Ireland-USA Gameday Guide

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Nov 18, 2014

[INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY] The USA will close 2014 on Tuesday when it faces Ireland in Dublin (live at 2:45 ET on ESPN2 and Univision). The game is the second on the USA's European stop after a 2-1 loss to Colombia in London. U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said his goal was to get his players experience in a "stress environment," though they are facing a team that has not qualified for the World Cup in 12 years.

“The earlier that we can throw the players into a stress environment, into a very demanding environment, the better it is," Klinsmann said on Monday. "And that is why we try to get games here and going down in the future to South America. And to keep learning and keep losing to get that experience."

The USA comes into the game with a three-game winless streak and just one win in its last seven games.

Paul Kennedy: Three big storylines to follow in Ireland-USA

Probable Lineup

USA -- Guzan, Chandler, Besler, Cameron, Garza, Johnson, Beckerman, Diskerud, Bedoya, Rubin, Altidore.

Stadium

This is the game match between the USA and Ireland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The stadium, which seats 51,700 fans, was built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium and opened in 2010. It is the home for both Ireland's national soccer and rugby teams.

History

The USA is 2-4-2 all-time against Ireland in a series that dates back 90 years. All four losses came in Dublin. The first U.S. win in the series was a 3-1 victory at U.S. Cup '92 in Washington, D.C.

The game was the first in the buildup to the 1994 World Cup that Bora Milutinovic had his full squad, and the match featured the debuts of a pair of two European-based players: Thomas Dooley, the German son of a U.S. GI, and Roy Wegerle, a South African-born striker married to an American and playing in England.

Both Dooley and Wegerle had big contributions in the game won on goals by Marcelo Balboa, Tab Ramos and John Harkes.

Rosters

Ireland:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Rob Elliot (Newcastle United), David Forde (Millwall), Shay Given (Aston Villa), Darren Randolph (Birmingham City)
DEFENDERS (7): Ciaran Clark (Aston Villa), Cyrus Christie (Derby County), Seamus Coleman (Everton), Richard Keogh (Derby County), John O’Shea (Sunderland), Alex Pearce (Reading), Stephen Ward (Burnley)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Robbie Brady (Hull City), Jeff Hendrick (Derby County), James McClean (Wigan Athletic), Aiden McGeady (Everton), David Meyler (Hull City), Anthony Pilkington (Cardiff City), Stephen Quinn (Hull City)
FORWARDS (5): Shane Long (Southampton), David McGoldrick (Ipswich Town), Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town), Anthony Stokes (Celtic), Jon Walters (Stoke City)

USA:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Bill Hamid (D.C. United), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake).
DEFENDERS (6): Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Borussia M'Gladbach).
MIDFIELDERS (5): Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Hamburg), Alfredo Morales (FC Ingolstadt).
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United FC), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (FC Utrecht), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes).