Ireland vs. USA: Key Factors Set to Shape Dublin International Friendly
Both the Republic of Ireland and the USA come into Tuesday's international friendly between the sides at Dublin's Aviva Stadium on the back of a loss.
The Irish were beaten 1-0 away to Scotland on Friday in their Euro 2016 qualifier while Jurgen Klinsmann's men squandered a 1-0 advantage to lose 2-1 in a friendly against Colombia on the same day.
It is the final match of 2014 for both sides, and thus there will be an added eagerness for victory in a bid to finish off the year well.
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Read on for a look at the key factors set to shape the match in the Irish capital.
Missing Players
There will likely be a whole host of changes in both teams on Tuesday with various players having returned to their clubs and the friendly also offering the opportunity for experimentation.
There is nothing significant on the line but pride, and Irish replacements for Robbie Keane and Darron Gibson will be needed along with US changes to make up for the departures of Jermaine Jones, DeAndre Yedlin, Lee Nguyen and DaMarcus Beasley.
Indeed, Ireland assistant coach Roy Keane has suggested there will be sweeping changes made by boss Martin O'Neill, per Sky Sports:
"A lot of the lads who started the other night won't have the opportunity to make up for it because I'm guessing there will be a lot of changes.
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USMNT fans will be hoping to see more of impressive 18-year-old striker Rubio Rubin who played excellently on Friday, per Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl:
Meanwhile, Cyrus Christie, 22, and David McGoldrick, 26, could both turn out for the home side. There are likely to be some inexperienced players out on the pitch on Tuesday, and how the new boys handle the occasion will be key in deciding the result.
US Staying Power
In their last three international matches, Klinsmann's side have failed to hold on to a lead, losing after going up against Colombia and drawing from a winning position against both Ecuador and Honduras.
This is a concern for the USMNT but will serve as a boost for the Irish should they go down early on. The key is clearly the defence, but the ability to keep the ball and close a game out is equally important.
Kyle Beckerman will be very important for Klinsmann as he is the anchor of the US team and controls their play from the defensive midfield position.
Furthermore, organisation and concentration must improve at the back; as Opta's Ben Jata points out, Friday's equaliser was a direct result of poor positioning from Fabian Johnson:
USA have the ability to take the lead against the Irish; the key will be whether or not they can hold on to it to claim a victory.
Home Advantage
As far as FIFA's world rankings are concerned, USA are by the far superior team, sitting as they do 38 spots above 61st-placed Ireland.
That would tend to suggest that the USMNT are favourites for this encounter, but that is far from being the case.
Ireland will have the full backing of Dublin's Aviva Stadium behind them, and the US will have to deal with a partisan crowd in a thumping atmosphere.
O'Neill's men will be eager to impress in front of their home fans and expunge the memory of the Scotland loss, two factors which will play to their advantage on Tuesday.
