Ireland take on USA at the Aviva on November 18th, so in association with NIVEA MEN - official skincare provider to the FAI - we’ve got 6 corporate box and 15 premium tickets to the game to give away. For a chance to win all you've got to do is vote (at the bottom of the page) for your favourite US international in our bracket. This is the final of the bracket and we've two sets of three corporate box tickets to give away along with one set of three premium tickets.
In the first semi-final of the bracket, two former Premier League players faced off with Roy Wegerle defeating John Harkes. The second semi-final saw the meeting of two USA '94 heroes with Alexi Lalas beating Cobi Jones.
Roy Wegerle
Before English football had John Harkes, it had Roy Wegerle - a South African-born, American international with a mullet.
Wegerle's first English club was Chelsea but he also spent time with Luton, QPR, Blackburn and Coventry. His spell at QPR was his most successful in English football as he scored 29 goals in 65 appearances for the London club.
The striker played 41 times for the US, making his debut against Ireland in 3-1 win in Washington D.C. in 1992. He played at both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups.
Where is he now?
Info on what Roy is currently at is sketchy, but he was spotted at a TK Maxx in Liverpool back in 2011.
Roy Wegerle browsing the discounts in TKMaxx in town. Everton not the only ones doing their shopping in the bargain bin #deadlineday
— Liam Tollady (@ljtollady) August 31, 2011
He once scored this superb solo effort for QPR
Following his professional football career, he tried his hand at professional golf
Just like Julian Dicks, Jimmy Bullard and Gary O'Neill, Wegerle was a footballer with ambitions of playing an individual sport - golf. He qualified for the 2002 Alfred Dunhill Championship in Johannesburg but would finish last.
He was the first American to score in the Premier League
In the same season (92/93) that John Harkes became the first American to play in the Premier League, Wegerle became the first American to score in the competition. He hit the back of the net for Blackburn in a 7-1 win over Norwich on October 3rd, 1992.
Alexi Lalas
Ask anyone what is their standout memory of the American team at the 1994 World Cup and undoubtedly the majority of people will mention a swashbuckling centre back with long red hair and beard - Alexi Lalas.
Lalas got his first cap for the US team three years earlier but did not fully establish himself in the starting lineup until the year of the World Cup. He would go on to start all four of the US' games at the tournament.
After the World Cup, the centre back went to play in Italy for Serie A side Padova where he would spend two seasons before coming back to the US to play for New England Revolution in the newly established MLS. Years later in 2002 he would win the MLS Cup with LA Galaxy before retiring early in 2004. Lalas also played in the less successful US '98 World Cup team as they finished bottom of their group losing games to Germany, Iran and Yugoslavia.
Where is he now?
Lalas currently works as a pundit for ESPN and ABC for MLS games and US National Team games.
Here are some of the reasons to vote for Alexi Lalas
He was a talented man outside of football
Lalas was part of a band named the Gypsies which opened for Hootie and the Blowish on a few occasions.
Here he is singing a cover version of The Primitives 'Crash'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em-PxpstTZM
That distinctive hair and beard combo
He played amateur football with Hollywood United FC
After he retired from professional football, he played for Hollywood United. A team which also featured Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham, Ziggy Marley (son of Bob) and Franck Leboeuf.
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Terms and conditions:
Winners have 24 hours to respond once contacted. If no response is received within that time then another winner will be selected. Full terms and conditions can be viewed here. This round of voting closes at 1pm on Monday November 17th. There will be more opportunities to win tickets to the game on @ballsdotie.
