Ireland Vs. China?

The FAI are on the verge of announcing that China will visit Lansdowne Road for a friendly international on March 29th next.

It will be just the second meeting between the sides at international level, the only other clash coming in the Japan Cup 21 years ago.

http://www.eleven-a-side.com/boysing...p?newsid=15702

should be a tough one all right.
anyone no much bout them?
at least some good came out of sendin all da boys out to china

They lost to Costa Rica in the last World Cup? Didn't score a goal at all? They're not up to much. Probably a bit better than Canada, but not a huge amount.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

They lsot to Costa Rica in the last World Cup? Didn't score a goal at all? They're not up to much. Probably a bit better than Canada, but not a huge amount.

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field the u16's then?

Wouldn't mind a game meself to be honest!

I'd say Kerr'll field a strong team 'cos he's like that, but personally, I'd see this as a chance to look at Elliott and Flood and the likes; maybe an eL player or two if many first-teamers withdraw.

FIFA have then as 54th in the world, up 32 places in 2004 (biggest movers). Level with Kuwait, behind Iraq and Ivory Coast but only just behind Switzerland and Belgium.

Canada are 90th, which is around where China were this time last year. Was the Asian Cup on this year?

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Originally Posted by $Leon$

anyone no much bout them?

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They're nowhere near as good as S. Korea or Japan for that matter but we'll be just home from Tel Aviv so the last thing we need is a tough game.
It would be nice to get the Chinese people in Ireland down to create a bit of atmosphere.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

, I'd see this as a chance to look at Elliott and Flood and the likes; maybe an eL player or two if many first-teamers withdraw.

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good opertunity for a few el players to show der talent

I thought we were supposed to be playing Germany then.

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Originally Posted by Schumi

I thought we were supposed to be playing Germany then.

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Or Italy

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Originally Posted by Schumi

I thought we were supposed to be playing Germany then.

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That's what I heard too.
Perhaps it fell through.
China are probably cheaper than Germany or Italy.

China won't be up for much but good move by FAI as could get a lot of Chinese ex-pats to buy tickets + as Peadar said China gonna be cheap enough to get to travel as they don't seem to make Europe much.

the talks with germany and italy obviously fell through
they think they can fob us off with the chinese.

I think that China contraversally lost to Japan in the final of the Asian Cup last summer which was also held in China. The FAI will prob make good money off of this one like the Canada match

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Originally Posted by Troy.McClure

The FAI will prob make good money off of this one like the Canada match

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prob down to the fact that theres bout quater of a million of them in dublin alone.
most of them livin in the general rathmines area soon to be renamed chinatown by the corpo

I'd much rather a friendly against China than one against a stong nation. Kerr doesn't like fielding weak teams basically because he doesn't like getting beat (see him when the final whistle went v Jamaica?). He'll know that he can field a weaker team and still beat China so there's a chance to experiment.

Rooney always attracted the really attractive friendlies. This is the first friendly post-Rooney, I hope it is not a sign of things to come.

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Originally Posted by drummerboy

Rooney always attracted the really attractive friendlies. This is the first friendly post-Rooney, I hope it is not a sign of things to come.

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If anything, Kerr probably requested an easier opponent. Nobody wants to fly home from Tel Aviv to play another competitive (which is what we treat the big friendlies like) if they don't have to.

I agree with Eirebhoy, playing top class opposition is all well and good, but if it's constantly against those kind of teams, you do feel inclined to play your best players to not lose the game, against lower opposition you can play less established players to see how they fare in the international, think Andy Reid VS Canada, Barrett and Alan Quinn VS Jamaica, we might see Flood (maybe, slight injury at the moment) and more of Elliott in the China game.

If the right players are used and it's taken seriously I think this one could be quite interesting, though whether the public at large agree is another matter.

McGeady, Delap, Elliott could all start. Maybe try O'Shea as a CB. There are plenty of options we need to try and as said above if we play against the top opposition it'll deprive us of a useful chance to experiment.

From what I saw of China in Japan, I'd expect they'll be a lot better than Canada.