After a stodgy first-half that was merely a continuation of what we have seen since Cardiff, Ireland rallied superbly to end the season on a badly-needed high: Alan Judge's late winner completing a 2-1 comeback against the United States in Dublin. The U.S. were poor but led at half-time through Bobby Wood, following a sloppy set-piece goal, which proved to be the rocket Ireland needed: a vastly improved second half earned the reward it deserved: first through Graham Burke's equaliser and then Judge's late, late winner.
Here are our player ratings.
Colin Doyle - 7
Doyle had very little to do, but did it well.
Seamus Coleman - 6
A scratchy night for the captain on his first Aviva appearance since the injury. Playing at right wing-back, like McClean he was beset by a paucity of options moving ahead of him as Jeff Hendrick barely figured. Scuffed one good opening after the US goalkeeper Bill Hamid dropped his 693rd cross of the first-half.
John O'Shea (c) - 118
The great man took his leave on the 33rd minute, startling the Aviva into life as he was replaced by Darragh Lenihan. Unsurprisingly assured throughout, and jogged off with a trademark lack of bullshit. Ireland's last link to the gloriously talented underage squads of the late 1990s, which now leaves us at an appropriate remove from those heady days. Within 12 minutes of his exit, Ireland already missed him as they fell asleep on a simple American set-piece to fall behind on the stroke of half-time. Joked afterward that he thought he would be a shoo-in for the man of the match award.
Shane Duffy - 7
Duffy is a kind of resident man of the match and wasn't far from collecting the award again tonight. Not his usual menacing self in the opposition penalty area, but some of his defending was aggressive and technically brilliant. Some habits die hard, however, and spent much of the first half slinging aimless balls down the touchline.
Kevin Long - 6
Long was great in the air, but his use of the ball was appalling at times, twice misplacing simple ten-yard passes into midfield along with needlessly panicking Colin Doyle with a blind back pass in the first-half. While he played a sweeping cross-field pass in the first-half to Coleman - possibly Ireland's best pass of 2018 - he fittingly did so accidentally, as a result of an over-zealous slide tackle.
James McClean - 6
McClean may be versatile, but it is a virtue that does not extend to left wing-back. He sat far too deep at times, almost man-marking Tim Weah. This blunted him as an attacking force, as too often he didn't have space in which to attack and instead resorted to slinging deep, useless crosses into the space around Jon Walters. Given his penchant for scoring important goals, McClean is wasted as a wing-back, and was much better in a more advanced role once Horgan took his spot further back, and might have scored the winner before Judge stole his thunder.
Declan Rice - 9
Starting in front of the back three, Rice didn't always look comfortable on the ball as he was hectored in possession by Weston McKennie. He grew into the game however, and dictated play in the second-half as Ireland belatedly found the front foot. Judge's winner owed much to his calmly picking out McClean in the penalty area.
Rice is the biggest positive of the first-half of 2018, and a deserving man of the match.
Jeff Hendrick - 5
At this rate, Hendrick should book his holidays in France to go foraging for his form. Sailed about the fringes of this before making way for Harry Arter with nine minutes to go.
Callum O'Dowda - 7
We fast-forward to the away leg of our playoff to get to Euro 2020, and the RTE panel are bemoaning Martin O'Neill's decision to leave Callum O'Dowda on the bench as we seek to 'keep things tight'. While not on the level of Wes Hoolahan, O'Dowda is probably the next persecuted artist in the Irish team. He was virtually the only Irish player capable of running at the American defenders. While physically more imposing than is perceived, he does tend to drift out of games and copped a couple of ear lashings from James McClean for failing to offer a consistent outlet on the left-wing.
Graham Burke - 8
Burke began the game as the first League of Ireland starter since Joe Gamble in 2006, and ended it as the league's first international Irish goalscorer since Ray Treacy.
Graham Burke becomes the first LOI player to score for Ireland since Shamrock Rovers' Ray Treacy in a 4-2 win over Turkey at Lansdowne Road in April 1978. He scored twice and missed a penalty. Rovers clubmate John Giles had scored the opening goal as wellhttps://t.co/eyTUaov4mH
— Karl Reilly (@HistoryLOI) June 2, 2018
Burke played in the number 10 position behind Walters and overall did quite well: while he didn't see the ball at his feet often he coped admirably in the air.
Jon Walters - 7
Walters landed the Loneliest Job In Irish Sport in the first-half, but was much more effective in the second-half when Ireland committed a few more bodies in support. Unfortunate to see a shot flash wide in the second half.
Subs
Darragh Lenihan - 6
Meath's first-ever Irish international replaced O'Shea slotted into the right of the Irish back three and had an inauspicious start in sloppily losing Bobby Wood on the opening goal. Atoned somewhat on the Irish goal, and would had the glory to be the first-ever Meathman to score for Ireland if it weren't for Burke's intervention.
Daryl Horgan - 7
Horgan popped up at left wing-back, and immediately Ireland looked a better attacking team. McClean was allowed forward unfettered while Horgan did a fine job of attacking the space between the States' right-back and centre-back before finding more joy infield when Enda Stevens came on to play at wing-back. A really bright performance at the end of a season of tumult.
Enda Stevens and Harry Arter weren't on long enough to receive one of our deeply scientific ratings, but Alan Judge scored the winner in the the last minute so he gets a 10.
