Cool Darren Randolph happy to play waiting game

If there are such things as parallel universes, then there is another Darren Randolph out there preparing for the USA’s Copa America Centenario opener against Colombia at Levi’s Stadium in California tonight.

It’s not so much of a stretch for the goalkeeper given his dad Ed, born in Tallahasee, Florida, was among the first wave of American basketball players to wash over the Irish club scene in the 1980’s and the US were interested in the son making the journey in reverse.

Bruce Arena was manager at the time and, though the contact came via a player Randolph knew, the inference was clear: All he had to do was make a call and he could be singing ‘The Star Spangled Banner’.