until Klose's equalizer.

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 Ghana's 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.

Here is how the heart-stopping contest played out:

GALLERY: Jurgen Klinsmann through the years

The Best of Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Before taking over the U.S. Men's National Team, Jurgen Klinsmann managed his native Germany to a third-place finish in the 2006 World Cup. Here's a look back at his career before he leads the U.S. into the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Klinsmann (left) celebrates in 1996 after captaining Germany to the UEFA European Championship with a 2-1 win over Czech Republic and receiving the trophy from Queen Elizabeth II (center). Klinsmann was the first player ever to score in three different European Championships ('88, '92 and '96).

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann poses with the late Portuguese great Eusebio before the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. A month later, he would be named coach of the German national team.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann discusses his team-building plans for Germany at the second International Football Forum in Rio de Janeiro, in December 2005. His methods drew strongly from American training programs, as Klinsmann had lived in Southern California since 1998, and those methods initially garnered scrutiny from the greater soccer world.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann at German national team training in 2006. When managing the team, he would commute to sessions from his home in the United States -- to the frustration of Germany's fans. His non-traditional player selection and philosophies brought criticism that was largely silenced after Germany's third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann with members of the German national team, including captain Michael Ballack (center), during World Cup training in 2006.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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A former striker who spent time at such clubs as VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Tottenham and Bayern Munich, Klinsmann scored 226 goals across 506 games in his professional career.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann gestures against Costa Rica in the opening match at Munich's World Cup Stadium in 2006, a 4-2 win.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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After defeating Argentina on penalties in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals, Klinsmann celebrated with Germany assistant Oliver Bierhoff in Berlin. The two were former teammates in the German side, for which Klinsmann scored 47 goals in 108 appearances.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Lukas Podolski receives congratulations from Klinsmann during the 2006 World Cup Round of 16 match against Sweden in Munich.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann celebrates on the touchline after Bastian Schweinsteiger scores the first goal against Portugal in the third-place game.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann rejoices after Germany won the third-place match against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup. Klinsmann went 20-8-6 in 34 matches as manager.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann acknowledges the crowd at the medal presentation after winning the third-place game 3-1 over Portugal. Klinsmann would later be named German Football Manager of the Year.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann holds Croatia's ballot paper during the UEFA Euro 2008 draw, in December 2007. After the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann left the Germany post and flirted with the idea of managing the United States.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann signs autographs for Japanese fans at a practice session in July 2008, having recently accepted the manager job at legendary German club Bayern Munich.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Bayern Munich and Klinsmann warm up the day of a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon in 2009. Klinsmann would manage Bayern for just one season, and was sacked with five games left with his team just three points out of first. Bayern management was also unhappy with early exits in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal tournaments.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann and assistant coach Martin Vazquez celebrate a goal by Robbie Rogers against Mexico on Aug. 10, 2011. A few weeks earlier, on July 29, Klinsmann was named coach of the United States national team after rumors linked the two for years.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Waiting for the start of a match against Italy in 2012, Klinsmann cracks a smile. Before taking the U.S. job, he'd followed MLS and been a presence at soccer events around the country since 1998, when then-MLS Deputy Commissioner Sunil Gulati tried to get him to sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy as a player.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley (right) and Klinsmann address the media in 2012. Klinsmann replaced Bradley's father, Bob, as U.S. coach in 2011, intending to create a distinctly American style of play.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann signs an autograph at a public U.S. national team practice in 2012.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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USA players and Klinsmann acknowledge the fans after a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Guatemala in Kansas City, Kan. Klinsmann hoped to implement an offensive, passing-based mentality to the American side.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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The U.S. men practice in 2013.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Clint Dempsey and Klinsmann hold court at a presser in Mexico City, a day prior to a World Cup qualifier.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann and Mexico head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre chat before the game at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Forward Jozy Altidore is greeted by Klinsmann after being substituted in a 1-1 World Cup qualifier draw with Mexico in Mexico City.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann thanks U.S. supporters following a 1-0 win against Costa Rica during the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July 2013 in East Hartford, Conn.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann gestures during the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal match against Honduras at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The U.S. won 3-1.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann watches DaMarcus Beasley take a throw-in during a friendly with Guatemala at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, Calif.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Longtime U.S. star Landon Donovan meets Klinsmann while exiting after scoring his second goal during a friendly against Guatemala in San Diego in 2013.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann warms up prior to a training session in September 2013 in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Veteran U.S. midfielder DaMarcus Beasley listens to Klinsmann during a World Cup qualifying match against Mexico in Columbus, Ohio in September 2013. The United States clinched its seventh straight World Cup appearance with second-half goals from Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan in a 2-0 win.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Former U.S. player Frankie Hejduk congratulates Klinsmann after the U.S. clinched a World Cup berth by defeating Mexico.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann speaks during a press conference at the Sao Paulo FC training centre in January 2014.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Klinsmann and the U.S. team arrived in Sao Paulo in January 2014 for a 12-day training session to prepare for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Jurgen Klinsmann

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Jurgen Klinsmann addresses the team in Sao Paulo in January 2014. Known for picking his squads on performance and not reputation, Klinsmann held true to his reputation in mid-May by leaving striker Eddie Johnson out of the World Cup pool in favor of the in-form Terrence Boyd and Chris Wondolowski.