A Tab Ramos equaliser two minutes after the Irish had gone ahead and a goal from Claudio Rayna in the 75th minute were enough to give the Americans victory. The Republic looked as though they might give McCarthy a change of fortune when Watford teenager David Connolly gave them the lead in the 56th minute.
Both sides had enough chances to provide a hatful of goals for the 25,332 crowd but they missed many simple openings in the second half.
The Irish travel to New Jersey for their remaining games in the tournament against Mexico and Bolivia, but they will be hard-pressed to win either of those games on last night's showing.
UNITED STATES: Friedel (Galatasaray); Burns, Lalas (both New England Revolution), Balboa (Colorado Rapids), Agoos (Washington DC Utd), Dooley (Schalke 04), Harkes (Washington DC Utd), Ramos (New York/New Jersey MetroStars), Jones (Los Angeles Galaxy), Reyna (Bayer Leverkusen), Wynalda (San Jose Clash).
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given; Kenna (both Blackburn Rovers), Breen (Birmingham City), Kernaghan (Manchester City), Cunningham (Wimbledon), Phelan (Chelsea), McLoughlin (Portsmouth), O'Brien (Tranmere Rovers), Farrelly (Aston Villa), Quinn (Manchester City), Connolly (Watford).
Referee: P Prendergast (Jamaica).
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