Ireland vs. USA: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
Ireland destroyed the United States in Dublin with a 4-1 win to close out the 2014 international calendar.
Martin O'Neill's side bested the visiting Yanks for the entire match, and they could have scored five or six if play continued for five more minutes.
Jurgen Klinsmann's side put in a disappointing performance with very few players able to hold their head high after a soul-crushing defeat.
Here are the winners and losers from Ireland's thumping of the United States at the Aviva Stadium.
Winner: Robbie Brady
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Playing at an experimental left-back position, Robbie Brady turned in one of the best performances at the Aviva Stadium.
Brady scored the first of his two goals in the 55th minute after he received a terrific pass from debutante David McGoldrick.
The second goal from the Hull City player was the best of the night, as he perfectly struck a free-kick into the top left corner of the net in the 86th minute.
To go along with the two goals, Brady had a solid day at left-back, which means O'Neill could place him there more often moving forward.
Losers: Fabian Johnson and Timothy Chandler
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American full-backs Fabian Johnson and Timothy Chandler were no match for Ireland's wingers Tuesday night.
On countless occasions, Chandler was burned by Anthony Pilkington on the right wing, while Johnson's key error led to the second Irish goal.
Instead of clearing the ball out of play, Johnson decided to try to play out of the back. His thought process wasn't bad, but his execution was terrible. The right-back turned the ball over in the final third to hand Ireland an advantage in front of goal.
Before the defensive errors stole the show, Johnson had a chance to score in the 22nd minute, as his shot off a short corner banged against the right post.
Neither player did anything to help their stock Tuesday, which means DeAndre Yedlin and Greg Garza should be the starting full-backs next time the Yanks assemble their full first team.
Winner: Shay Given
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Despite not seeing any playing time for club and country recently, Shay Given proved he is still a top 'keeper by making two critical saves for the hosts.
Given made a terrific stop on an incoming Bobby Wood in the 67th minute, and he denied Garza in the 81st minute.
By making two exceptional saves, Given erased any chance of the visitors gaining momentum in the second half. With the momentum still on their side, the hosts went on to score twice after Given's final big save.
In a classy move, O'Neill decided to take Given off in the 85th minute so the fans could give the veteran netminder a standing ovation for his performance in the friendly.
Loser: Jurgen Klinsmann
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United States manager Jurgen Klinsmann deserves as much criticism as the players after their embarrassing defeat.
Klinsmann's delusional mindset of keeping with the diamond formation has cost the Yanks on a few occasions now. It has been made clear the players in the squad are not capable of turning in a good result when in that formation.
Had Klinsmann started Alfredo Morales next to Kyle Beckerman in a 4-2-3-1, the game might have had a different outcome. Instead, the United States boss insisted on trying to get his players to adjust to his system.
His decision to start Chris Wondolowski over Rubio Rubin or Bobby Wood will be questioned a bit, but he rectified that situation by replacing the San Jose forward at the half with Wood.
With a few months to prepare for the 2015 international calendar, Klinsmann will be forced to rethink his strategy. If he keeps his old ways, the Yanks could suffer a few more tough results to start off next year.
Klinsmann was quoted by The Associated Press' Shawn Pogatchnik (via Yahoo) as saying, "I'm telling you that again. We've got to get nastier. It's not a negative word. We have to become more physical. We have to hold our ground more, dominant, and send signals out all over the field."
Winner: Alejandro Bedoya
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Despite the long list of poor performances turned in by the Red, White and Blue, Alejandro Bedoya was once again a bright spot in the American lineup.
The winger has arguably been the best player to put on an American shirt since Brazil, which is something few expected after the promising World Cup campaign.
Bedoya was the only consistent spark in the United States attack all night, as he linked up well with Johnson and provided good service on set pieces.
A good number of players have come under fire for their respective showings over the last few games, but Bedoya is one of the few who have locked down a spot in the squad on a long-term basis.
Losers: The American Forwards
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The forward position for the United States is not in good shape at the moment. All four of the forwards who played Tuesday night showed flaws in their game and very few positives.
The one good moment for the American forwards came on Mix Diskerud's 39th-minute goal. Jozy Altidore played a good ball over to Chris Wondolowski, whose deft header was placed perfectly at Diskerud's foot. Bobby Wood also had a good chance in front of goal in the 67th minute, but he was denied by Given.
Other than those few moments, the forwards had yet another rough night at the office. Altidore is the starter at the moment because there is no one else better than him on the depth chart. The Sunderland forward once again disappeared when his hold-up play was needed to change the match's pace. Until he sees consistent playing time at the club level, he will continue to show a ton of flaws in his game.
Wondolowski did not contribute anything besides his headed assist on the lone United States goal. Wood came on as his replacement and provided a brief spark on his chance in the 67th minute. Rubio Rubin was given a chance to succeed up top, but in his 13 minutes he didn't do much.
With the forwards failing to contribute on a consistent basis, it is not shocking that the Yanks were forced to defend for long stretches against Ireland and Colombia.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
