By Tommy Kane

Published: June 2nd, 2018

Volume II: Issue XXX

The United States Men’s National Team flew to Dublin to take on a thirsty Ireland squad. The Irish came out alive, winning the match 2-1 with a crucial goal in the 90th minute. The United States were stunned by this result, considering the powerful 1-0 lead to start the friendly. Bill Hamid was in net for the States, facing three shots and only stopping one. He did not look in form and was struggling against the Irish offense. With this loss, the US are 1-0-1 in their first two friendlies; they will play France in Lyon on June 9th.

Slow Start, but Wood Wakes Up:

The United States team started off slow and allowed Ireland to control the possession, including allowing some corners. Towards the end of the first half (45′ +), the US had a prime opportunity with a free-kick. After the kick, Bobby Wood stayed on-side and was able to lightly tap the ball into the net, confusing Irish Keeper, Colin Doyle. The United States was able to go into half-time with a 1-0 lead. Coach Sarachan and his young team had their eyes set on earning the first ever win in Ireland for the team. Unfortunately, they will have to wait for another opportunity.

Hamid and the Defense Don’t Match:

Coming into the game, Goalie Hamid knew that the Irish were going to be a tough foe for him. He allowed four goals in 2014 against them, the last time that the United States has met Ireland. Hamid is also a part of Sarachan’s experiment of finding the right Goalie for the team. That only created more pressure for him. The US started slow, kind of like they were going to stay defensive for the whole half. That is not the best plan of attack against a European team on the road. In the 57th minute, Hamid came off his line and missed the ball, giving Graham Burke an easy, open-net goal. That tied it up quickly and gave the Irish some fight. Defender, Matt Miazga, and Hamid had a discussion, but it was clear that there was tension between the two. For the rest of the half, the US and Ireland had their individual bursts, but no goal was conceded until the 90th minute.

The US Tumbles to the Grass:

Ireland was pressuring the United States up until the 90th minute, when Alan Judge punched in the game-winner on his first shot of the match. He came off the bench and proved to be the deciding factor for Ireland. The US fell to the ground, discouraged and disappointed by a match that looked so good in the beginning; it only turned to shale as the game finished. For a Deandre Yedlin and Bobby Wood game, this was a disappointment to the fans as well. The game finished a minute later with the Irish winning, 2-1. The Irish earned their first win in four matches, while Coach Sarachan lost his first match as the intern coach.

Upcoming Match Against the French:

The upcoming match against France on June 9th will be a huge test for the young US squad. Taking place in Lyon, the US will once again be on the road against a tough European foe. The United States has never beaten France, losing all three of their matches. Could this young squad give the US their first win against France? It is possible, but the US can expect France’s best eleven as this will be their last meeting before the World Cup starts. We will hope to see Columbus Crew Goaltender, Zack Steffen, make his debut in a US uniform. He has been performing well for the Crew in this current MLS season. He should have to opportunity to prove himself against a top ten ranked French team on the global stage.

After the friendly against France, the United States will play Brazil, China, Mexico, and England come this fall. Those matches will also be great for the US to prove their worth in the world of soccer. It also will give potential starters the opportunity against high-ranked opponents. Until then, go USA!!!

Stats: http://www.espn.com/soccer/matchstats?gameId=507931

https://www.11v11.com/teams/usa/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/France/

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