NUREMBERG, Germany -- U.S. coach Bruce Arena and his team were critical of a penalty kick call that led to Ghana's winning goal Thursday and elimination from the World Cup for the Americans.

Central defender Oguchi Onyewu was called for pushing down Razak Pimpong in the penalty area battling for a header in first-half injury time. Germany's Markus Merk, one of the world's top-rated officials, immediately pointed to the penalty spot as Arena buried his face in his hands.

"It wasn't a penalty," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said. "I think the referee saw it was a big guy against a small guy, and those calls seem to go against the big guy. He made a good play. He just headed the ball away. He didn't dive in, he didn't do anything."

Ghana captain Stephen Appiah put the ball high to goalkeeper Kasey Keller's right for the decisive goal in a 2-1 victory that moved the Africans into the second round.

"I think we'd all agree that wasn't a good call," Arena said. "Those things happen, they happen a lot to our team. That's a tough one to deal with.

"We worked real hard to get back in the game," Arena added of Clint Dempsey's goal in the 43rd minute that tied it. "I am disappointed in the judgment of the referee in the penalty call. We would have liked to come out at halftime even, with a chance to win the game. That was a big call.

"Having said that, we could have been better in the second half with our own opportunities."

Arena kept on talking in the referee's direction after the penalty kick until an assistant coach pulled him away. He also waved his arm at Merk when the final whistle sounded, turned and walked off, leaving American players out on the field. Arena congratulated Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic under the stands, outside the locker rooms.

"Referees have good days, referees have bad days," Arena said. "There'd be 15 penalty kicks called (if every foul like that was called)."

The Black Stars outfouled the Americans 32-16, but the United States committed the biggest penalty.

"Takes the wind out of your sails," Dempsey said. "We thought going into halftime we were tied up. That wasn't the case."