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https://www.fai.ie/latest/mu17-squad...17-qualifiers/ squad for this week s qualifiers.
uefa.com Under-17
2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship
2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Qualification
2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Qualification Round 1 Group 8
2025 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Qualification Round 2 Group A6
fifa.com Under-17 World Cup
2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup
2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup Group J
While the NI squad is here:Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
https://www.irishfa.com/news/2024/oc...uro-qualifiers
Anyone know any more about gk Finn McDonnell of Bohemians, how he qualifies for us etc? Also, Bohs teammate Chistian Coyle, who's not included this time, but played for us alongside FMcD a couple of months back in two friendlies vs Turkey U-17's.
Meanwhile, George Feeney (Spurs, ex-Glentoran striker) is back in the fold for us after flirting with Wales, he's attracting a bit of attention at WHL apparently. And good to see Christopher Atherton still in there as well: said to be lined up to move to Chelsea, he made his Glenavon debut* at 13 years 329 days(!) and still only turned 16 nine days ago.
Maybe NI will put up a rather better showing in these matches than the recent all-Ireland encounter at WP last week!
* - The IFA have since imposed a higher minimum age limit for playing in adult football btw. You now have to be 16, though you can still play as a 15 y.o. providing you turn 16 the same season.
It looks like finneran played his first game of the season for Newcastle 18s on Saturday following injury so lightly to be used sparingly
He played a Premier League cup game in August, but went off at half timeQuote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
https://www.newcastleunited.com/en/m...40827?tab=live
I was sitting beside Christian Coyle’s parents at an Ireland u15 game against Latvia about 18 months ago. Mother is from Belfast. Father is from Dublin. He’s an ex-LOI player (Robbie Coyle). Very nice people. I think they have a younger son who is also a good footballer.Quote:
Originally Posted by EalingGreen
Christian was playing at right back for us, did pretty well but not as well as Oladiti. He was due to go up and train with NI after the match was over. Not sure what his international allegiance is, but I’d say he’d be at the fringes of our squad - there are 5 very good defenders (1 of whom is injured) and then Christian is in the next tier who would be fighting for the remaining 2 or 3 slots in the squad
This is such an excellent squad. I’m assuming Sam Steward is injured, cause he was captaining the side recently and a mainstay at centre half, so can’t see a world where he’s left out. Big loss.Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
Often disappointed with either O’Brien or Mohan leaving great players out but I think it’s a really good selection. As squads go, it’s looks really good - worst case scenario, it’s a one in every three years special (ie better than 2006 and 07) and best case scenario it’s really really special, a once in a decade group.
You’ve got 2 good keepers, Topcu is incredible but tiny, unless he’s grown over the last few months.
4 good defenders - shame about Steward - but as long as they have no injuries, they should cope. Oladiti is a really cultured and composed right back, Solanke is great either in the centre or at left back, played for us in the u17s championships as a 14 year old (the youngest ever player at that tournament). McDonagh is a really progressive centre half. Steward missing, is a talker, an organiser and a leader. Then Finn Sherlock is a really good modern left back.
6 midfielders - all good enough to be above average starters to star players for the 17s - it’s a real selection dilemma. O’Donnell and Finneran have both had an impact as senior footballers, Ramon Martos is a lovely midfielder, not the finished article at all but he’s totally different to the type of midfielder we produce, there’s a touch of Thiago Alcantara about him, Ogbonna is a real game changer, an exciting player, either as an attacking midfielder or winger, goes past players with ease, scores goals, can find a pass. Then Souto Keeley and McMahon Browne are also really good accomplished midfielders.
Then in the attacking areas you’ve got guys like Jaden Umeh who is as promising as his brother Franco, Jaden is a really explosive and tricky winger. Brody Lee glides across the pitch, so talented, just a lovely footballer. Michael Noonan is the next in line when it comes to those really high ceiling No.9s (Ferguson in 2004, O’Mahony in 2005, Melia in 2007, Noonan in 2008). Then Billy O’Neill is a little goal machine and Billy Hayes is a good winger too. Tollett is considered to be a good young player as well, although I haven’t really seen enough of him personally.
I don’t want to jinx them but it’s probably the most excited I’ve been about an u17 team since the 2018 side that had Jason Knight, Nathan Collins, Adam Idah, Luca Connell, an underage Troy Parrott…
No stream for today's opening game V Lithuania
Live updates on uefa.com here https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...-vs-lithuania/
Currently one up with a goal from Brody Lee after 32 minutes
Threw away a 2 goal lead with 10 mins left. Ended 2-2. Hard to really comment without a stream but you’d imagine it is a game we should win comfortably
Northern Ireland beat Scotland 3-1 in the other group game today
https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...d-vs-scotland/
Intersting to see Cead McGrath in the NI squad. Saw him play for us at u15 and u16 levelQuote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
The UEFA match stats for the game look pretty even but reading the FAI match report seems we were on the ropes at the end and fortunate to get the draw.Quote:
Originally Posted by elatedscum
The second games are on today. Scots beat Lithuania so we will need to beat the North tonight most likely
not really. if we beat the Scots, we're ahead of them. and for lithuania to catch us, they'd need to beat Northern Ireland.Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
Saying that, if we win today, then we'd only need a draw against Scotland. But the game tonight isn't do or die really...
Off topic posts moved
Live updates for this evening's game v Northern Ireland: https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...thern-ireland/
North leading 1-0, OG from McDonagh
2-0... plenty of time left but depressing stuff. in this situation, without seeing the game, i'd want Ogbonna on...Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
and 3...
3-1 Noonan
Last game s this afternoon. Need to beat Scotland and hope north don't lose to
Lithuania or that we beat Scotland by 2 more goals than Lithuania beat the North by. Hopefully they can manage it
Live text commentary of the final game v Scotland here: https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...ic-of-ireland/
Currently 0-0
And the other game between Northern Ireland and Lithuania: https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...thern-ireland/
Also scoreless
Into next round on yellow cards?
Unreal fair play to the North for the last min goal and us for keeping going. Lithuania must have felt safe as housesQuote:
Originally Posted by pixiehead
A 94th minute goal for Ireland and 90th minute consolation for the North. Pretty incredible ending. Not marked as qualified yet on the UEFA site and Lithuania marked equal second. https://www.uefa.com/under17/standings/2025/2001869/
Certainly makes up for some of the bad luck our 21s had this season.
It's an limportant age group that at least now will be together as a group until March and have a chance to develop. Do we know what martos connection to us is , is it his mum?
They would have been together in March anyway. The teams that finished third and fourth in each group go into League B, to try and qualify for Group A in the U19 qualifiers next year. Since we finished second, we'll go straight into Group A next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
According to this - https://futureofirishfootball.substa...h-202425-mu17s - Martos qualifies for us through his mother
Quote:
Another two players based abroad are Ramon Martos (UD Almeria)and Grady McDonnell (Vancouver FC). Ramon Martos signed his first professional contract with UD Almería in July 2024. He’s made a strong impression with the Irish youth teams, qualifying to represent Ireland through his Irish mother.
The draw for the second round was made yesterday, with Ireland facing Belgium, Poland, and Iceland in March.
https://www.uefa.com/under17/news/02...d-2-draw-made/
Something I didn't know was that the second round also functions as the qualifiers for the U17 World Cup next year.
The tournament has been expanded to 48 teams, and will now run annually. All teams that finish first, and the four best teams that finish second, in the second round of the U17 qualifiers will go through to the World Cup. So, even if you don't qualify for the Euros, you could still go to the World Cup, which seems odd to me.
Also, the tournament will be held in Qatar. As will the following four U17 World Cups. Isn't that just super?
https://www.fai.ie/latest/mens-under...ro-qualifiers/
Great selection of clubs there really. Good to see. What’s the story with Ramon Martos? Don’t think I’ve heard him mentioned before…Quote:
Ireland Men’s Under-17 Squad
Goalkeepers: George Moloney (Southampton), Alex Noonan (Shamrock Rovers).
Defenders: Billy Canny (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Vincent Leonard (Dundalk), Oisin McDonagh (Venezia), Finn Sherlock (Hoffenheim), Ade Solanke (FC Lorient).
Midfielders: Rory Finneran (Newcastle United), Billy Hayes (St Patrick’s Athletic), Ramon Martos (UD Almeria), Gavin McAteer (Finn Harps), Kian McMahon Brown (Burnley), Grady McDonnell (Club Brugge), Oskar Skoubo Keely (Bohemians).
Forwards: Charles Akinrintayo (Shamrock Rovers), Brody Lee (Shamrock Rovers), Billy O’Neill (Bray Wanderers), Victor Ozhianvuna (Shamrock Rovers), Cillian Tollett (Galway United), Jaden Umeh (Benfica).
He's been around a couple of years now. Has 26 caps at underage level between 15s, 16s, and 17s so far with us.
Lineup available from uefa.com: https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...ic-of-ireland/
Kick off at one.
That can't be the formation, can it?
Brody Lee sounds like he should be lining up at Wrestlemania as part of the Judgement Day faction rather than our 17s.
RIP big manQuote:
Originally Posted by Kingdom
1-0 loss.very very difficult to qualify now with the new format where only one team gets through. Hard to comment without seeing the game…
Small margins at that level.
In terms of the squad, was very disappointed for Ali Topcu not to make it if fit, he’s an excellent keeper, wonderful reactions, really really excellent with his feet - I think his international prospects will largely depend on his height. If he ends up 6’1, he probably becomes an international keeper and if he ends up 5’8 then maybe he’s unlikely to have a career in the game at all. Seems the goal might have come from Alex Noonan (the keeper) giving away a penalty.
Goes back to the whole Melia 21s saga, not to sound like a broken record but starting Noonan ahead of Akinrintoyo might have been enough to get you the points. How can we have a chance to win at 17s and 19s level where you need to win the group against excellent teams like Germany and Belgium with far more resources and players than us when we can’t select our best players at the relevant age groups…
Assume it was actually 4-3-3 with Canny-McDonagh-Leonard-Sherlock as the back 4 and a midfield 3 of Grady, Ramon and Rory with Umeh and Hayes on the wings.
Have to assume that Goodness Ogbonna and Mo Oladiti are both injured as they’d be nailed on.
Beyond that I’d question why Solanke didn’t start at the back and why one of Brody Lee or Victor Ohianvuna didn’t start ahead of Billy Hayes
Winning today with Belgium drawing so it's still possible if Poland do us a favour. Need to beat Iceland though to be in with a chance.
Belgium won 2-1.
That puts us out of the tournament this summer, even if we win our last game against Iceland and Belgium lose to Poland, they'll be ahead of us on head to head
However, a win would put us in contention to qualify for the U17 World Cup as one of the best runners up
The FAI have reported a racist incident at the game yesterday
https://www.fai.ie/latest/fai-statem...ens-under-17s/
team have to win to have a chance of playing in the U17 World Cup later this year, currently leading Iceland 2-0 at half time
https://www.uefa.com/under17/match/2...nd-vs-iceland/
the other group games are kicking off later today, with the last games kicking off at seven, so we won't know until tonight if we've qualified or not
Big opportunity for them here. Even if they win they'll have to wait until later tonight to know for sure whether they've qualified or not, but a lot would have to go against them in other games for them to win here and not qualify for the World Cup.
Given that they only just squeezed into this qualification round it would be a great outcome to end up qualifying for a global tournament.
Interesting that UEFA have reduced the Under 17 Euros to 8 teams at around the same time as FIFA have expanded the World Cup meaning it's now easier to qualify for the World Cup than the Euros.
Incidentally, the format FIFA have come up with for their 48 team finals tournament is a bit mental, not to mention giving it to Qatar to host for five years in a row. Wonder if the format is a trial run for a future senior World Cup if the 2026 tournament in North America is considered too long-winded.
Poland leading Belgium 1-0 at half time in the other game in the group.