When John O'Shea bids farewell to the international scene on Saturday, make sure you wipe the tears from your eyes so you can see what should be one of the more intriguing friendlies Ireland will play this year.
The focus will naturally be on the Waterford legend, but make no bones about it: Ireland versus the United States will deliver on the pitch (and possibly off it too) when the Americans arrive at the Aviva on June 2 (you can buy tickets here). Don't believe me? I have history on my side to prove that this is arguably the greatest match-up in international football. You bet your bottom dollar it is.
It's The Most Entertaining Match-up In International Friendly History
Okay, so maybe that's slightly hyperbolic, but it's definitely up there.
Ireland versus the USA is one of the more fun match-ups in the realm of friendlies; it's the coming together of two neighbourly nations merely separated by a body of water providing entertainment for their passionate fan bases.
Why is this the case? At any given time they have taken to the field, the two sides never seem to be too far apart in terms of talent and ability. The USA feel they have something to prove, Ireland feel they have the measure of their opponents; the result is always competitive games in a non-competitive environment. That being said, Ireland have meted a few crushing defeats over the years.
In any case, every single time these two countries face each other both teams score. In those nine fixtures there hasn't been a clean sheet, which is very unusual but we won't complain so long as the goals continue to flow next Saturday for the Boys in Green.
The Commentary To Their 1992 Match In Washington Is Priceless
Somehow I'm not surprised this video has not surfaced on US Soccer's official channel:
Right off the top this clip gets to a great start with the most stereotypical trad music you've ever heard.
It doesn't get much better with the commentator's assertion that Gerry Payton is in goals ahead of Packie Bonner as a direct result of being involved in Ireland's 4-1 victory over the Americans the year previously. Somehow I don't think Jack Charlton had that on his mind when he was picking his goalkeeper.
That's followed by his "player to watch" in this game, Roy Keane. Supposedly, Ireland's greatest ever defensive midfielder "will be moving forward to help the forwards", who, for some reason, include Andy Townsend, despite the fact he's clearly wearing the number six jersey.
Of course, when we finally get to the kick-off, Ireland's first action is to kick the ball as far up the pitch as possible and put 'em under pressure.
The Most Recent Clash Was A Classic
It was expected to be a relatively tough game for Martin O'Neill's charges, as the USA were coming off the back of an incredible World Cup journey, but manager Jurgen Klinsmann had dropped many of his star players.
That opened the door for a strong performance by Ireland, while it was also the night Robbie Brady truly announced himself as a vital member of the squad.
At that point still a Hull City player, Brady followed up Anthony Pilkington's delicious chipped finish with a well-placed finish of his own. The highlight of the whole move though has to be David McGoldrick's Ronaldo-esque flick to set him up for the goal.
James McClean added a third with a shot from outside the box, before Brady rounded out the scoreline with his second of the night. Ever since then the Dubliner has gotten a reputation as a set-piece specialist after his wonderful free-kick made it 4-1.
The highlights are well worth a watch.
Americanisms
As the aforementioned 1992 game demonstrates, football fans on this side of the Atlantic, rightly or wrongly, get great joy from US commentary on football. As American football culture evolves, it's clear they have their own way of discussing the sport. Per example...
I, for one, love it when Americanisms are inserted into this age old game of which we protect its traditions. Sure, it's a bit jarring and maybe even feels a little bit wrong, but who's to say what is the right way to talk about a sport? Phrases like "go-ahead goal", "shutout" and "cleats" add something a little different to the whole experience. Okay, using cleats instead of boots is an egregious offence, I'll give you that much, but for Americans, that's just how they talk about sport in general.
When USA came to Dublin for a World Cup warm-up match in 2002, the American commentator reacts to Mark Kinsella's goal by saying "one-oh", eschewing all respect for numeracy. In another game during the nineties, Liam Daish was sent off for Ireland, to the commentator responds "Liam Daish - ejected from the field!"
You won't get an Irish commentator doing that on Saturday evening, but wouldn't it be amazing just to hear it once.
The 2002 World Cup Warm Up Game Featured Some Cult Heroes
For both sets of fans the 2002 World Cup holds some great memories. Ireland made it to the second round, coming very close to knocking out Spain, while the US did even better by making it to the quarter-finals.
Their match-up in April of that year in Dublin was good preparation for both sides ahead of the tournament in Japan and South Korea.
The line-ups featured some absolute cult heroes that day, such as former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper and one-time Renford Rejects appearance maker Kasey Keller, Eddie "Captain America" Pope, and the "Ginger Pele" himself, Gary Doherty, scorer of the winning goal.
The tie is highlighted by a stunning finish from Mark Kinsella as he pivots away from goal, but there's a few things I couldn't help but notice from the American coverage. Why are both sides wearing away tops? Why do the graphics look like they're from a late nineties FIFA video game? And just why is the footage from a game in the early noughties grainier than an English division two game in the eighties?
There Is Genuine History Behind This Fixture
Believe it or not, this friendly rivalry goes way back. Then playing as the Irish Free State, the first time Ireland faced the US was way back in 1924 for an exhibition match at Dalymount Park. That's frankly incredible considering Ireland didn't face Wales or Scotland until 1960 and 1961 respectively.
The Irish defeated the United States 3-1 in what was only their fourth game since the FAI split from the IFA in Northern Ireland.
Here's a piece of trivia for you, as well: Ireland have never qualified for a World Cup for which the US have not also qualified. It was a great achievement for the two countries to make it to Italia 90, while both sides were at the tournament in 1994 and 2002.
Currently the head-to-head record stands at five wins for Ireland, two wins for America, and two draws. Can the Republic of Ireland make it a sixth victory over the red, white and blue on Saturday, June 2?
