Portugal will look to keep their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages alive when they collide with Ghana in a critical Group G showdown in the 2014 FIFA World Cup on Thursday.

Portugal, who were considered as one of the teams to watch in the Brazil tournament, has been a disappointment so far after getting just one point in their first two games.

The Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal side absorbed a humiliating 4-0 loss to Germany in their tournament opener, and then needed a late goal in stoppage time of their match against USA to salvage a 2-2 draw on Sunday.

In order to advance to the knockout stages, Portugal needs a big win against Ghana and a Germany win against Team USA in the other Group G Thursday match.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento is hoping that his squad will respond to the challenge and play at a high level, despite the fact that their chances of reaching the next round are slim at this point.

"All we can do is to give everything in our very last game and try and make the most of the very little chance that we have left," Bento said via Yahoo! Sports UK. "In my entire career as a player and coach, I have never been suspicious about my colleagues playing for a draw. Our obligation is to beat Ghana and, although our chances are slim even if we do, we will maintain our professional standards until the very last minute."

Ghana, on the other hand, also needs a win and a Germany victory over the U.S. But unlike their opponents, Ghana does not need a wide margin of victory, as they are only facing a -1 goal difference compared to Portugal's -4.

Schedule, Date, How to Watch

The 2014 FIFA World Cup match between Portugal and Ghana will start at 12 p.m. EST on Thursday live in Brazil. ESPN will broadcast the match, while fans can watch using their mobile devices on WatchESPN.

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