Team USA beats Ghana 2-1 in World Cup

NATAL, Brazil (KABC) -- Team USA beat Ghana 2-1 in Natal, Brazil in their first game of the 2014 World Cup Monday.

Clint Dempsey made history by scoring the fifth-fastest goal, at 29 seconds, in the history of the World Cup. Dempsey became the first U.S. player to score in three different World Cups.

Rookie substitute John Brooks scored the late game winner in the 85th minute after Ghana tied it up in the 81st.

DaMarcus Beasley became the first American to play in four World Cups.

The victory gave the Americans some revenge against the tiny West African county that knocked them out of the last two World Cups and put the U.S. and Germany on top of the Group G, with Ghana and Portugal at the bottom.

Dempsey's goal came on a low shot just a half-minute into the match. Ghana dominated much the rest of the game, and Andre Ayew leveled in the 82nd minute.

Just four minutes later, Brooks - a 21-year-old defender who came on at halftime because Matt Besler was injured - scored off a corner from Graham Zusi. It was the first time an American sub had ever scored in the World Cup.

"I said it to the bench minutes before, 'We're going to get some chances still,'" U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "So we are still in the game after the equalizer, we just need to kind of push and push and grind it out. That's what they did. Here comes a set piece we trained over and over and over that stuff. And he puts it in, so well deserved."

Brooks' game winner came after a long stretch in which the Americans were desperately trying to survive waves of attacks from Ghana.

"What I can say is it was a very tough game," Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said. "Playing at this level any little mistake can cost you dearly. We didn't deserve to get the first goal against us."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.