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ACCRA, Ghana - Ghana picked Michael Essien and Kevin-Prince Boateng in a preliminary 26-man World Cup squad on Monday. The group will be trimmed to a final 23-man squad after a friendly game against the Netherlands on May 31, the Ghana Football Association said. AC Milans Essien and Schalkes Boateng were named after returning to international football last year. They had both asked for time away from the national team in the years after the last World Cup. Ghana captain and striker Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Sulley Muntari were also included and are set to play in their third consecutive World Cups. Ghana was the best-performing African team at the 2010 tournament, reaching the quarterfinals and just missing out on the semifinals after a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay in South Africa. Ghana will play the United States, Germany and Portugal in Group G in Brazil, and opens its campaign against the U.S. in Natal on June 16. Ghana beat the U.S. in the second round of the last World Cup. Coach Kwesi Appiah didnt reveal what his target was for the team that nearly became the first African nation into the last four of a World Cup four years ago. "Once the players are all fit we hope to deliver," Appiah said. "Every coach has a target and l believe in my players and the national team, but l cannot tell where we will get to. The only thing l can say is we will not disgrace Ghanaians." Essien missed the 2010 World Cup through injury and is likely facing his last chance to play at the showpiece in Brazil. Boateng stepped down from national team duties in 2011 but was recalled to Ghanas squad toward the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign late last year. Ghana will play in its third straight World Cup in Brazil. Appiah also picked Marseilles Andre Ayew, Juventus Kwadwo Asamoah and young attacking midfielder Wakaso Mubarak. Defender Jeffrey Schlupp, who plays for Englands Leicester City, was the biggest surprise in the initial squad. The GFA announced Monday that Ghana would play the Netherlands in Rotterdam on May 31 and South Korea in Miami on June 9 in its final World Cup warm-ups before facing Jurgen Klinsmanns U.S. team in Brazil. ___ Provisional squad: Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey, Fatawu Dauda, Stephen Adams. Defenders: Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Harrison Afful, Jeffrey Schlupp, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Jerry Akaminko, Rashid Sumaila. Midfielders: Michael Essien, Rabiu Mohammed, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari, Albert Adomah, Wakaso Mubarak, Christian Atsu, David Accam, Andre Ayew, Afriyie Acquah. Forwards: Asamoah Gyan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Abdul Majeed Waris, Jordan Ayew. Mike Remmers Vikings Jersey .C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. 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Chelsea took until the second half to trouble the leagues bottom team, but Schuerrle then ripped through the defence with ease at Craven Cottage to keep Jose Mourinhos side on track for the title.The most unlikely match of the second round will take place at the Arena Pernambuco today, as Greece squares off with Costa Rica. Listen to the match live on TSN Radio TSN 1050 Toronto, TSN 690 Montreal, TSN 1200 Ottawa and TEAM 1410 Vancouver at 4pm et/1pm pt. The Ticos have been one of the surprise packages in Brazil, topping Group D by pulling off upset wins over Uruguay and Italy before a 0-0 draw with England clinched the top spot in a group that Greece head coach Fernando Santos labeled the "Group of Death." Most observers felt that Costa Rica was the clear outsider in a group that contained three former World Cup winners. But the CONCACAF representatives used a high-pressure style to unsettle both Uruguay and Italy, and Greek boss Santos knows his side must be ready for a tough task. "I am delighted first of all that we bring joy to the Greek people," said Santos after his team secured a place in the knockout round for the first time in the nations history. "We have time to think about the match with Costa Rica. We will go back to our base, think about it and study our opponents. We have to pay a lot of attention to this game, they came out top in the Group of Death. As a result we cannot allow ourselves to underestimate them." The path Greece took to get to the last 16 was much different than the one the Ticos traveled as the Greeks lost their opening match 3-0 to Colombia. A 0-0 draw with Japan that saw Greece play the final 52 minutes with 10 men kept the team aliive, but Santos and his side saved their best performance for last, notching a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast as Georgios Samaras converted a stoppage-time penalty kick to send his side through.dddddddddddd The result was certainly a surprise to many, including Costa Rica midfielder Yeltsin Tejeda. "They are in the World Cup and they beat an excellent team, Ivory Coast," Tejeda said of Greece. "If they are there (in the Round of 16), it is because they were better." "We were thinking more about Colombia and the Ivory Coast and in the end came the least expected team. Now we have to change the video cassette." Costa Rica will certainly have to prepare much differently for Greece than for either Colombia or Ivory Coast if the team is going to reach the quarterfinals at a World Cup for the first time. Greece is known for a being a defense-first side that looks to steal a goal or two in order to win ugly. But Costa Ricas defense has been one of the best at the tournament, giving up just one goal in three games, which came on a penalty kick against Uruguay in its opening match. The winner of this contest will be in uncharted territory, while a Greece victory would bring about an interesting situation involving Santos. With his contract set to expire the day after the Costa Rica match, the 59- year-old may need to negotiate a quick extension if his side reaches the last eight, which is yet another indication of how unlikely a matchup this is at this stage of the tournament. 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