USA 1 Rep of Ireland 1

Ireland were deprived of what would have been a notable scalp in the US Nike Cup in Boston early this morning. A scratch Irish side looked set to earn a merited win until Ante Razov scored a 68^th-minute equaliser from a blatantly offside position.

Not only Razov but team-mate Ben Olsen were yards offside when the ball was played through. But, in the absence of flag and whistle, Razov was left to slot the ball past Alan Kelly from close range.

Referee Armando Archundia and his linesman almost compounded their error in the 84^th minute when Cobi Jones - also yards offside - was allowed to advance on Kelly's goal. But this time the Blackburn 'keeper was able to save.

Ireland had looked comfortable and deserved to take the lead when Watford's Dominic Foley, in his first senior start for Ireland, hooked the ball home in the 31^st minute.

Foley's equally inexperienced strike partner, Gary Doherty of Tottenham, also looked lively and was unlucky not to scoreon a couple of occasions.

With the wind and rain behind them in the second half, Ireland were even more dominant and what was virtually a second-string American team began to look out of their depth, until the experienced Cobi Jones and Claudio Reyna came on to steady the ship.

Irish boss Mick McCarthy said: "I didn't harp on about it at the press conference, but it was a dreadful decision. Still, we got a draw and we could still win the competition if Mexico and the USA draw and we win our last game, against South Africa."

Ireland: Alan Kelly (Blackburn), Stephen Carr (Tottenham), Gary Breen (Coventry), Phil Babb (Liverpool), Terry Phelan (Fulham), Stephen McPhail (Leeds), Matt Holland (Ipswich), Gareth Farrelly (Bolton), Kevin Kilbane (Sunderland), Gary Doherty (Tottenham), Dominic Foley (Watford)
Subs: Jason McAteer (Blackburn) for McPhail 37; Mark Kennedy (Manchester City) for Farrelly 72; Niall Quinn (Sunderland) for Doherty 72; Barry Quinn (Coventry) for Foley 88
Goals: Dominic Foley 31.

USA: Brad Friedel, Frankie Hejduk, CJ Brown, Gregg Berthalter, Greg Vanney, Steve Ralston, John O'Brien, Jovan Kirovski, Ben Olsen, Jason Kries, Ante Razov.
Subs: Earnie Stewart for Ralston 46; Claudio Reyna for O'Brien 60; Cobi Jones for Kreis 65; Tony Sanneh for Olsen 75; Brian McBride for Razov 88
Goals: Razov 68