Soccer-Last-gasp equaliser keeps Portugal World Cup hopes alive

MANAUS, Brazil, June 22 (Reuters) - Silvestre Varela equalised in the dying seconds to earn Portugal a 2-2 draw against the United States in World Cup Group G on Sunday and keep alive their hopes of progressing into the next round. Until Varela's diving header from Cristiano Ronaldo's cross from the right, Portugal looked dead and buried after the U.S. had come from behind to lead 2-1. The result left Germany and the U.S. level at the top of the group on four points and Portugal and Ghana on one. The opening Portugal goal came in the fifth minute after a mistake by Geoff Cameron saw the ball fall kindly to Nani who smashed it high into the net past a helpless Tim Howard. Jermaine Jones equalised in the second half with a blistering right-foot shot from outside the area and Clint Dempsey put the Americans ahead after bundling the ball home from close range in the 81st minute. (Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Ed Osmond)