Brazil don't play home friendlies, a bit like we won't play away friendlies when Lansdowne Road is opened. Two reasosn for this: The Brazilians mostly play in Europe now. Secondly, there's more money to be made with a game in London than in Brazil. So it is at least an away game for Ireland, as we have had Brazil at home twice in the last six years.
I mean, how often do you want Ireland to play at home? Don't you think there should be a balance for the team of home and away friendlies? I can understand that in soccer terms Ireland games are the only time you will see 'top class' football in Ireland as the League of Ireland has fallen behind so much in the last thirty years and the moneying of the European Cup has meant that its champions can no longer hope for a big game against Real Madrid like Limerick United achieved in 1980.
But I think this pursuit of money by the FAI is ridiculous. Leaving aside the games at Fulham - games that would be once more in Dublin had Lansdowne Road not been rebuilt - and the usual Mickey Mouse cup in London in 2004 and the US in 2000 and 2007, exactly how many 'away' friendlies have been played outside Ireland since January 2000? As far as I can recall, they were Finland and Greece in 2002, Scotland in 2003, Poland and Holland in 2004, Denmark in 2007 and Norway in 2008. That's seven. In that time we have played 29 friendlies in Ireland including the World powerhouses of China and Canada. Also in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2009 we did not play an away friendly.
http://www.soccer-ireland.com/irish-...ch-results.htm