Estonia V Ireland - Friday, 11th November 2011 - Euro 2012 Play Off 1st Leg

**French Toasht** · 08/11/2011, 5:09 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

It doesn't surprise me that Duff isn't good at penalties. He's not a crisp ball striker, he tends to float balls in rather than drill them. He's a placer rather than a pacer, and given his one-on-one record I don't think he's that confident in front of goal.

Being the football geek that I am I actually watch players' ball striking abilities.

Robbie clearly has the knack.
Andrews is a good ball striker - but then so was Matt Holland.
So too is Walters.
I'd trust Whelan.
Dunne is a mean ball striker.
Given is a good ball striker, and mentally strong.
I'd say Fahey is a good penno taker.
Likewise Cox.

Who'd I be nervous about, as well as Duff?

Despite having taken pennos at club level I'd have concerns about McGeady & Doyle. Doyle has missed a few for Wolves and Reading. Ward strikes a ball well but I'm not sure about his mentality. He strikes me as one of those guys who'd call a coin toss wrong 8 times out of 10.

St. Ledger - I think he'd roll the sleeves up, run up confidently and then it's anyone's guess. Likewise Kelly.

I'm also a fan of full backs and pennos. Anyone remember Ray Stewart? Steve Finnan in Suwon. Irwin. Harte.

Really and truely you can speculate on various players but you will never know until they are in that situation. Look back at all the champions league finals that have been decided in recent years, look at the names of people who missed, Trezegeut, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Ronaldo and Anelka. All players you would put your house on to score if it was a normal EPL game at Wolves but in intense pressure situations they buckled. As far as I'm concerned anyone could miss or any one could score for Ireland, who thought Dave O'Leary would put away a winner?

Just in general I think should it go to penalties, the reletively newly independent country on the verge of qualification for the first major tournament in front of a hostile Dublin crowd may not have the nerve to see themselves over the line.

Again, I expect the game to be resolved long before penalties.

**tricky_colour** · 08/11/2011, 5:29 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Oh dear. Perhaps not then.

Yep duff is best out on the wing, putting the ball in the back of the net is just not his strength.
It's a bit like a 'black ball complex' in snooker, the extra pressure seems to get to some people.

**theworm2345** · 08/11/2011, 5:35 PM

I have a question from 2009 that still hasn't been answered. If we do go to extra time after the 2nd Leg in Dublin, would away goals still count double in the extra time period (i.e. if we scored and then they scored they'd go through)? The obvious answer would be they do, but then obviously the away side has a somewhat unfair advantage.

**the bear** · 08/11/2011, 5:57 PM

Originally Posted by theworm2345

I have a question from 2009 that still hasn't been answered. If we do go to extra time after the 2nd Leg in Dublin, would away goals still count double in the extra time period (i.e. if we scored and then they scored they'd go through)? The obvious answer would be they do, but then obviously the away side has a somewhat unfair advantage.

yes they count.

its a definite advantage in my eyes, its supposed to even up the odds for having to play an extra half hour away from home

**geysir** · 08/11/2011, 6:33 PM

Originally Posted by French Toasht

No I wasn't referring to anything regarding the handball incident,.

I was referring to the All Blacks needing a compliant ref in order to win the game they were so afraid of not winning.

**geysir** · 08/11/2011, 6:39 PM

You wouldn't call McGeady a good striker of the ball, nor the type of player when placing the ball on the spot who exudes the confidence that would loosen the hands from your eyes, but he has poked home the pressure penalties time and time again. I'd take him anyday ahead of a player who hasn't converted one on the pitch.

**DannyInvincible** · 08/11/2011, 7:06 PM

Originally Posted by theworm2345

I have a question from 2009 that still hasn't been answered. If we do go to extra time after the 2nd Leg in Dublin, would away goals still count double in the extra time period (i.e. if we scored and then they scored they'd go through)? The obvious answer would be they do, but then obviously the away side has a somewhat unfair advantage.

They count as away goals. One of then very significant drawbacks of the rule, that, in my opinion. Maybe the fairest solution would be a replay at a neutral venue if the teams are still tied after 180 minutes.

**Stuttgart88** · 08/11/2011, 7:29 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

You wouldn't call McGeady a good striker of the ball, nor the type of player when placing the ball on the spot who exudes the confidence that would loosen the hands from your eyes, but he has poked home the pressure penalties time and time again. I'd take him anyday ahead of a player who hasn't converted one on the pitch.

Yes, except that he seems a different player for Ireland than he has for his clubs - more reserved, less confident. But as Toashtie says, it's all speculation.

**pineapple stu** · 08/11/2011, 7:45 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Maybe the fairest solution would be a replay at a neutral venue if the teams are still tied after 180 minutes.

Don't really have time for that in the international schedule in fairness. The way it is is probably the best option.

**the bear** · 08/11/2011, 7:54 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Don't really have time for that in the international schedule in fairness. The way it is is probably the best option.

if its all square after 180 mins, they should just go straight to penos

**elroy** · 08/11/2011, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by the bear

if its all square after 180 mins, they should just go straight to penos

Trap raised this issue in his press conference the day after the France away game. He suggested the exact same as yourself should be adopted rather than extra time in the second leg. Needless to say FIFA/UEFA did nothing.

**French Toasht** · 09/11/2011, 12:13 AM

Originally Posted by the bear

if its all square after 180 mins, they should just go straight to penos

Then again, I wouldn't like to be the Estonian that has to walk half the pitch to take a peno in front of the singing section in Landsdowne. The rule is perfectly just as it stands.

**Supreme feet** · 09/11/2011, 3:34 AM

The view of Estonia's centre-back, Raio Piiroja...

http://examiner.ie/sport/soccer/esto...#ixzz1dFK5FciP

He insisted: "Everyone here likes to compare this to the Northern Ireland match that we won in Belfast last month but that is not a good comparison. This Ireland will be totally different, even to the team that played here 10 years ago, because 10 years ago they were like a typically British team, playing a lot of long balls straight away.

"This is different. Now Ireland is pretty creative as well under Trapattoni. He is a great manager who has made a big difference. Ireland are playing much better football now, are more organised, have only conceded one goal in nine games and don�t play a straight game anymore. It will not be easy for us."

Interesting...

**DannyInvincible** · 09/11/2011, 4:21 AM

Why on earth would our play-off against Estonia be compared to a game in Belfast where they happened to beat NI last month?

Whether or not we're "pretty creative" nowadays is one thing, but if Estonians assume we play at a standard as poorly as NI, they'll be in for a bit of a surprise.

Piiroja would certainly be correct if he was to say that we're a more organised outfit now than we have been in recent years, but we were also accomplished at the back in 2000-2001 when we beat Estonia 2-0 both at home and away. We only conceded 5 goals throughout the qualification campaign for the 2002 World Cup, or 6 if you include the play-off games against Iran. That was over a total of 12 games in which we also scored 23 goals. In fact, we conceded the least number of goals in our group that campaign. Portugal conceded two more than us whilst the Dutch conceded a total of 9. As a comparison, in our qualification group this time round, we conceded 7 goals over 10 games.

Anyway, how's the buzz building up for this at home? It's hard to gauge when I'm off the mainland.

**Hibs4Ever** · 09/11/2011, 5:27 AM

Unreal that they would compare this in anyway similar to their game against a team of group minnows

**Hibs4Ever** · 09/11/2011, 7:04 AM

The Ref for the 1st Leg seems to have some good experience

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Kassai

**Kingdom** · 09/11/2011, 8:54 AM

We've had hiom before!

**Acornvilla** · 09/11/2011, 9:00 AM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Anyway, how's the buzz building up for this at home? It's hard to gauge when I'm off the mainland.

No idea i'm in limerick where no one understands anything but hurl'n and Munster, while in an art college where no one understands sport.

I'm excited thou!