Ireland v Ecuador - Match Thread

[SwanVsDalton]

Potter MOTM. Fully deserved.

Lapira should be included in every squad from now on simply because he looks like a sun-kissed Justin Lee Collins. A million miles from the grizzled likes of Dunne.

[strangeirish]

strangeirish - been a few minutes since we got a few pics :)
one of doyle's header please...
It's not up yet. Hopefully they captured it.

[southsidebohs]

3 min injury time

[timmy mallet]

Potter MOTM. Fully deserved.

Lapira ... he looks like a sun-kissed Justin Lee Collins.

Heh! good shout - off to F365 with ye...

[billybunter]

lapira to score the winner to seal the fairytale... before he goes back to school in the morning...

[southsidebohs]

ECU have a man getting sent off

[timmy mallet]

Castro ejected

ALL OVER, 1-1, well done fellas, good result

[southsidebohs]

Thats it finished 1-1 and off to bed I go.

[billybunter]

brilliant - better than the soccernet and fai matchtrackers anyday. thanks again.

[strangeirish]

brilliant - better than the soccernet and fai matchtrackers anyday. thanks again.
Yeah, top marks fellas.

[SwanVsDalton]

Good result, very good performance despite poor defending. Sets us up well for Saturday and it's good to see the fringe players getting a run. Potter, O'Halloran, Doyle and Murphy have done their chances a world of good.

[eirebhoy]

Very good performance in the 2nd half, we were a different team after half time.

[geysir]

Yep Potter by a mile.

No post match interview with Stan.
That rounds off a spirited performance very nicely, even though I could have done with that adrenalin reducer.

[theworm2345]

just was checking out the oul equadorean federation website (not to good at the spanish though) but nothing on there...for those of us in the states - spanish channel news tonight (telefutura) may show highlights at 11est
I'm watching, I doubt they will

[Kivlehan]

I just got home from the match. I would say the stadium was 85% Ecuador fans and 15% Ireland fans. My uncle told me it would be like that but I didn't buy it. He won the bet.

Watching it in person, I was most impressed by the play of Hunt and Murphy, as they were busting their butts up and down the pitch for the whole time they were in there. Kilbane seemed to take over for Hunt in that regard between the time when Hunt left and when Kilbane eventually left. #6 (Potter?) was solid. Both Doyles were also good. When Kevin Doyle went off it didn't really feel like there was a real threat to score a goal until Anthony Stokes got in there.

Keogh was dreadful in my opinion and Shane Long wasn't much better. Stan should definately start Stokes in place of Keogh next time.

I wanted to see more of Stokes and Joseph Lapira. Lapira had a nice burst of speed and it would have been great to get a longer look at him. The neat thing about Stokes was the guy wants the ball all of the time. I think he's going to be a great playmaker for Ireland. He didn't take his one decent chance he had but he really made it into more of a chance than it actually was.

By the way, when Lapira went on there was a nice little chant of "USA! USA!" that broke out briefly, so it was nice to see that that section of the crowd was knowledgable.

Overall, both teams wasted a couple of chances but all in all this third string Irish squad impressed greatly. Hunt, Murphy, K. Doyle and Kilbane set the example nicely for the young players with their effort. Ireland was the better team.

[cavan_fan]

Hopefully we'll look back on this as the day a new team was born! And can we remember this the next time someone whinges that Kilbane is on the team ahead of McGeady or A Reid. If all our playes had his commitment we'd qualify every time

[Paddy Garcia]

Hopefully we'll look back on this as the day a new team was born! And can we remember this the next time someone whinges that Kilbane is on the team ahead of McGeady or A Reid. If all our playes had his commitment we'd qualify every time

Knocking Kilbane was always a cheap shot, without any regard for the spirit he embodies which gives Ireland such a great footballing tradition and past. You just know he will sweat blood & play anywhere (on the field or around the world) asked.

[Stuttgart88]

Brilliant reading lads.

Far better than a jolly in Portugal. Sounds like Potter has played his way into the squad at the very least, plus a few others. Doyle is really finding his feet at this level.

I was deeply critical of the decision to overlook Whelan & Garvan, but it seems that Stan had his thinking right in giving Potter the nod. Credit to that man.

[DeNiro]

I only saw the 1st half but I thought O'Halloran looked ok at left back. Kevin Doyle always looks to have a threat about him, O Halloran set him up well for when he hit the post. Didn't see the second half but thought they did ok. I suspected we were going to get mauled.

[drummerboy]

Have to say the exercise was all very worthwhile. Impressed by Potter, he had a really good game. Doyle is starting to look a real international. Murphy has come leaps and bounds. Lots to be positive about.

[passinginterest]

Have to agree with most of what has been said. Altough over the 90 minutes I might have given MOM to Murphy, he showed great awareness, great crosses, got on a couple of headers and fantastic workrate.

Potter was quiet first half and we were a bit overrun in midfield but he was outstanding second half, looked a touch of class. O'Hallaran made a great start, but not impressed after that. He got caught in possession and confidence just drained out of him. If he gets a run of first team football he could be an option though. I think Bennett was the more impressive CB, always looked like he might nick a goal from a set piece too. If he breaks into the Reading side he's a good option.

Doyle was pure class, definitely agree that we were missong a focal point when he went off. Hunt and Kilbane worked like dogs but not enough quality at times. Bruce not up to it at the moment, Kelly was OK, Keogh struggled at times but couldn't fault workrate.

One of the most entertaining friendlies I've ever watched. No danger of falling back to sleep anyway.

[johnnyc]

Very entertaining game - much better than the Champs league final!

Been a long time since I've seen such an open game. And has been said, it indeed was played at 100 mph. Some of the new lads looked like the real deal. Potter especially useful. I think the defence did well after a shakey start. Nobody disgraced themself and at the end of the day, believe it or not, this actually turned out to be a worthwhile friendly.

[old git]

Alex Bruce seems intent on grabbing the title of 'Worst Centre-Back Debut' from Paul Butler.


watched match live worst centre back debut a bit harsh.. he was very keen to play offside ... but i thought he got better as game went on made one great tackle in second half to stop a certain goal

was a good match to watch plenty of chances for both teams and end to end football . thought potter in midfield had a great game :ball:

[NeilMcD]

Yeah really enjoyed the game lastnight. Not once was I tempted to fall asleep or did I drift off. The pace of the game was unreal and very open game. Our defensive line was a shamble for about 30 mins and Bruce was leading the line but did not have the knowlege or the commanding prescence to do it. After the break that part of the game settled and they did not get caught over the top as much.

Potter was great in midfield. Exactly the type of player we need in my view. I saw him in Drogheda a few years ago in an underage game and I was impressed with him. A season of games at Wolves has done him the world of good and his passing and quick feet and vision were top class. His awareness of space in tight areas was also very good. Murphy and Doyle were the best up front in my view and both looked pretty good. Kilbane was patchy but when he was in the game he did play a Brady type pass to Long I think. The two full backs Kelly and O Halloran were solid.

All in all Potter, Kelly, C Doyle, Murphy, Kilbane, Hunt, K Doyle, should all be in the next Ireland squad.

[hoops1]

How did Bennett Play?

[NeilMcD]

Staunton hails 'pleasing' performance


Thursday, May 24, 2007

Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton expressed his delight after his young team earned a 1-1 draw with Ecuador in New York this morning.

Kevin Doyle's 44th minute diving headers cancelled out Christian Benitez's 13th minute opener as Staunton sent out seven debutants and added four more to the mix as second half substitutes at Giants Stadium.

Up to 25 players had withdrawn or were unavailable for the two game tour of America, leaving Staunton with only nine capped players in a 21-man squad.

"This was very, very pleasing. There were some excellent individual performances and overall it was a good team performance," said Staunton.

"We started a bit shaky, especially at the back but that was understandable as the lads have only got together a few days ago.

"In the second half I thought we coped much better and overall I thought we could have won the game. I'm delighted, especially as it was a difficult surface."

Staunton added that his youngsters, led by 78-cap veteran Kevin Kilbane, had equipped themselves admirably against a South American team warming up for next month's Copa America.

"I think Ecuador will be taking quite a number of those players to the Copa America and most of them played against Sweden in January so they have a lot more experience that we've had.

"I'm delighted with our lads because it just goes to show it doesn't matter who comes into the squad, they get on with it, give it their all and that's all they can do."

The Ireland boss said he was impressed by the way his side had fought to get back on level terms after Ecuador had sprung a disjointed offside trap to take an early lead.

He was also pleased with the goal itself that came just before the half-time break.

"The move was very good. It was a great ball in by Daryl Murphy and Doyler's done what good strikers are supposed to do, get across the line for a good header.

"It shows the character of the side, coming back from one-nil down."

The Ireland squad will today leave their New Jersey base of the last five days and head to Boston ahead of Saturday's friendly against Bolivia at Foxboro's Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Reading striker Doyle was one of the players taken out of the action in the second half as a precaution along with Wigan midfielder Kilbane and left-back Stephen O'Halloran, with the Aston Villa defender being subbed soon after making an excellent sliding tackle to deny Benitez a scoring opportunity in the 69th minute.

"To be honest (O'Halloran) was just knackered," Staunton said, "and I took Kevin Doyle off with the Bolivia game in mind, particularly as it was a sapping surface and he's had a hamstring injury.

"Kevin (Doyle) needs to get a lot of football and we'll have to assess what the injury situation is with Kevin Kilbane for Saturday."
© 2007 ireland.com

[Sligo Hornet]

Yeah really enjoyed the game lastnight. Not once was I tempted to fall asleep or did I drift off. The pace of the game was unreal and very open game. Our defensive line was a shamble for about 30 mins and Bruce was leading the line but did not have the knowlege or the commanding prescence to do it. After the break that part of the game settled and they did not get caught over the top as much.

Potter was great in midfield. Exactly the type of player we need in my view. I saw him in Drogheda a few years ago in an underage game and I was impressed with him. A season of games at Wolves has done him the world of good and his passing and quick feet and vision were top class. His awareness of space in tight areas was also very good. Murphy and Doyle were the best up front in my view and both looked pretty good. Kilbane was patchy but when he was in the game he did play a Brady type pass to Long I think. The two full backs Kelly and O Halloran were solid.

All in all Potter, Kelly, C Doyle, Murphy, Kilbane, Hunt, K Doyle, should all be in the next Ireland squad.


Thanks for the comprehensive ( and positive ) report Neil.:)..........couldn't watch the game this morning as no coverage ( that I could find ) this side of the water.

[NeilMcD]

Highlights on Sky tonight at 8pm if you are interested.

[shakermaker1982]

well done to the lads, I'm proud of em. Looking forward to watching the highlights tonight. I've seen the two goals and have to say Doyle's header was first class.

[Raheny Red]

Fell asleep when Gamble came on - how did he do? Thought Bennett had a decent game. The two goals were very nice finishes. Their lad Benitez was quality. Surprisingly it was a good game and very fast paced game.

[passinginterest]

Gamble did OK. Game was very disjointed when he came on so didn't get into it all that much. None of the subs really made a great impression. He did get on the ball more when he moved ito centre mid. I think he was the player taken down for the sending off when he threatened to burst through the middle.

[zenokelly]

To tell you the truth I was very disappointed with the whole back - 4 apart from O Halloran. He really looks like he has a future in the premiership at left back and especially for Ireland as we are so sparce in that position. He has the potential to be real class.

I can definitely see why Steve Bruce sold his son Alex at the start of the season. I have seen him play for Birmingham and Ipswich and he looks a very ordinary player and he just proved it last night. Looked off the pace when leading the line and didn't look comfortable all night with Benitez all over him.

i would give Bennett another chance as he hasn't been playing first team football for over 6 months. And Kelly I was just disappointed at his level of play.

Doyle looked solid in nets making a couple of decent stops and he couldn't really do anything about the goal. - premiership star next season I can see in him.

Hunt didn't have a great game. Murphy played well while on the wing. Keogh looked off the pace. Doyle showed a few flashes of class as we know he has. Kilbane played well second half until he was taken off.

But Potter was the clearly best Irish player. Haven't seen him much for Wolves but he showed last night why he was on Liverpool's books for so long. He looked a good passer of the ball and has the same sort of style as Andy Reid.

Potter and O HAlloran the only 2 to convince last night that they have a future at this level and Doyle will be a good number 2 to have after Given.

[Torn-Ado]

Is the highlights on the net??

[lionelhutz]

Admittedly i only saw the 1st half hour cos id to get up at 7 this morning, but murphy and doyle seem to gel very well together. Doyle really does look the part and his goal was a class finish. He's exactly the type of striker we've missed badly since quinn retired.

Murphy was also very lively and his first touch and awareness looked excellent. lets hope he's given a chance with sunderland in the prem and we can see for def if he's up to the stansard. I suspect he is

[Billsthoughts]

Have to say as a striker doyle is on a different planet to robbie keane...wouldnt be surprised if he got a move to a bigger club soon...

[NeilMcD]

Have you been watching the Premiership over the last 6 months. Keane has been the form striker in the Premiership and in my view was better than Berbatov over the last 6 months as he did not go missing. Both Keane and Doyle are on fire for their clubs at the moment.

[kingdom hoop]

I think he was the player taken down for the sending off when he threatened to burst through the middle.

Correct. A delicate touch to slalom between two players, or at least he was about to. I was sickened and taken aback to have literally just woken up at that point, 92nd minute:mad:, after missing the whole match and no post-match analysis then either. Disaster. Keep the reports coming lads. Sounds like Keogh was surprisingly disappointing, it's been a big season for him I guess.

[passinginterest]

Sounds like Keogh was surprisingly disappointing, it's been a big season for him I guess.


He was on the right wing and never looked comfortable. You could see he had a good touch and vision though. Didn't really get long enough up front to make an impression. Our back 4 was partly so exposed becuase Keogh didn't offer any defensive cover on his wing, although he did try, just didn't have the experience in the position.

[Cymro]

Good result there. 1-1 against a team that got through the group stages at the World Cup.

[sligoman]

Only saw first half and a bit of the second one. We played hoof ball all night by the look of it. Bruce is a real liability at the back and is a long way off becoming a regular international in my opinion.

[paul_oshea]

anyone know where i can download this to watch?

[Tipp Townie]

Nice one on all the updates lads! :)

[passinginterest]

anyone know where i can download this to watch?

Someone just put a link up in the fans forum.

[Torn-Ado]

Someone just put a link up in the fans forum.

Its not working for me :confused:

Fup it anyways

[eirebhoy]

Its not working for me :confused:

Fup it anyways
Do you how to download torrents? google for help.

[Metrostars]

Was at the game last night, many more Ecuadorians in the crowd, I'd say we were outnumbered 3:1. As most have said Potter was great especially in the second half, very composed on the ball and controlled the middle very well. Doyle of course was excellent and Murphy did a great job up the flank. The defense started off quite shaky but settled down well after 20 minutes. Both Bruce and Bennett improved as the game went on and Bennett especially looks a good prospect for the future. Probably not seen on TV but he was constantly talking with the back 4 and the keeper so he seems to be a good leader back there. Not a great game for Hunt and Keogh. First half there was a lot of hoofing the ball up but the second half was much more composed with a lot of good passing in midfield. In fact over the 90 minutes we were the better team and could have won it.

A fun night, nice crowd, the Ecuadorians were a good bunch. Afterwards there were still a lot of people tailgating in the parking lot, some were nice enough to give us some bbq chicken.

[Metrostars]

Forgot to mention that Ronnie O'Brien played for Toronto in a friendly last night against Benfica so I guess he is not too interested in player for Ireland.

[The Legend]

Why would he? he's been treated like a dog! (if I was sarcastically voted times man of the year, i'd probably say f**k the lot of ye also.. :D)

[dr_peepee]

Have to say as a striker doyle is on a different planet to robbie keane...wouldnt be surprised if he got a move to a bigger club soon...

Don't think you can compare them... Different players... But I believe given what I've seen they have the potential to be a quality partnership.

[jbyrne]

Have to say as a striker doyle is on a different planet to robbie keane...wouldnt be surprised if he got a move to a bigger club soon...

what exactly do you base this comment on?? even dunphy for all his negatives picked keane out as the best Irish player in the premiership this season