NUREMBERG, Germany — Blame referee Markus Merk for the United States going out of the World Cup.

No, blame FIFA for not seeding all 32 teams and the Americans getting a tough group.

Or FIFA's mandate that referees give yellow cards for the slightest challenges.

Bruce Arena had a list of reasons why his players didn't qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup by losing 2-1 to Ghana on Thursday.

They didn't include that the Americans weren't good enough.

Or he made the wrong tactical decisions.

Or he chose the wrong lineup.

Or that maybe it's time for him to go.

While Arena may have some justification that Merk's decision to call a penalty against defender Oguchi Onyewu was harsh, his players didn't do enough to beat a team rated far below them in the FIFA rankings (48).

The penalty in first-half injury time allowed Stephan Appiah to drive home the winner. While Ghana made it to the second round as Group E runner-up to Italy, the Americans finished last with one point.

Clint Dempsey's first-half equalizer was the only goal scored by an American in the three games. The other U.S. strike was an own-goal by an Italian defender.

For all the fighting qualities the Americans showed in the 1-1 draw with Italy and against Ghana, there's simply no getting around a lack of technical ability in their play.

Arena's tactics were also puzzling. Eddie Lewis, who started the tournament as a defender, wound up as a left winger. DaMarcus Beasley played too deep and Eddie Johnson, often a spark plug, didn't make an appearance until the second half.

While the Ghanaians celebrated advancement in their World Cup debut, the Americans went over to thank their massed ranks of loyal and noisy fans for their outstanding support. Maybe they were apologizing, too.

Although McBride hit the post, Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Kingson was rarely forced to make saves. Landon Donovan, who had one of his worst games in the U.S. shirt, fired a close-range shot yards high and wide, while crosses sailed over teammates or behind them.

"It's not Bruce," Donovan said. "Bruce is the best coach I've ever had. If we don't perform, it's on us."

In part, certainly.