Ireland are set to play two friendly internationals in the USA following their European Championship qualifier with Macedonia in Skopje later this year.
Nothing has been set in stone yet, but speculation that Ireland will play two friendlies in the US in June has been rife for weeks.
Reports are suggesting that Ireland will play Italy in Meadowlands on June 11, a new venue on the same site as the old New York Giants Stadium, where Ireland famously defeated the Italians in the World Cup in 1994.
On that occasion, a looping Ray Houghton effort (see Houghton celebrating the goal above) which lobbed over the head of Gianluca Pagliuca was enough to secure a famous win for Ireland against a side that were eventually defeated by Brazil on penalties in the World Cup Final.
Another friendly, possibly against European or South American opposition, has been mooted for earlier in the same week as Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni is reportedly keen on working with some of the fringe players in the Irish squad ahead of what could be a crucial climax to the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.
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