CARLA Ward shared learning points as Ireland fell victim to the World’s number one USA in a friendly thumping in Denver.

Ward’s team subsided to a four-goal defeat in Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

A young and mainly NWSL-based team shone in severe heat and altitude in the early hours of Friday morning.

An early Avery Patterson headed goal gave the hosts the lead before Sam Coffey doubled it just before half-time.

It wasn’t long after half-time when Rose Lavelle extended the lead further and then Alyssa Thompson put the game to bed with a half hour still to play.

Ireland were hit with an early blow as America-based Denise O’Sullivan and throw-in expert Megan Campbell were ruled out through injury.

The Girls in Green were also without captain Katie McCabe and Aoife Mannion in the game as they were given a break by the Ireland boss.

This US friendly tour was all about learning, gathering experience and preparing for the tough Nations League promotion play-off in October against Belgium.

There is plenty to build on from Ireland’s Nations League campaign despite a few disappointing performances including a loss to Slovenia with the same scoreline as today’s game.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport‘s Tony O’Donoghue, Ward said: “Let’s be honest, we’ve faced the best team in the world, and we knew that.

“We’ve come and played against a group of players that are all in season, fit. We know where we’re at, we’re out of season, but it’s not just that. They’re unbelievable quality, they really are.”

Ward spoke of some of these tough challenges her side would face during the US tour in advance of the fixture.

She added: “I was just saying to the girls, we’re going to learn more out of tonight than we will have in all our Nations League games. And that’s what this is about.

“Being really honest, Erin Healy was only (able to play) 15 minutes, Ellen Molloy can’t do more than ten, Izzy Atkinson was on 15, Ruesha Littlejohn was on 45.

“We were very restricted with what we could put out and the changes we could make.

“Look, we’ve done what we could have done with what we had available.”

“It’s tough, it’s really tough. The altitude, you can feel it in your chest, you can feel it everywhere. I take my hat off to the group.

“We asked them to leave everything out there, they’ve left everything out there.

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JOHN Giles spoke for football fans of all ages when detailing how the relentlessly expanding season is part of the reason he’s opted to retire from punditry.

On Thursday the 84-year-old made his final appearance on Newstalk’s Off the Ball programme – ending a 23-year run at the radio station.

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Last night Balon d’Or holder Rodri made his first start since suffering an ACL tear[/caption]

When asked if it had been a difficult decision to settle on, he succinctly summed up the growing disillusion he and fans the world over are feeling thanks to the non-stop greed of administrators.

The Ireland icon reflected: “I always enjoyed doing it. But what I’ve found lately is that there’s do many matches in all different competitions that if I had to look at them all.

“And really to do this job well you have to really watch all of the matches, you can’t make it up as you go long.

“So I think I was getting to the stage where it was getting a bit stale trying to watch as many matches as I could.

“It became hard work and like, football has never been hard work to me. I’ve always loved it but there’s so many matches – even in the summer now with this Club World Cup over in America.

“But I’ve had a good run of it. I’m nearly 85, I loved playing football, fell into working on the television then which I had no intentions of doing. So no complaints whatsoever from me.”

The ongoing Club World Cup is the most glaring example of a money-grab tournament being added to the calendar at a time when players are supposed to be recuperating during their off-seasons.

But even the Premier League’s expansion into having fixtures on Friday evenings and more mid-week slots means there’s fewer and fewer days off for players and supporters alike.

Throw in giants like Man United now going on “post-season tours” rather than pre-season ones and it’s hard not to sympathise with elite players regardless of how well-paid they are.

Thursday evenings will certainly be worse off without Giles’ voice beaming out across the Irish airwaves.

Amid the countless tributes that came his way after yesterday’s announcement, Ger Gilroy emphasized his importance across the Irish football landscape over the past half-century.

OTB’s Managing Director hailed: “John Giles, Senior Analyst, is a titan of Irish sport. His weekly explanation of football truth on Off The Ball helped deepen what the country knows about football.

“His ability to see through bulls*** and his love of the game
shone through in every contribution.

“Off The Ball has been blessed to call John a mentor, colleague and friend for over 20 years, he set the bar for what’s expected every Thursday night and we can only hope to live up to his legacy.

“We have truly been standing on the shoulders of a giant.”

RTE EXIT

The Dubliner departed RTE after Euro 2016 when his contract with the national broadcaster was allowed to run out.

Unlike his exit from Newstalk, it was a somewhat acrimonious parting as the Leeds United great told the Irish Sun in 2017.

The former Ireland player-manager stated at the time that he would be open to a return to the RTE panel – if an offer ever came his way.

He said: “I don’t think that’s possible, an offer coming in. If it did, I would consider it, but I wouldn’t be dashing in, strange as that may seem, I don’t miss it.

“I wasn’t disappointed with how it ended with RTE, I had 30 good years at RTE.

“It took them that long to find me out! That was their business to do it, I would have continued but I wasn’t broken-hearted about it, I had a great run.”

NEWLY single Orlando Bloom was spotted wrapping his arm around a mystery woman at Jeff Bezos’ extravagant wedding celebrations.

The Hollywood hunk, 48, was seen getting cosy with a guest, as he enjoyed Jeff, 61, and 55-year-old fiancee Lauren Sanchez’s three-day wedding in Venice.

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Newly single Orlando Bloom is at Jeff Bezos’ star-studded wedding[/caption]

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Orlando was seen putting his arm around a mystery woman[/caption]

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It’s not known who the mystery woman is[/caption]

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The actor is enjoying himself in Venice[/caption]

Early this week, it was revealed how the Pirates of the Caribbean actor would “make his debut as a single man” at the A-List wedding of the year following his separation from Katy Perry.

Well it looks like he hasn’t wasted any time in getting stuck into the celebrations, in one of the most romantic city’s in the world

Yesterday, the star was seen looking handsome in a white shirt and beige suit as he boarded a yacht with other stars.

Later on in the evening Orlando was seen getting cosy with a mystery woman, as the celebrations continued on into the night.

It’s not known who she is, but the pair looked like they were getting on famously.

At one point, Orlando was seen putting his arm around her, as they chatted intently.

Orlando is in Venice as part of Bezos and Lauren’s star-studded wedding guest contingent.

As well as the the Lord of the Rings star, their guest list includes the Kardashian-Jenner clan, celebs such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Ivanka Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Usher.

Jeff and Lauren’s wedding venue was recently revealed as an “open air theatre” on a Venetian island.

A series of jaw-droppingly pricey hotel suites have also been booked out for the happy couple and their guests.

SEPERATING FROM KATY

Orlando’s trip came after it was reported this week how Katy told pals they were over back in January.

The pair have been together for nine years and share daughter Daisy together.

A source close to the couple said: “Katy confided in friends at the start of the year that their relationship was as good as done. 

“They decided to hold off on announcing anything in case things improved between them, because they are desperate to stay together for the sake of their daughter.

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Orlando was seen boarding yacht yesterday afternoon[/caption]

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It comes after it was reported that Orlando had separated from long time love Katy Perry[/caption]

“But they have spent barely any time together this year, with Katy on tour and Orlando working on his upcoming film Bucking Fastard in Dublin. 

“She knew that taking off her engagement ring would send a clear message. 

“It’s been a hard year so far. They wanted to wait until the tour is over before they made their split official, although Katy has grown tired of the situation.” 

Katy won’t be part of the wedding celebrations – despite cutting a striking figure in a see-through top at Lauren’s Hen – as she is on tour.

The couple started dating in 2016 and got engaged three years later.

However, The Sun understands they had difficult conversations about their future over Christmas and in January but struggled to make a firm decision. 

Reps for the couple refused to comment when approached about their separation in February and again this week.

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Orlando is attending the wedding of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos[/caption]

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Khloe and Kim Kardashian are also at the three day celebration with Orlando[/caption]

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IRELAND will battle “changeable” conditions throughout the weekend with “outbreaks of rain” and temperatures set to soar to 22C in some areas.

Met Eireann‘s Matthew Martin said “warm and humid” temperatures will arrive in the coming days.

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The weekend looks set to be warm and humid[/caption]

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The rain looks set to clear later this week[/caption]

The weather boffins said that conditions for the weekend and into next week will remain “quite changeable”, but it is going to stay “warm and humid” at times.

Today started off mainly cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle.

Matthew said: “The rain is going to be most persistent in the west and northwest of the country with the best of the dry spells elsewhere.

“There’s a chance of some brighter sunny spells developing across parts of Leinster today.

“Humid with highest temperatures of 17C to 22C with a fresh and gusty southwest breeze.

“It’ll be a close and humid night tonight with lowest temperatures of 14C to 18C.”

Ireland’s Weather Channel added that the best chance of any sunshine this weekend will be across the east and southeast of the country.

Cathal Nolan said: “We’re in for very humid conditions this weekend with a warm southwesterly airflow feeding up some very warm air from a subtropical source.

“But in doing so it will also feed in plenty of cloud and even some spells of persistent rain or drizzle for the west and northwest in particular.

“The best chance of any sunshine this weekend will be across the east and southeast of the country and where we see clear breaks here temperatures will rise quickly into the low or even mid 20C to the east of high ground.

“But that will be the exception rather than the rule, with highs typically between 19C to 22C.”

Saturday is going to start out mostly cloudy with some scattered falls of rain and drizzle.

But it looks set to become drier and brighter across the northern half of the country during the afternoon and evening with sunny spells.

However, cloud and patchy rain will linger in many southern areas throughout much of the day.

Met Eireann said temperatures could max out as high as 23C.

SUNNY SPELLS

Sunday will be a rather warm and humid day with plenty of cloud in the south with perhaps some patches of mist and drizzle.

Met Eireann said that cloud will break in many areas during the afternoon with bright or sunny spells developing with highs of 19C to 23C.

They added: “Lots of dry weather on Sunday night but there’ll be a little patchy rain or drizzle in Atlantic coastal districts.

“A close and humid night with lowest temperatures of 14C to 17C in moderate southerly breezes.

“Another warm and humid day on Monday. It will be a cloudy start for many with some areas of mist and drizzle.

“However, sunny spells will develop in places during the day with just the chance of a few passing showers.”

Tuesday will be a bright and breezy day with plenty of sunshine and just a few passing showers with highs of 16C to 22C.

Met Eireann added the mixed and changeable weather pattern will continue into next week.

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Met Eireann said ‘warm and humid’ temperatures will arrive in the coming days[/caption]

Press Officer of Malacañang Says Pres. Bongbong Marcos “Pro-Philippines” Malacañang reacted to the claim of Vice President Sara Duterte that she does not favor any country at all. Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was criticized after claiming that the Philippines should stay in the middle of the United States and China. The Palace claimed that ... Read more

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