Republic of Ireland vs. Uruguay: 2017 Friendly Time, Live Stream and TV Schedule

The Republic of Ireland will play host to Uruguay in an international friendly on Sunday, in preparation for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Austria.

The Irish sit second in their qualifying group, tied on points with Serbia and four points ahead of Wales and Austria. The Boys in Green need to keep winning, and Uruguay should provide them with an excellent test.

La Celeste sit ahead of both Chile and Argentina in CONMEBOL qualifying and have tremendous attacking firepower―on paper, they should be favourites in this match.

Time: 6 p.m. BST/1 p.m. ET

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin

TV Info: BeIN Sports (U.S.), Premier Sports (UK)

Live Stream: BeIN Sports Connect, Premier Player

Preview

Uruguay have travelled to Europe without two key players, as Atletico Madrid's Diego Godin and Barcelona's Luis Suarez have already started their summer vacations. La Celeste have little to play for and can afford to hand minutes to youngsters or fringe players looking to convince themselves.

That doesn't mean the team is bereft of talent, however. Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani is expected to lead the attack, and the former Napoli man is in the form of his life.

As shared by Squawka Football, he comfortably replaced Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the team's main striker:

Cristhian Stuani and Diego Rolan also figure to play a big role offensively, and Jose Maria Gimenez will get the chance to prove he can lead the defence without Atletico team-mate Godin by his side.

In comparison, Ireland don't have as much raw talent in their squad, with Darren Randolph, James McClean and Wes Hoolahan among the best-known players. Mexico outclassed the team in Thursday's friendly, but it's worth noting the team that had travelled to the U.S. was not at full strength.

Owen Cowzer of the Irish Sun explained there were quite a few holes in the squad:

Jonathan Walters will give the hosts another option in attack, although manager Martin O'Neill could refrain from plugging him into the team immediately, preserving his health ahead of the match against Austria.

The World Cup qualifier is the crucial fixture in this three-match set—Sunday's clash is but another chance to experiment ahead of that showdown.