A predictable result, for sure, but within 90 seconds, the impression Sinéad Farrelly had already made in just a few days on new Irish colleagues was demonstrated for all to see, even from an impossibly distant angle in a dour, airless press box secreted many miles north of the pitch, almost outside the stadium itself.

This game was not about what the USA could confirm, but what Ireland and their newest recruit could essay.

Farrelly was heavily involved in Ireland’s best passages of play in a pleasantly even-handed opening against what the locals predict will be the starting line-up for their opening World Cup game.

A deft drawback, confounding an opponent, a thumping tackle on Rose Lavelle, driving runs from her midfield station, a clearing header from a Mallory Swason; almost everything you want from a midfielder.

And that was just the opening 15 minutes.

Her ease on the ball, with the ever ready battery energy of Denise O’Sullivan flitting about the place on the occasion of her 100th cap, allowed Vera Pauw to exercise a modicum of valour in selection.

Although retaining a familiar 3-5-2, and restoring Katie McCabe to her former role as a roving left-back, the pairing of Marissa Sheva, the lively debutant in China last February, and Kyra Carusa, hinted at greater flexibility, if not expansiveness.

Courtney Brosnan still launched long from all of her restarts so the emphasis remained on winning the ball as near to the opposition goal as feasible and playing from there; the characters may change but the narrative does not.

Indeed, aside from Farrelly’s hugely impressive contributions, it was an age-old pairing who almost gave the visitors the lead, the USA’s sketchy scouting clearly not noticing that Louise Quinn lines up at the back post for McCabe corners.

Alex Morgan, who should have been trying to score at the other end, cleared off the line.

Ireland could have ended the first quarter ahead after Payne’s neat work down the right, following fine inter-play between the front two.

Payne drove in from the touchline and her cross was batted away unconvincingly batted the ball away for first Carusa, then O’Sullivan, and Carusa again, to fire in shots that were scattered clear in quick-fire succession by Naomi Girma and Becky Sauerbrunn.

If this might seem to offer a reflection that Ireland were enjoying the better of the exchanges, it would be a mis-leading assumption.

The hosts dominated ball and territory, and Sophia Smith seemed like the most likely home player to create the utmost havoc, twice going close to opening the scoring, Brosnan extending her impressive clean sheet record with a fine stop.

The US-born netminder last conceded almost a year and seven matches ago, when Ireland secured a notable 1-1 draw against another of the sport’s global giants, Sweden, a result that did more than most to smooth her side’s World Cup voyage.

The harshest critics might feel she could have done more to prevent a rare concession when Emily Fox slammed in her first international goal from outside the box, an eerie echo of a multitude of similar occasions that have afflicted the Irish men’s team.

In truth, although she was guilty of offering a generous gap for the Fox outside the box to score, the damage had been done earlier, notably when we were reminded that Payne is better when asked to do damage in advanced positions, rather than preventing it closer to home.

Smith defied her with far too much ease and abandon, and yet Ireland had a couple of chances to clear her cut-back but, not for the first time, their scrambled defence caused more problems than solutions, and Fox was eventually allowed the time and space to glide past the retreating Sheva to seal the 36th minute lead.

Ireland did have the ball in the net before the break but were correctly denied by an official’s offside flag; Sheva and Payne combining much better in familiar attacking roles this time in creating the chance for the lively Carusa.

That half-time break was delayed by seven minutes as we were reminded that occasions like this, while infused with the anxiety of selection and tactical dilemmas, can also invite calamitous consequences.

Thus, the decorated Mallory Swanson, arguably the USA’s most potent player of recent times, ended this night in a hospital bed, the visceral damage to her left knee after an innocuous collision with Aoife Mannion prompting anguished tears from some in the 20,593 sell-out attendance.

Her replacement, Trinity Rodman, has both a famous name and reputation; three glaring misses, twice from her head and right foot, should have confirmed both her promise and this win as the Irish, imperceptibly wilting, turned to its bench by the hour.

Brosnan did well to scramble across in the 66th minute when Rose Lavelle’s shot squirmed off Diane Caldwell, McCabe then blocking the same player, as the US pressed for a second.

They got it in the 80th minute, Caldwell grappling Lindsay Horan to the turf and, despite protests, meting out the ultimate punishment, despite Brosnan’s brave, strong right hand that pushed the shot high into the net.

USA: A Naeher; E Fox, N Girma, B Sauerbrunn capt, C Dunn (E Sonnet 66); A Sullivan (J Ertz 66), L Horan, R Lavelle (A Sanchez 80); S Smith, A Morgan (A Hatch 66), M Swanson (T Rodman 45).

Ireland: C Brosnan; H Payne, A Mannion (R Littlejohn 60), L Quinn, D Caldwell, K McCabe; M Connolly, D O’Sullivan, S Farrelly (A O’Gorman 61); M Sheva (T O’Hanlon 86), K Carusa.

Referee: Carly Shaw McLaren (Canada)