IRELAND HAVE SUFFERED their second 4-0 international friendly defeat to USA in three days.
The gulf in class was again clear for all to see in searing heat in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a miserable record against the world number one continued: 17 meetings, 17 defeats, 59 goals conceded, one scored.
Lynn Biyendolo broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, and Izzy Rodriguez doubled the hosts’ lead just before half time.
Yazmeen Ryan followed Rodriguez’s example by scoring her first international goal in 66th minute, before star substitute Alyssa Thompson wrapped matters up with her second goal against an utterly outclassed Ireland five minutes from time.
Both sides were understrength; Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell among the players Ireland were without. While the US squad was full of rising domestic talent, in-season, the majority of the Irish squad have been out of club action.
Courtney Brosnan dejected after the game. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Carla Ward made four personnel changes from Friday’s game, played at altitude in Denver. Tyler Toland, Marissa Sheva, Abbie Larkin and Saoirse Noonan started in a 4-5-1, as goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan captained the team once more. US boss Emma Hayes, a long-time friend and mentor to Ward, changed her entire XI.
The young, hungry hosts picked up where their predecessors left off in 30-degree heat in Ohio. They inflicted their first blow seven minutes earlier here: their most experienced starter and skipper on the day, Biyendolo, volleying home after a pinpoint cross from Emma Sears.
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Ireland were completely exposed down their left, with Sears causing them huge problems throughout, and Biyendolo could scarcely believe the time and space she found herself in to bag her 25th international goal.
The US moved through the gears, launching wave after wave of attack as Brosnan, excellent at times, was kept busy. Ireland struggled to keep any scrap of possession, camped in their own half, Abbie Larkin a rare composed presence on the ball.
Biyendolo thought she had her second, poking the ball into the back of the net to finish a team move, but Jessie Stapleton was adjudged to have been fouled in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.
A water break at the 25-minute mark was a welcome reprieve, and after Sears and Ryan almost combined for a carbon copy of the opener on the restart but the latter blazed over, Ireland enjoyed a purple patch. Emily Murphy was to the fore of some fleeting attacks, running at the US and winning a corner after a deflected back post header. While Chloe Mustaki’s delivery was cleared, Ireland’s best chance soon followed: Murphy pounced on a loose pass and linked up with Noonan and Kyra Carusa, the US-born striker hitting the side-netting.
But any slight signs of encouragement were undone in the 42nd minute; Rodriguez rifling home a rebound, and landing a sucker punch just before half time like in Denver. Brosnan had produced a stunning save to stop Sears initially, but the 26-year-old debutant was clinical with the follow-up.
Ward responded with a triple change at the break, and tweaked her shape to a back three/five, with Hayley Nolan and Lucy Quinn introduced as wing-backs. The US, however, continued to pile on the pressure and find gaps. They were relentless as they played any which way, upping the tempo as Irish legs tired.
Biyendolo and Croix Bethune continued to menace, and Olivia Moultrie pulled the strings as she grew into the game more and more. The 19-year-old was denied by another superb Brosnan save off a free-kick, but the Irish ‘keeper was soon beaten again.
Moultrie had to settle for an assist, dragging back to Ryan, whose drilled finish capped another dizzying team move. Brosnan ensured another wouldn’t follow in quick succession, pinching the ball from the toe of Moultrie after a blistering counter-attack and denying Emily Sams on the spin either side of another water break.
Alyssa Thompson celebrates. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
But Ireland were completely jaded, and the final blow arrived in the 85th minute through Thompson, five minutes after her introduction. Played through by Sears, the 20-year-old Angel City star smashed home to make it two goals against Ireland in three days.
The waves kept on coming until the end, hometown hero Rose Lavelle firing over, as the US finished with 25 shots, 10 on target in their 600th win in international football.
Ireland had three, all off the mark.
Next up is October’s Nations League playoff against Belgium after a difficult double-header Stateside.
USA: Mandy McGlynn; Emily Sams, Jordyn Bugg, Tara McKeown; Croix Bethune (Ally Sentnor 63), Sam Meza (Rose Lavelle 88), Izzy Rodriguez Olivia Moultrie (Claire Hutton 80); Emma Sears, Yazmeen Ryan (Alyssa Thompson 80), Lynn Biyendolo (Sam Coffey 63).
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Ireland suffer second heavy defeat to USA in three days
USA 4
Republic of Ireland 0
IRELAND HAVE SUFFERED their second 4-0 international friendly defeat to USA in three days.
The gulf in class was again clear for all to see in searing heat in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a miserable record against the world number one continued: 17 meetings, 17 defeats, 59 goals conceded, one scored.
Lynn Biyendolo broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, and Izzy Rodriguez doubled the hosts’ lead just before half time.
Yazmeen Ryan followed Rodriguez’s example by scoring her first international goal in 66th minute, before star substitute Alyssa Thompson wrapped matters up with her second goal against an utterly outclassed Ireland five minutes from time.
Both sides were understrength; Katie McCabe, Denise O’Sullivan, Aoife Mannion and Megan Campbell among the players Ireland were without. While the US squad was full of rising domestic talent, in-season, the majority of the Irish squad have been out of club action.
Carla Ward made four personnel changes from Friday’s game, played at altitude in Denver. Tyler Toland, Marissa Sheva, Abbie Larkin and Saoirse Noonan started in a 4-5-1, as goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan captained the team once more. US boss Emma Hayes, a long-time friend and mentor to Ward, changed her entire XI.
The young, hungry hosts picked up where their predecessors left off in 30-degree heat in Ohio. They inflicted their first blow seven minutes earlier here: their most experienced starter and skipper on the day, Biyendolo, volleying home after a pinpoint cross from Emma Sears.
Ireland were completely exposed down their left, with Sears causing them huge problems throughout, and Biyendolo could scarcely believe the time and space she found herself in to bag her 25th international goal.
The US moved through the gears, launching wave after wave of attack as Brosnan, excellent at times, was kept busy. Ireland struggled to keep any scrap of possession, camped in their own half, Abbie Larkin a rare composed presence on the ball.
Biyendolo thought she had her second, poking the ball into the back of the net to finish a team move, but Jessie Stapleton was adjudged to have been fouled in the build-up and the goal was disallowed.
A water break at the 25-minute mark was a welcome reprieve, and after Sears and Ryan almost combined for a carbon copy of the opener on the restart but the latter blazed over, Ireland enjoyed a purple patch. Emily Murphy was to the fore of some fleeting attacks, running at the US and winning a corner after a deflected back post header. While Chloe Mustaki’s delivery was cleared, Ireland’s best chance soon followed: Murphy pounced on a loose pass and linked up with Noonan and Kyra Carusa, the US-born striker hitting the side-netting.
But any slight signs of encouragement were undone in the 42nd minute; Rodriguez rifling home a rebound, and landing a sucker punch just before half time like in Denver. Brosnan had produced a stunning save to stop Sears initially, but the 26-year-old debutant was clinical with the follow-up.
Ward responded with a triple change at the break, and tweaked her shape to a back three/five, with Hayley Nolan and Lucy Quinn introduced as wing-backs. The US, however, continued to pile on the pressure and find gaps. They were relentless as they played any which way, upping the tempo as Irish legs tired.
Biyendolo and Croix Bethune continued to menace, and Olivia Moultrie pulled the strings as she grew into the game more and more. The 19-year-old was denied by another superb Brosnan save off a free-kick, but the Irish ‘keeper was soon beaten again.
Moultrie had to settle for an assist, dragging back to Ryan, whose drilled finish capped another dizzying team move. Brosnan ensured another wouldn’t follow in quick succession, pinching the ball from the toe of Moultrie after a blistering counter-attack and denying Emily Sams on the spin either side of another water break.
But Ireland were completely jaded, and the final blow arrived in the 85th minute through Thompson, five minutes after her introduction. Played through by Sears, the 20-year-old Angel City star smashed home to make it two goals against Ireland in three days.
The waves kept on coming until the end, hometown hero Rose Lavelle firing over, as the US finished with 25 shots, 10 on target in their 600th win in international football.
Ireland had three, all off the mark.
Next up is October’s Nations League playoff against Belgium after a difficult double-header Stateside.
USA: Mandy McGlynn; Emily Sams, Jordyn Bugg, Tara McKeown; Croix Bethune (Ally Sentnor 63), Sam Meza (Rose Lavelle 88), Izzy Rodriguez Olivia Moultrie (Claire Hutton 80); Emma Sears, Yazmeen Ryan (Alyssa Thompson 80), Lynn Biyendolo (Sam Coffey 63).
IRELAND: Courtney Brosnan; Jessie Stapleton, Anna Patten (Ruesha Littlejohn 72), Caitlin Hayes, Chloe Mustaki (Hayley Nolan HT); Emily Murphy (Megan Connolly HT), Tyler Toland (Izzy Atkinson 84), Marissa Sheva; Abbie Larkin (Lucy Quinn HT), Kyra Carusa, Saoirse Noonan (Amber Barrett 58).
Referee: Janeishka Caban (Puerto Rico).
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