Rep of Ireland v USA: Count on goals as both sides attempt to end the year on a high

Will the home crowd see plenty of goals on Tuesday night?

Their recent form might not be anything to shout home about says Daniel McDonnell, but with both nations aiming to end 2014 in positive fashion we can expect goals in Dublin on Tuesday night when the Rep of Ireland host USA...

Republic of Ireland v USA
Tuesday, 19.45
Live on Premier Sports/Setanta

Match Odds
Rep Of Ireland 2.427/5 v USA 3.412/5; The Draw 3.39/4

The theme of this Dublin friendly on Tuesday will be the collective need to end 2014 on a high, but neither Rep of Ireland or the USA will be attempting to do so with their strongest side.

For the punter, this is a challenge. Second guessing the intentions of Martin O'Neill and Jurgen Klinsmann. Both have hinted at experimentation without detailing in specifics. And there is always the fear of a second half spate of substitutions which dents the flow of proceedings.

What we do know is that both teams are keen to bounce back from weekend disappointments. USA's defeat to Colombia at Craven Cottage was the latest game in which they conceded a goal in the dying stages, a contrast from their summer spirit in Brazil. This is worth considering for In-Play backers.

Meanwhile, Rep of Ireland suffered a crushing Euro 2016 defeat in Glasgow and they will be expected to produce a big reaction to lift spirits.

O'Neill has indicated that squad newcomers Cyrus Christie and David McGoldrick will debut and their contribution will be interesting. Christie is right back cover for Seamus Coleman, while there is excitement about Ipswich attacker McGoldrick as he can offer the Irish a badly needed link player between defence and attack.

After being criticised for a negative approach on their travels, Rep of Ireland will be expected to adopt a more positive style. Klinsmann, meanwhile, is experimenting in the defensive department. Midfielder Jermaine Jones lined out at centre half against the Colombians.

Recent Irish form should not terrify the visitors but there is a danger of fatigue slipping into the American dressing room considering a number of their squad are at the end of their US club seasons and Klinsmann has spoken of a Brazilian hangover.

Ireland have a little more incentive to deliver here and should be fresher in attacking areas. Do not invest heavily, but they might just be capable of success at 2.427/5.

Over/Under 2.5 Goals

With the Americans shuffling options at the back and Ireland seeking to be more ambitious at home then the Overs - available to back at an appealing 2.447/5 - could be the play here.

That said, with O'Neill's Irish side contrasting from Giovanni Trapattoni's in the sense that goals towards the end of games are a common feature and the Americans developing the afore mentioned habit for shipping late then perhaps there could be value in doing some trading on this market and monitoring the odds at half-time.

Either way, it would be a slight surprise if this ended in a tame stalemate. Neither boss has anything to gain from that kind of scenario given criticism of their recent displays.

Correct Score

For the ambitious punter, it might be worth having a look at the Correct Score market, an area which is really made for taking a chance with small stakes at decent odds. With little to gain from sitting back, this game might be a tad more entertaining than your average November friendly and the 19.5n/a about a 2-2 draw is a fun selection as opposed to a strong recommendation.

Recommended Bets
Back Over 2.5 Goals @ 2.447/5
Back Rep of Ireland to Win @ 2.427/5
Back 2-2 Correct Score @ 19.5n/a