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Video: Sportsmanship may be dead after this USA goal against the Irish Women’s team

Published 10:06 11 May 2015 BST

Updated 14:01 11 May 2015 BST

Neil Treacy
Video: Sportsmanship may be dead after this USA goal against the Irish Women’s team

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=15&v=MmiwsTyZY5Y

You don't get to 180 international goals without a ruthless streak, and Abby Wambach certainly has that.

The USA's women's team are preparing for next month's World Cup in Canada, and took on Ireland last night San Jose, winning 3-0. Their first goal, however, was one of the strangest we've seen for quite a while, and even taking our giant leprechaun hats off for a second, it certainly lacked a bit of sportsmanship. After the USA swung in a corner, Ireland's Ruesha Littlejohn inadvertently unleashed a volley straight into the nose of teammate Meabh De Burca, who ended up in a heap on the goalline. Irish keeper Niamh Reid Burke, in a mixture of concern and naivety, checked on her teammate, who was in a lot of pain on the ground, but while all this was going on the Americans played on, resulting in Wambach tapping into an empty net. Granted, the Irish players took their eyes off the ball, but a bit of sportsmanship during a friendly match wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to ask for, would it?  

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Video: Sportsmanship may be dead after this USA goal against the Irish Women's team