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Analysis

5 Ireland players who enhanced their first-team prospects in last night’s game

Robbie Brady and others gave the Irish management team plenty to contemplate ahead of next year’s vital qualifiers.

FIRSTLY, IT SEEMS important to note the obvious caveats from Ireland’s 4-1 over USA at the Aviva Stadium last night.

Yes, the win came against an under-strength US team and granted, it was only a friendly, but there were nevertheless several signs of encouragement that will have pleased manager Martin O’Neill.

For what was, by all accounts, a second-string Irish team, it was largely an exemplary performance, with a number of those involved giving O’Neill plenty to contemplate ahead of next year’s decisive qualifiers.

With that in mind, here are five players who stood out in particular…

1. Robbie Brady

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It was a mixed night in some respects for Robbie Brady. Were it to be judged purely from a defensive perspective, the experiment of playing him at left-back was a failure.

As he noted in his post-match interview, it was not completely unfamiliar territory — Brady has played left-back and left wing-back for both Hull and Man United previously.

Nevertheless, all too often, it was apparent that defensive instincts don’t come easily to the 22-year-old. He misplaced passes in dangerous areas and showed poor positioning on more than once occasion, while there was one instance in particular where he was brushed off the ball far too easily by USA’s Nantes winger Alejandro Bedoya, with the visitors almost scoring as a result.

On the other hand, going forward, Brady was a revelation at times, scoring two beautifully taken goals, and generally looking lively, while confirming that he is comfortably Ireland’s best corner taker (and probably their best free-kick specialist too).

Neither Stephen Ward nor James McClean played particularly well against Scotland, yet it is perhaps the latter rather than the former whose place may be under threat based on Brady’s performance last night.

2. Cyrus Christie

Making your debut in front of an expectant home crowd is never easy for a defender – just ask former Wolves and Ireland player Paul ‘one-cap wonder’ Butler.

Yet 22-year-old Derby right-back Cyrus Christie passed last night’s test with flying colours.

He was quietly efficient at the back in the first half, making some important defensive clearances. Moreover, after the break, he demonstrated his proficiency in attack, linking up well with the similarly impressive Anthony Pilkington on more than one occasion.

“He had a lot to live up to after Seamus [Coleman], but he had a brilliant debut,” said an impressed Martin O’Neill after the match, and it was difficult to disagree.

3. David McGoldrick

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The Ipswich man may have had a nonchalant demeanour at times last night, but he delivered a serious performance when opportunities arose.

After being asked about McGoldrick’s qualities last month, fellow Ipswich and Ireland striker Daryl Murphy compared him to Wes Hoolahan, and the pass for the first Ireland goal (see above) was one which the Norwich star would have been proud of.

The 26-year-old debutant also laid on the assist for the second goal of the evening, and whether the backheel to Brady was intentional has already been debated ad nauseam, but a player who is renowned for being especially technical and intelligent surely deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt in this case.

Consequently, throwing McGoldrick into a big qualifier after just one friendly appearance would be a controversial call, but with Ireland patently lacking invention in the final third against Scotland, O’Neill may feel tempted to experiment further.

4. Stephen Quinn

Quinn won’t grab the headlines like his Hull teammate Brady, but his display was just as accomplished in its own way. And like McGoldrick, his influence was conspicuous for two of the goals.

For the second goal, the 28-year-old former St Patrick’s Athletic player showed evidence of the oft-overlooked level of grit in his game, chasing what seemed a lost cause with the ball at the corner flag and winning it back, thereby allowing McGoldrick and Brady to subsequently work their magic.

Moreover, he also had a hand in Ireland’s fourth goal, showing good acceleration to get away from the defender and drawing a foul to earn the free-kick from which Robbie Brady ultimately scored.

And these two incidents were far from anomalies, as Quinn continually harried the opposition when not in possession while using the ball intelligently during spells of Irish dominance, as he delivered the type of complete performance that has seldom been produced by an Irish midfielder since Roy Keane’s heyday.

Dropped for the Scotland game, perhaps partially owing to his failure to close down Toni Kroos quick enough for Germany’s only goal in the qualifier when the sides met back in October, Quinn certainly staked his claim for a recall with an influential display last night.

5. Shane Long

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Although it may sound strange, Long made more of an impression in 13 minutes last night than he did for his 68-minute stint on the pitch against Scotland on Friday.

Granted, it was by no means a poor performance by the Southampton striker at Celtic Park last week — he in fact started the game quite impressively, before fading badly as the match wore on.

Yet he produced no moment anywhere near as impressive as his Gareth Bale-esque run in the lead up to James McClean’s deflected goal last night, sprinting from just inside the opposition half and leaving Greg Garza for dead before unfortunately hitting the woodwork with the finish.

Such moments are a reminder of Long’s enormous ability when on form, and an indication of why Southampton were willing to pay £12million for his services.

Omitted from the first XI in Ireland’s first three qualifiers, Long currently looks in a good position to retain his starting spot for the big games next year.

American experiment a success as O’Neill finds more pieces of the puzzle>

Ireland debut a ‘great experience’ for McGoldrick after two assists against the US>

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