Bradley warns Americans of Ghana's unpredictability

RUSTENBURG (Reuters) - United States coach Bob Bradley played down talk of revenge Friday but warned of the unpredictable potential of Ghana's forwards ahead of Saturday's second round clash at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

The Americans lost 2-1 to Ghana in the group stages of the 2006 World Cup, a controversial penalty deciding the outcome, but Bradley said his players were more focused on making progress to the quarter-finals than looking back.

He said: "I think there are six (players) on both sides from that match so there is some element of that, but now, four years later, things have changed.

"And, speaking for ourselves, we are looking ahead to 90 minutes or more, and to doing it -- and moving along.

"We want to go far in this tournament and that is what our focus is on."

Choosing his words deliberately ahead of the game, Bradley also told reporters of his great respect for Ghana and the work done by their Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac.

'GOOD JOB'

"I think this particular Ghana team is well put together," he said. "Their coach has done a good job and organized them well and I think this team has some very talented individuals and a great athletic ability.

"For me, they are a very good team and when you look at their style of play you see the talented individuals, but you see that it all fits well into a team framework."

Despite their last-gasp heroics in scoring late goals to claim a place in the last 16, Landon Donovan having scored the winner against Algeria in added time, Bradley said he had no concerns that his players may be physically or emotionally exhausted.

He said: "No, at this point, there is so much to play for and I think they (the players) are excited to have this opportunity to go through the knockout rounds.

"They have the ability to see how far they can go and I hope there is a good balance in there."

Asked particularly about the dangers that Ghana may pose, he said that their unpredictability was his chief concern.

"On the attacking side, they have individual players who are dangerous. You think they will pass, but at the last second they dribble or they go left when you think they will go right.

"There is a real unpredictability there, that is a part of their quality. They have talented players, who are creative and you just don't know what they are going to do."

(Editing by Jon Bramley)