LOI In Europe 2020

[D24Saint]

Ki not bad so far , certainly no pushover.

[pineapple stu]

There we go - another big defensive lapse in Dundalk's favour, but it's 1-0

[D24Saint]

Dundalk stronger as the half moves on.

[ger121]

Seeds dropping like flies so far. It’s hard at this stage of qualifying.

[Martinho II]

Great anticipation from Ronan Murray to Pat Hobans header.

[Nesta99]

What time is the Europa League game on? There appears to be a 1st division game on at the moment.

Well it'd be a 1st Division game worth around 30 times more to whomever wins then than the premier league title!

[Nesta99]

Hey Nesta, you really need to try to relax a little and build some positivity. I get the nerves stuff and catastrophising around the result, but there is a lot of confidence oozing through the squad. The expansive grass pitch at the Aviva will also suits us well and I expect Fillipo will have the team well set up to play to their strengths (I expect to see Sean Murray, Patrick McEleney, Daniel Kelly, Stefan Colivic and Michael Duffy in particular to take the game to KI and avail of the spaces over the course of the match).

The favourites tag does not necessarily rest easy, but I am confident that the League Champions have enough to overcome the inevitable challenges that will present themselves tonight

Dun Dealgan abú

I've half stopped holding my breath now! ;p

[ger121]

Push for the 3rd to kill the game.

[sbgawa]

Games over.
With EL2 coming in next year the champions path will offer whoever is champion an even greater chance of group stages.
This could be the start of regular group stages for our league.

[pineapple stu]

Games over.
Yep. The 6-1 is even harder to understand after watching this game.

[bennocelt]

Yep. The 6-1 is even harder to understand after watching this game.

They had a CD who had a bit of a mare, was fault for 4 of the goals...................still though 6 goals is 6 goals...

[D24Saint]

Games over.
With EL2 coming in next year the champions path will offer whoever is champion an even greater chance of group stages.
This could be the start of regular group stages for our league.

Spoke too soon.

[Real ale Madrid]

Still a bit of life in it yet.

[Philosophizer]

Dundalk doing their best to throw it away now. It wouldn't be a LOI team in Europe without a few heart attacks.

[redarmyfaction]

Ki look the better team now.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Big swing there: KI should have had a clear hit at goal within the box at one end to level, mess it up, and Dundalk kill it at the other end with the scorer possibly offside. That's how it goes sometimes, Irish sides have been on the wrong side plenty of times.

[osarusan]

Entertaining game. Ebbed and flowed with both sides being on top for spells.

KI had some real chances, near misses and a couple of excellent saves from Rogers.

Dundalk more clinical when they got their chances, helped by a pretty poor KI goalkeeper.

[redarmyfaction]

Dundalk fortunate in the end to win 3-1, but who will remember that. Well done to all involved, looking forward to the group now.

[Scrufil]

Congrats Dundalk, but Kí did look better in the rain in the 2nd half.

[BonnieShels]

Hon the Town!

Congrats to all! Delighted.

[ger121]

As I mentioned earlier. Seeds toppled all over the place tonight. Eight so far, so you can never take anything for granted. Well done tonight Dundalk. Hopefully nab a point or two in the groups.

[Trequartista20]

A wonderful result for Dundalk and the LoI. Congratulations to all involved.

[ForzaForth]

Well done to Dundalk! Delighted for S. Keegan too.

[Philosophizer]

Congrats Dundalk!
God it's brilliant to have a team back in the group stages again. Absolutely buzzin.
Very honest and accurate assessment by Giovagnoli after the game too, which was nice to see.

[da bishop]

Super result for Dundalk ,Gartland brilliant at the back and you would have to be delighted for all mgt team though i wouldnt include S.keegan in that.

[Scrufil]

Giovagnoli said he would like to come up against the special one. Eh, Spurs knocked in 7 tonight...

[Nah Nah Nah Nah]

So what. The crowd they just played scored 6 last week.

[pineapple stu]

Giovagnoli said he would like to come up against the special one. Eh, Spurs knocked in 7 tonight...
Dundalk aren't going to win the competition. Or even get out of the group. There's no harm at all wanting a bit of fun now they've gotten as far as they have.

[Scrufil]

Both valid points. They might need 10 defenders for every game but sure at the moment even AC Milan not through. Perhaps this lucky manager will secure a few more results. Hope they get an exciting draw one way or the other.

[CorribsideSteve]

Congrats to Dundalk! Twice in four years! They were very nervy in the first 25 minutes, with sevral players giving away sloppy passes, but grew in to it more and more. Murray's goal came at the perfect time, but the second goal was even better. Perhaps too early in the seciond half, as they allowed KI to grow into it a little bit. Rogers rollung back the years with a fantastic save, but had little chance against the cracker they scored. They played well in patches, but ultimately Dundalk were a shade better and deservedly in the Group Stages. Gartland had one of his better Euro games I thought. Great story for Kelly, and he finished his chance so well. Looking forward to the draw tomorrow. An Autumn of European football involving a League of Ireland team. Happy Days. It will be interesting to see what Peak 6 do in the coming months off the back of this.

[ger121]

Rio Ace had 3 chances to put Milan out in the shootout and missed each one. Then missed another one and are out. Mad.

[Scrufil]

Ger121 talk about riding your luck, it took 25 penalties for Milan to go through including 120th minute one in extra time to get game to 2-2. Crazy.

[Philosophizer]

Rogers and Gartland were both outstanding tonight. I've complained about them as much as anyone over the years as they've frequently been guilty of awful errors in European games, but tonight they were both excellent, even if Dundalk didn't play as well as they could have overall.

[ger121]

The prevailing view is the Champions Path offers the best possible route to the Europa League Group stages. However, it is worth noting, that Dundalk are the only side eliminated it CLQ1 to qualify for the EL proper. Actually, only 2 sides eliminated in CLQ2 qualified - Celtic and Cluj. This year, parachuting down to the EL qualifiers from CLQ1 & 2, required some favourable draws in terms of teams and/or home advantage, given the 1 match format. Even then very few made it through 2 ties, never mind 3 ties, which no Irish side had ever done previously. Given all that, it really does make Dundalk’s achievement all the more remarkable.

[paul_oshea]

Well done Dundalk. Not a great performance two poor looking teams. Hopefully they get a favourable draw tomorrow and can get a couple of decent results to add to the prize money and also the prestige of the league

[joey B]

Milan got beaten and only came through the Norwegian side just about, perhaps the rovers performance wasn't that special after all. That crowd are 11th in their league

Milan won on penalties.......

Fair play to Dundalk,a couple of days on the beer now please.....!

[paul_oshea]

Ha saw 3-2 and didn't check back!

[Charlie Darwin]

Well done to Dundalk, they were the better side and deserved to win, although they'd be concerned about that wobble that almost let KÍ get back to 2-2. Greg Sloggett has always impressed me and thought he was fantastic.

[Ezeikial]

Filippo calls it as he sees it, with a grounded honest assessment



"What is important tonight is the result. We have made history," said Giovagnoli.

"I’m happy. Not happy with the performance but I’m happy with the result.

"You can’t be happy as a coach with that performance. The feeling is unbelievable but I am just a little bit upset with the performance.

"Tonight, we were so nervous. We were feeling the game so much, and it’s normal. It was a final, such an important game.
"We thought about the result and didn’t stick with the plan. At 2-0 we stood back; you can’t do that. You can’t give that amount of the pitch to any team in the world."

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2020/1001/1168862-mourinho-on-mind-of-dundalk-boss-after-qualification/

[Ezeikial]

Filippo might also have invoked a Leonard Ravenhill quote

“The opportunity of a lifetime needs to be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity.”in response to those who appear obsessed with any good fortune implicit in the draw.

Dundalk fully seized that opportunity last night

[placid casual]

Andorra & the Faroes.. I can only pray to the god I don't believe in that Rovers get a similar draw next year when we are in this European route.
The financial wolf is away from the door for a couple of years in Dundalk anyway.
Plenty of money for the owners to spend on randommers found on ESPN. And danny grant from boez.
I stopped watching the game at half time, but 3:1 is a comprehensive sounding score so we'll done to all involved.

[Nesta99]

Ah PC, the old insult sandwich routine and jealousy driven resentment lives on in you - I thought you had been softening recently but now it seems it was fleeting as you thought nothing could eclipse Rovers title charge. Enjoy the draw today!

[placid casual]

And here's me thinking I was being nice😁😁😁.
Just a bit of good natured ribbing at your luck, but no malice or jealously intended.
Hope the draw goes well for you boys today, and see you in the cup final, maybe.

[sbgawa]

The good fortune in the draw will be forgotten and wont be remembered in a couple of years time.
I am delighted for DFC, the extra 2 or 3 million more euro money compared to last year will put the into a profit for this year of 1+ million and means the Peak6 guys will hang around (surely).
Next year will be exciting , Bohs with their new found riches, DFC being DFC and Rovers provided we don't f it up in the Champions path next year with a good shot at group stages , especially if EL2 gos ahead.

[nigel-harps1954]

I guess this will really show if Peak 6 can put their money where their mouth is. Didn't they suggest it would take another group stage qualification to be able to improve the spectator facilities at Oriel Park?

[sbgawa]

I guess this will really show if Peak 6 can put their money where their mouth is. Didn't they suggest it would take another group stage qualification to be able to improve the spectator facilities at Oriel Park?

The losses this year on covid will give cover for them not doing anything there.
The ECL path next year is a tough ask and for a lot less money than the Champions path at every stage.
Winning a first round match next year and going out in the second or even third will get euro money of around 550 -800k (1 win or 2) compared to the 1m plus they got last year (and booked a 1.2m loss)
It is this fact why last night was so important imo without the injection losses this year would have been probably 2m and they would have been looking at something similar next year.
Maybe they would have stayed anyway but at least now they can look at a modest profit over 2019/2020 and have some cash towards next years budget.

[CorribsideSteve]

Brian Kerr didn't mice his words about Dundalk on Off the Ball this morning. No great shakes, low quality play during most of the match last night, got the easiest draw possible, and their stadium is an embarrasment. To be fair, at least some of those things are somewhat true. Right now, today, it doesn;t matter too much, with the draw coming shortly. But it was interesting that he didn't go with a more congratulatory tone.

[Calcio Jack]

Brian Kerr didn't mice his words about Dundalk on Off the Ball this morning. No great shakes, low quality play during most of the match last night, got the easiest draw possible, and their stadium is an embarrasment. To be fair, at least some of those things are somewhat true. Right now, today, it doesn;t matter too much, with the draw coming shortly. But it was interesting that he didn't go with a more congratulatory tone.

Usual bitterness from the eejit

[ger121]

I’m a fan of Kerr myself but prone to Grumpy Old Man syndrome occasionally.

[jbyrne]

Brian Kerr didn't mice his words about Dundalk on Off the Ball this morning. No great shakes, low quality play during most of the match last night, got the easiest draw possible, and their stadium is an embarrasment. To be fair, at least some of those things are somewhat true. Right now, today, it doesn;t matter too much, with the draw coming shortly. But it was interesting that he didn't go with a more congratulatory tone.

he was at it on OTB last night too. less than 30mins after Dundalk had qualified for the group stages he was questioning if they would even get a point in the group stages, grandstanding about the poor opposition Dundalk only had to beat etc. It was quite pathetic coming from a man that purports to care so much about Irish football.