Republic of Ireland V Turkey, Italy, Costa Rica & Portugal - May/June 2014

**tetsujin1979** · 10/06/2014, 10:12 AM

Costa Rica game with Spanish commentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI1kcKlus5U
can't embed it, has to be watched on youtube.com

**geysir** · 10/06/2014, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by SkStu

He looks like a happy Roy Keane...

Unabashed joy,
a picture like that is as rare as hen's teeth.

**DannyInvincible** · 10/06/2014, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

Unabashed joy,
a picture like that is as rare as hen's teeth.

I did a Google image search for "Roy Keane smiling" and these popped up:

So an extremely challenging capture like that from training yesterday certainly is something to treasure.

How did he ever put up with this being foisted upon him at Forest?:

You can just sense the deep internal disgust in those brooding eyes over the forced semi-smile.

**geysir** · 10/06/2014, 12:47 PM

That's a (Disney) Peter Pan hat.

**Closed Account** · 10/06/2014, 1:02 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

That's a (Disney) Peter Pan hat.

Cop yourself on will ya! That's a (Disney) Robin Hood hat! This forum sometimes. You're all worse than hitler.

**Stuttgart88** · 10/06/2014, 1:44 PM

O'Neill says it'd be very hard to make a judgment on Ryan Meara based only on 15 mins in training. Did you hear that, Stan?

**DeLorean** · 10/06/2014, 1:51 PM

That second video DI put up, the 'man of the match' performance doesn't inspire confidence at all. He should have done better with his first three saves! The first one was ridiculous how he managed to concede a corner!

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Some more videos of him in action:

**Stuttgart88** · 10/06/2014, 1:55 PM

True, but some pretty commanding takes from high balls and inswingers too.

If he starts playing regularly in MLS again then worth taking a look.

**paul_oshea** · 10/06/2014, 3:01 PM

is it 1 ocolock again tonight? Ill have to tape it this time i think, even the proper fans need sleep at times.

Stutts watch that game(the you tube'd game) tonight.

**DannyInvincible** · 10/06/2014, 3:18 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

is it 1 ocolock again tonight? Ill have to tape it this time i think, even the proper fans need sleep at times.

Be careful not to miss the first 15 minutes! Kick-off is at 00:45 Irish time.

**TheOneWhoKnocks** · 10/06/2014, 4:32 PM

The thing is Pearce wouldn't have even injured Montolivo if his first touch wasn't so comical.

**DannyInvincible** · 10/06/2014, 4:58 PM

Originally Posted by TheOneWhoKnocks

The thing is Pearce wouldn't have even injured Montolivo if his first touch wasn't so comical.

Pearce's first touch? Pearce was stretching to intercept a pass offloaded at close range by Montolivo himself. In the circumstances, I can forgive him being unable to prevent the ball from rolling back out in front of him and towards Montolivo again. Pearce's primary concern was to stop the ball getting past him and into the path of the Italian attacker the other side of him, and that's what he did. Describing it as comical is very harsh.

**Closed Account** · 10/06/2014, 5:15 PM

Originally Posted by DannyInvincible

Pearce's first touch? Pearce was stretching to intercept a pass offloaded at close range by Montolivo himself. In the circumstances, I can forgive him being unable to prevent the ball from rolling back out in front of him and towards Montolivo again. Pearce's primary concern was to stop the ball getting past him and into the path of the Italian attacker the other side of him, and that's what he did. Describing it as comical is very harsh.

Comical is a bit harsh alright. I still don't see how he got so badly injured, I wouldn't even have given a foul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Rd...tailpage#t=617

**tricky_colour** · 10/06/2014, 5:42 PM

Originally Posted by geysir

The squad are training at the Red Bull training ground Whipanny NJ. I suppose that explains Meara's presence.

All pictures here

including a happy camper.

Looks like he has got the Villa job

**SwanVsDalton** · 10/06/2014, 6:38 PM

He just heard who Villa have signed in the close season.

**geysir** · 10/06/2014, 7:10 PM

Originally Posted by joe_denilson

Comical is a bit harsh alright. I still don't see how he got so badly injured, I wouldn't even have given a foul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Rd...tailpage#t=617

Comical a bit harsh?? so you think was a bit comical?

It was an very good instinctive interception, almost at full stretch and prevented an attacker going one on one with Forde and as you say, the collision wasn't even a foul.

**paul_oshea** · 10/06/2014, 7:22 PM

That's how I read it to.he did nothing wrong bar give italy a chance of a goal it's unlucky but if warms up were no contact they wouldn't be having them.

I see the Portuguese coach thinks they will have a tough time tonight and it will be an aggressive match as "all British teams play aggressively"

**DannyInvincible** · 10/06/2014, 7:51 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

I see the Portuguese coach thinks they will have a tough time tonight and it will be an aggressive match as "all British teams play aggressively"

Costa Ricans initially thought their team were playing those NI imposters too!: http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/03/13/...-the-world-cup

**paul_oshea** · 10/06/2014, 8:32 PM

I can kinda expect it from them. I've seen it before from those nations.

For example when I first came over here probably around the time of the ra lads "breaking" out of the jail in Colombia actually, I ate in a Colombian restaurant in london bridge.thete weren't too many Colombian places back then or still isn't now so you would often see stuff from the ctb on tables or against the walls on book shelfs. One such one for the United Kingdom appeared and had loads on all of London and all of the UK and some more.....and on the back they had a map of ireland and UK draped in a union jack.

However I don't expect it from a fellow European outpost.

**geysir** · 10/06/2014, 9:18 PM

It's a widespread common perception that we irish (national team and clubs) have no distinctive style of playing football but are lumped under the british label of aggression, workmanlike (compensating for lack of natural flair) with ball mostly in the air. If anything the Irish are regarded as more reckless than the English, therefore there's an element of danger lurking.

That's how it is, the perception and the reality, though the English game is slowly changing from the dark ages 1980 - 2000.