Northern Ireland 1-2 USA, goals, result, summary: international friendly live
Northern Ireland 1-2 USA: as it happened
Match stats
- 0
- 15
- 30
- 45
- 60
- 75
- 90
- 44%55%
- 44%55%
- 22%78%
- 12%87%
- 60%39%
- 40%60%
- 51%48%
- 38%61%
- 32%67%
- 35%64%
- 35%64%
- 10%89%
- 13%86%
- 44%55%
- 34%66%
- 46%54%
- 27%72%
- 65%34%
A good run out for both sides in the friendly match. The USA's quality shone through in the end.
The USA are deserved winners today in Belfast.
FT: Northern Ireland 1-2 USA
Thompson hits it in to the back post. Ball goes out. That should be that.
Charles wins a free-kick for Northern Ireland with 30 seconds left.
There will be four minutes of added-on time.
Northern Ireland 1-2 USA
Plenty of changes for both sides in today's friendly. It always disrupts the flow of the game. The USA have been the better side in this second half. Their quality is there for all to see.
Five minutes to go at Windsor Park.
USA corner is directed away. Ball comes back in, it flies past the box, teasing cross but no-one gets a touch. Could have been 3 for the US!
Another good save by Hazard! Dike looks like a handful for the USA.
Great stop by Brown to deny Dike his first ever goal for the USA!
The Americans are dominating the game here, they are dictating the play and very comfortable at 2-0. Berhalter's team are ranked 22nd in the world!
The USA look like they have an extra man in the middle. The Northern Ireland heads have dropped in this second half.
Pulisic has been outstanding in the second half. The USA lead 2-0.
De La Torre is coming in for the USA.
Charles strikes again! good strike but it's straight into the hands of Steffen.
Charles curls it first time from the edge of the box. Just over the bar. Good start to life for Dion Charles, who has playing non-league not so long ago.
Aaronson sends it over the bar. Landed at an awkward height for the substitute. He's unable to control his shot.
USA changes
OFF Long, Reyna, Siebatcheu
ON Richards, Aaronson, Dike
A raft of changes for Northern Ireland
ON Charles McCann Lewis McNair
OFF Lavery Evans Saville Ferguson
Northern Ireland 0-2 USA
Actually doesn't look like a penalty.
Penalty for the USA!
Northern Ireland have three or four players about to come in.
Reynolds, on for his debut, goes to ground in the box. Referee waves play on. It's never a penalty.
Reyna celebrates goal with Dest
Giovanni Reyna (L) celebrates with US defender Dest (R) after scoring the opening goal of the international friendly football match between Northern Ireland and the United States at Windsor Park.
Photo: AFP
Long was voted the MLS defender of the year in 2018.
Two US corners! Long tries to flick it on at the near post but Saville gets rid. Acosta swings in a second one. It's also cleared. 0-1
Northern Ireland passing it around well only to be robbed. Pulisic plays Reyna in but it's a great recovery tackle by Brown.
The only thing Hazard has had to do in the Northern Ireland goal is to pick the ball out of his own net. The US didn't create a lot of chances in the first half but do lead 1-0.
This is the first time the sides have met since 1948.
We're now underway for the second half!
USA change
ON Reynolds
OFF Dest
USA change
ON Lletget
OFF Musah
The players are back out for the second 45.
- 0
- 15
- 30
- 45
- 60
- 75
- 90
- 44%55%
- 44%55%
- 22%78%
- 12%87%
- 60%39%
- 40%60%
- 51%48%
- 38%61%
- 32%67%
Gio Reyna's deflected effort is the difference at the break. The home side had chances through strikers Lafferty and Lavery but Steffen in the USA goal saved well from the latter.
HT: Northern Ireland 0-1 USA
There will be one additional minute after the 45.
Saville gets booked for a blatant foul on Acosta as the US looked to hit the home side on the break after defending the corner.
Northern Ireland corner after some good work from Lavery. Still no joy from set pieces for the North. US clear.
STEFFEN SAVES!
Nice strike from Lavery this time, Steffen gets down well to his right.
0-1
Northern Ireland are now sitting deeper, maybe the heads have dropped slightly since Reyna's goal.
And that's the difference at this level. Lafferty misses a sitter and Reyna goes up the other end and scores.
Northern Ireland have yet to keep a clean sheet under Ian Baraclough.
Northern Ireland 0-1 USA
Reyna strikes from the edge of the box and it takes a huge deflection off Brown. It's Reyna's second goal for the USMNT.
USA take the lead!
Northern Ireland's next game is against Bulgaria on Wednesday night.
Ian Baraclough will be the happier of the two managers so far I think.
Berhalter won't be happy with the amount of free-kicks his team have given away so far. Continue to put themselves under pressure.
The home side are having a nice spell now but have yet to really test Man City keeper Steffen.
There are so many techincally gifted players in the US side. Dest scored a beauty against Jamaica on Thursday. He'll be hoping to help his team out again today. The former Ajax man joined Barcelona for €23 million. He is now a regular under Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou.
Another free-kick for Northern Ireland. The US clear Thompson's delivery away. Remains 0-0.
Free-kick falls to Corry Evans on the edge of the box, he blazes high over the bar.
Jordan Thompson of Northern Ireland is closed down by Yunus Musah of USA during the International Friendly between Northern Ireland and USA at Windsor Park.
Photo: Getty images
Northern Ireland should be 1-0 up!
LAFFERTY CHANCE!
He should really do better there. Saville plays Lafferty in...he's one-on-one vs Steffen but rolls it wide.
Ballard tackles well as Pulisic bursts through the inside left channel. 0-0
Lafferty went for power but it's too low and the US get away with an early chance.
and it's straight into the US wall.
Lafferty stands over it...
The home side have a free-kick...it's about 19 yards out. Could be too close to the wall
Free-kick to Northern Ireland in a dangerous spot. Acosta takes out Evans on the edge of the box.
The future looks very bright for this US side. Some very exciting players in Gregg Berhalter's side.
Danger signs for the new back three of Northern Ireland.
Yunus Musah is playing in midfield, getting on the ball nice and early here. Robinson receives it out on the left, whips in a cross but there is nobody at the back post.
Today is Ian Baraclough's first friendly game in charge of Northern Ireland. It will give him a chance to try out some different systems and players.
Sergiño Dest is operating on the right today. Some nice play with Gio Reyna early on. Both sides look to be setting out with 3-5-2 systems.
The USA have made four changes from their 4-1 win over Jamaica on Thursday. Today's side is still a very strong line-up.
Northern Ireland are playing from left to right as we watch it.
And we're underway at Windsor Park!
The officials are from Wales, led by Rob Jenkins.
Northern Ireland's national anthem is up next.
And now for the USA national anthem.
Christian Pulisic leads out the USA team, who are ranked 22nd in the world and haven't lost in eight games.
Kyle Lafferty leads out and captains Northern Ireland out for the first time. Today is his 81st cap.
This is Northern Ireland's first game at home since November.
The teams are in the tunnel!
Berhalter names young side
Today’s USA starting XI has an average age of 24 years, 116 days
The Starting XI averages 18 caps
USA team news vs Northern Ireland
Tonight’s USMNT Starting XI vs. Northern Ireland: 1-Zack Steffen, 2-Sergiño Dest, 3-Aaron Long, 4-Matt Miazga, 5-Antonee Robinson, 7-Gio Reyna, 8-Yunus Musah, 10-Christian Pulisic (capt.), 13-Tim Ream, 16-Jordan Siebatcheu, 23-Kellyn Acosta
Substitutes:
22-Ethan Horvath, 25-Chituru Odunze, 9-Josh Sargent, 11-Brenden Aaronson, 12-Luca de la Torre, 14-Owen Otasowie 15-Chris Richards, 17-Sebastian Lletget, 18-Christian Cappis, 19-Bryan Reynolds, 21-Daryl Dike, 24-Erik Palmer-Brown
Christian Pulisic would like to play for US U23 in Olympics
The last game Christian Pulisic played with the United States men’s national team before Thursday's win over Jamaica was in October 2019 during the CONCACAF Nations League against Canada and Cuba. After over a year of being absent due to the coronavirus pandemic and several injuries, the 22-year-old is happy to return during this FIFA international break.
Pulisic is one of the top soccer players in the United States and if the US youth national team is able to qualify for the 2021 Olympics, then he would like to be included in the squad. But it could be complicated. The US failed to qualify for the Olympics in 2012 and 2016, so they are determined to return this summer.
“The Olympics is of course a massive honour to play in, and to represent your country in an Olympics would be amazing,” Pulisic said.
What time does the Northern Ireland v USA match start?
The international friendly between Northern Ireland and USA will be played at Windsor Park in Belfast, Northern Ireland on Sunday 28 March 2021 and will kick off at the local time of 17:05 hours BST.
That's 18:05 CEST in Spain, 12:05 EDT in New York and 09:05 PDT in Los Angeles.
Four in four for Lletget
With a brace against Jamaica, USMNT midfielder Sebastian Lletget now has recorded four goals in his last four international matches. He came off the bench and added an insurance goal in the 6-2 win against Panama last November – also in Wiener Neustadt – then followed up with a strike in the 6-0 shutout of El Salvador. With six goals and 19 caps to his credit, Lletget is the only USMNT player in all six matches since the start of 2020.
Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty has been named captain of the Northern Ireland team. He will earn his 81st cap today.
Christian Pulisic - USA
Star forward Christian Pulisic, who became the most expensive player in American soccer history when he moved from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019 for a fee of $73m, is also in the panel.
The starting front three against Jamaica was Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen) and Pulisic, however, Berhalter may mix things up by including Barnsley striker Daryl Dike or Young Boys forward Jordan Siebatcheu from the start today.
USA team preview:
The USA typically line up in an attacking 4-3-3 formation which appears more like a 2-5-3 when in possession. Head coach Gregg Berhalter is keen for his team to play out from the back and has defended this approach in the past, even on the occasions it has backfired.
There is much excitement in the States about the quality of player available to Berhalter these days. With numerous representatives from Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, there are many who will consider the Stars and Stripes as contenders for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The current crop of players are well suited to the dynamic system put in place by the head coach.
Full-backs such as 20-year-old Barcelona starlet Sergiño Dest and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson are adept at joining in their side’s attacks or getting back to defend as required.
The USMNT (US Men's National Soccer Team), enjoyed a 4-1 victory over Jamaica on Thursday night and will undoubtedly want another win under their belts today.
Their goals in the friendly against the Jamaicans – it was played in Austria – were scored by Sebastian Lletget (two), Dest and Brenden Aaronson, who are all in the squad for the game against the boys in green and white.
Photo: AFP
Team news: Northern Ireland
The game at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park is listed as a friendly but Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough insists there is no such thing as a friendly in international football anymore. And the Northern Ireland boss is keen to bounce back quickly from the 2-0 defeat to Italy in a World Cup qualifier in Parma on Thursday.
He told a press conference pre-match that he will not be taking the game lightly and nor will his players.
He said he wants a win against the Stars and Stripes to build momentum towards the World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria in Belfast on Wednesday.
Kilmarnock striker Kyle Lafferty, who came on as a sub against the Italians, will definitely be in the starting eleven as he has been named captain of the Northern Ireland team. He will earn his 81st cap today.
Celtic goalkeeper Conor Hazard will also start, replacing Bailey Peacock-Farrell in nets, while Baraclough is expected to make several other changes from the starting line-up in Parma.
He said he wants so-called fringe players to be given the opportunity to show what they can do – and he is confident they can deliver.
Match preview:
Northern Ireland welcome the United States to Belfast’s Windsor Park for an international friendly that will serve both teams. For the hosts, it will be a warm-up for Wednesday’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria at the same venue, while for the US, it will be a chance for Gregg Berhalter to give more playing time to some of the newer faces in his squad – 14 members of the current squad have gained less than eight caps at full international level.
Both teams were in action last week. Northern Ireland didn’t get their 2022 World Cup campaign off to the best of starts, losing their opening Group C qualifier 2-0 to Italy in Parma. The USMNT meanwhile fared much better in their friendly against Jamaica - Sergiño Dest, Brenden Aaronson and Sebastian Lletget were all on target as they cruised to a 4-1 win in Austria.
Northern Ireland vs USA
This will be the second meeting between these two nations – they met for the first time in August 1948 - curiously, also at Windsor Park, a friendly of which there are few details, apart from the scoreline: a 5-0 win for Northern Ireland. On Sunday, Welsh referee Robert Ian Jenkins and his officials will be in charge of ensuring the game runs smoothly and without incident.
Northern Ireland v USA how and where to watch - times, TV, online
All the info you need on how, where and when to watch the international friendlybetween Northern Ireland and USA in Belfast on Sunday 28 March 2021.
Northern Ireland vs USA live: welcome
Hello and welcome to AS English's live coverage of this international friendly fixture as Northern Ireland host USA at Windsor Park. Kick-off is at 18:05 CET.