Republic of Ireland V Turkey, Italy, Costa Rica & Portugal - May/June 2014

[the doc]

Feck sake fellas!

These are just end of season Friendlies, most of the players would prefer to be on holiday.

We don't even have our two best CBs in the squad for these games.

Relax, in MON we trust.

[Charlie Darwin]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bpssg3UCcAAIJyu.jpg

@FAIreland Good to see Ryan Meara of @NewYorkRedBulls (https://twitter.com/NewYorkRedBulls) training with us this morning!

[paul_oshea]

So is he still thinking of playing with us?

He cant be any worse than forde can he? :D He is young enough still as well, i thought he was older.

[Razors left peg]

Thats good news, hes young and playing first team football.


Edit: Or is he? He doesnt seem to have any appearances in 2013

[Olé Olé]

Thats good news, hes young and playing first team football.


Edit: Or is he? He doesnt seem to have any appearances in 2013

http://www.newyorkredbulls.com/players/ryan-meara

He's second choice behind a chap called Luis Robles (who has a solitary U.S. cap). Hasn't played since 2012, seemingly- around the time he was called into our under-21s.

No harm at all in calling him in for training when we're in his backyard.

[pineapple stu]

Shades of Johnny Glynn?

[Charlie Darwin]

He had hip surgery at the end of 2012 which seemed to keep him out for a long time.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

If I didn't know what age this guy was, I'd say he was in his forties.

[DannyInvincible]

So is he still thinking of playing with us?

He cant be any worse than forde can he? :D He is young enough still as well, i thought he was older.

I think he's keen to play for Ireland. Last time we tried to call him up to the under-21s (for a friendly, I think), Red Bulls refused him permission to join up with the squad in spite of Meara's eagerness to play. They were under no obligation to release him as it was either an under-age or non-competitive game; possibly both. I think he since got injured which contributed to him losing his starting position in the Red Bulls team.

He briefly spoke about recovering from his hip injury and reclaiming his place on the field being a priority in an interview from March of 2013, but did admit that he will need to discuss a potential Irish call-up with manager Mike Petke "maybe somewhere down the line":


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKFJqXyK4oU

Assuming he's up to scratch and we remain interested, that is.

[DannyInvincible]

Some more videos of him in action:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGWcADj1UhE

[DannyInvincible]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqO5TGfxNMk

[DannyInvincible]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QSA5DrXpo4

[Olé Olé]

Fair enough they're in New York anyway, but you'd think the FAI would stump the price of a plane from Colorado to New York for Shane O'Neill and get him in training too. The miseries don't even have a training kit for Ryan Meara. I hope they fed him at least!

[geysir]

The squad are training at the Red Bull training ground Whipanny NJ. I suppose that explains Meara's presence.

All pictures here (http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF258/876505.jpg)


including a happy camper.

http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF258/876505.jpg

[SkStu]

including a happy camper.

http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF258/876505.jpg

He looks like a happy Roy Keane...

[DannyInvincible]

Fair enough they're in New York anyway, but you'd think the FAI would stump the price of a plane from Colorado to New York for Shane O'Neill and get him in training too. The miseries don't even have a training kit for Ryan Meara. I hope they fed him at least!

Meara might even have invited himself along to demonstrate his credentials. Fair play to him if so.

Dare we mention New York-native Joey Lapira's name again? Maybe it's for the best he's far, far away in the Outer Mongolian third division or wherever it is he's playing these days!

[DannyInvincible]

Eurosport blames the Irish nation for ending Montolivo's World Cup: http://balls.ie/football/eurosport-blame-montolivo-leg-break-irish-nation/

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bpt_iaSIYAAOXY1.jpg

[Stuttgart88]

My Italian speaking pal said that initially the Italian media said it was just an accident, one of those things. But then he said the TV pundits said Pearse only had eyes for the man and went for him. Nonsense in my opinion, but hey...

[DannyInvincible]

It was Pearce's trailing leg that caught the incoming Montolivo, and it certainly wasn't the heaviest of collisions either. Pearce's active leg was clearly challenging for the ball.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFo6oBjdilk

[tetsujin1979]

Build up to the Portugal game from Squawka: http://friendlies-temp.squawka.com/republic-of-ireland-vs-portugal/11-06-2014/internationals/matches

[tetsujin1979]

Costa Rica game with Spanish commentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI1kcKlus5U
can't embed it, has to be watched on youtube.com

[geysir]

He looks like a happy Roy Keane...
Unabashed joy,
a picture like that is as rare as hen's teeth.

[DannyInvincible]

Unabashed joy,
a picture like that is as rare as hen's teeth.

I did a Google image search for "Roy Keane smiling" and these popped up:

http://thehashtag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Roy-Keane.png

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OV7Xx2qU2fU/SpZnd8DrfWI/AAAAAAAAANo/OUBEDLA4S2A/s400/_44321748_roy_keane.jpg

So an extremely challenging capture like that from training yesterday certainly is something to treasure.

How did he ever put up with this being foisted upon him at Forest?:

http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PA-21634.jpg

You can just sense the deep internal disgust in those brooding eyes over the forced semi-smile.

[geysir]

That's a (Disney) Peter Pan hat.

[Closed Account]

That's a (Disney) Peter Pan hat.
Cop yourself on will ya! That's a (Disney) Robin Hood hat! This forum sometimes. You're all worse than hitler.
http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131223170603/disney/images/1/1c/Peter_Pan(2).jpghttp://www.picgifs.com/disney-gifs/disney-gifs/robin-hood/disney-graphics-robin-hood-564206.gif

[Stuttgart88]

O'Neill says it'd be very hard to make a judgment on Ryan Meara based only on 15 mins in training. Did you hear that, Stan?

[DeLorean]

That second video DI put up, the 'man of the match' performance doesn't inspire confidence at all. He should have done better with his first three saves! The first one was ridiculous how he managed to concede a corner!


Some more videos of him in action:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGWcADj1UhE

[Stuttgart88]

True, but some pretty commanding takes from high balls and inswingers too.

If he starts playing regularly in MLS again then worth taking a look.

[paul_oshea]

is it 1 ocolock again tonight? Ill have to tape it this time i think, even the proper fans need sleep at times.

Stutts watch that game(the you tube'd game) tonight.

[DannyInvincible]

is it 1 ocolock again tonight? Ill have to tape it this time i think, even the proper fans need sleep at times.

Be careful not to miss the first 15 minutes! Kick-off is at 00:45 Irish time.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

The thing is Pearce wouldn't have even injured Montolivo if his first touch wasn't so comical.

[DannyInvincible]

The thing is Pearce wouldn't have even injured Montolivo if his first touch wasn't so comical.

Pearce's first touch? Pearce was stretching to intercept a pass offloaded at close range by Montolivo himself. In the circumstances, I can forgive him being unable to prevent the ball from rolling back out in front of him and towards Montolivo again. Pearce's primary concern was to stop the ball getting past him and into the path of the Italian attacker the other side of him, and that's what he did. Describing it as comical is very harsh.

[Closed Account]

Pearce's first touch? Pearce was stretching to intercept a pass offloaded at close range by Montolivo himself. In the circumstances, I can forgive him being unable to prevent the ball from rolling back out in front of him and towards Montolivo again. Pearce's primary concern was to stop the ball getting past him and into the path of the Italian attacker the other side of him, and that's what he did. Describing it as comical is very harsh.
Comical is a bit harsh alright. I still don't see how he got so badly injured, I wouldn't even have given a foul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29RdLEznQYs&feature=player_detailpage#t=617

[tricky_colour]

The squad are training at the Red Bull training ground Whipanny NJ. I suppose that explains Meara's presence.

All pictures here (http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF258/876505.jpg)


including a happy camper.

http://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/w540/Library/SF258/876505.jpg

Looks like he has got the Villa job :)

[SwanVsDalton]

He just heard who Villa have signed in the close season.

[geysir]

Comical is a bit harsh alright. I still don't see how he got so badly injured, I wouldn't even have given a foul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29RdLEznQYs&feature=player_detailpage#t=617
Comical a bit harsh?? so you think was a bit comical? :)
It was an very good instinctive interception, almost at full stretch and prevented an attacker going one on one with Forde and as you say, the collision wasn't even a foul.

[paul_oshea]

That's how I read it to.he did nothing wrong bar give italy a chance of a goal it's unlucky but if warms up were no contact they wouldn't be having them.

I see the Portuguese coach thinks they will have a tough time tonight and it will be an aggressive match as "all British teams play aggressively"

[DannyInvincible]

I see the Portuguese coach thinks they will have a tough time tonight and it will be an aggressive match as "all British teams play aggressively"

Costa Ricans initially thought their team were playing those NI imposters too!: http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/03/13/costa-rica-to-play-northern-ireland-in-final-warm-up-before-the-world-cup

[paul_oshea]

I can kinda expect it from them. I've seen it before from those nations.

For example when I first came over here probably around the time of the ra lads "breaking" out of the jail in Colombia actually, I ate in a Colombian restaurant in london bridge.thete weren't too many Colombian places back then or still isn't now so you would often see stuff from the ctb on tables or against the walls on book shelfs. One such one for the United Kingdom appeared and had loads on all of London and all of the UK and some more.....and on the back they had a map of ireland and UK draped in a union jack.

However I don't expect it from a fellow European outpost.

[geysir]

It's a widespread common perception that we irish (national team and clubs) have no distinctive style of playing football but are lumped under the british label of aggression, workmanlike (compensating for lack of natural flair) with ball mostly in the air. If anything the Irish are regarded as more reckless than the English, therefore there's an element of danger lurking.

That's how it is, the perception and the reality, though the English game is slowly changing from the dark ages 1980 - 2000.

[Stuttgart88]

I can kinda expect it from them. I've seen it before from those nations.

For example when I first came over here probably around the time of the ra lads "breaking" out of the jail in Colombia actually, I ate in a Colombian restaurant in london bridge.thete weren't too many Colombian places back then or still isn't now so you would often see stuff from the ctb on tables or against the walls on book shelfs. One such one for the United Kingdom appeared and had loads on all of London and all of the UK and some more.....and on the back they had a map of ireland and UK draped in a union jack.

However I don't expect it from a fellow European outpost.for a guy who gets really narked when people misspell "Colombia" it's quite amazing how many of your own errors you're unconcerned with :)

[Razors left peg]

Shane Duffy out of game with a calf injury:
https://twitter.com/ShaneDuffy34/status/476482652091187200

[Stuttgart88]

It's a widespread common perception that we irish (national team and clubs) have no distinctive style of playing football but are lumped under the british label of aggression, workmanlike (compensating for lack of natural flair) with ball mostly in the air. If anything the Irish are regarded as more reckless than the English, therefore there's an element of danger lurking.

That's how it is, the perception and the reality, though the English game is slowly changing from the dark ages 1980 - 2000.it doesn't bother me when people label our football as British. The defining problem with Irish football is that it is too reliant on English and Scottish football for its pulse. People aren't questioning our sovereignty when they lump us in with our neighbours when discussing football.

If pressed I'm sure the rest of the world knows we're economically and culturally distinct and well capable of starving and burying 800 innocent babies in a cesspit all by ourselves and without any colonial interference.

[BonnieShels]

I can kinda expect it from them. I've seen it before from those nations.

For example when I first came over here probably around the time of the ra lads "breaking" out of the jail in Colombia actually, I ate in a Colombian restaurant in london bridge.thete weren't too many Colombian places back then or still isn't now so you would often see stuff from the ctb on tables or against the walls on book shelfs. One such one for the United Kingdom appeared and had loads on all of London and all of the UK and some more.....and on the back they had a map of ireland and UK draped in a union jack.

However I don't expect it from a fellow European outpost.


When the IFA team played Albania a few years ago I think there was confusion too.

[Stuttgart88]

Were the Albanians asking why they were playing a team made up exclusively of Irish farmers?

[DannyInvincible]

However I don't expect it from a fellow European outpost.

Sure what would those Spaniards know anyway? They know a-nothing.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Amazes me that MON wouldn't call up a defender.

There will probably be a maximum of 3 outfield players left on the bench at this juncture.

[Charlie Darwin]

Ronaldo starting apparently.

[pineapple stu]

I know there's a while to kick off yet, but anyone got a stream?

[Stuttgart88]

Forde
Kelly Keogh Pearse Ward
Meyler Hendrick
McGeady Hoolahan McClean
Walters (c)