I agree that Cork are the most likely cup winners and Dundalk are a very poor value bet at 6/4 at this point.
As it stands the Cup Semi-finals are scheduled for the weekend of Sat/Sun 1/2 Oct. Dundalk are likely to have a league match on Mon 26 Sept followed by Maccabi Tel-Aviv on Thurs 29 Sept and then the semi-final 2 or 3 days later. It's also likely that there will be another back league match scheduled for the following Tues 4 Oct.
As the league is the stated number one priority, it is likely to be a significantly weaker team that plays the FAI Cup semi (probably similar to the side against UCD).
If Dundalk did make it to the final, playing in Aviva on the Sunday immediately after Zenit St Petersburg away, would be another huge ask.
All things considered, Dundalk may be more rightly 4th in the betting!
Shams 0 Cork City 5
Att:1500+
Wexford 1 Derry City 3
Att:500+
UCD 0 Dundalk 1
Att:500+
St Pats 3 Cobh 2
Att:600+
Estimated 3,000+ total attendances at the FAI Cup Quarter-Finals.
You can drop a fair bit off that top crowd too
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
There were easily 1500 at the match. I was there and attend almost all home matches. It looked bad on TV because everyone was jammed up at the back of the main stand to avoid rain. When it stopped people didn't move down cos seats were wet plus it looked like it might start as well. TV and weather hit the crowd...still thought it was dissapointing tbh
Semi final draw:
Dundalk v Derry
Pats v Cork
Always nice to get a home draw.
.FAI Cup holders Derry City have been handed a home semi-final in this year's competition after the draw on RTÉ's Morning Ireland paired the two teams together.
Dundalk's hectic schedule continues apace and as well as their European fixtures, they will now face the Candystripes on the weekend of 2 October in the Cup.
The other semi-final sees form team Cork City travel to St Patrick's Athletic.
Cork booked their place in the drawn with a 5-0 thrashing of Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght and the draw keeps alive the chances of a repeat of last season's final between the Rebels and Dundalk.
Both games will take on that weekend of 2 October with coverage on RTÉ Television
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2016/...-fai-cup-draw/
So it was all a dream after all - Derry won the cup last year!
Noticed it on the News Now channel alright. Went to watch the draw at 8:55 and it was already done.
https://kesslereffect.bandcamp.com/album/kepler - New music. It's not that bad.
Pats-Cork on the Friday, Dundalk-Derry on the Sunday.
We avoided Pats, which is the main thing. They may have beaten us. Though I'd have liked them to be away from home, you'd like to think Cork can put them out. Which is the only thing I want from this year's cup, being realistic.
FAI press release says they're both Sunday?
Both games will take place on Sunday October 2nd and will be screened live on RTE television.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Yeah, both Sunday.
A repeat of 2012 and 2014 is the most logical.
Then next year will be Cork v Dundalk again
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
---
New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
Thats really handy for me, I have a stag in London that weekend, just need to figure out what flight to get back to Dublin.
Kenny Shiels is some boy.
"I would imagine that Dundalk are not happy with this draw because they’ll know that we will probably dominate possession and that’s something that they’re not use to.
They’re crying about having to go to Amsterdam but I’m sure my players would prefer to get on a plane for a one and half hour flight than take a six hour bus journey for the second time in a week.
Our players will be tired. And they have two squads. Of the three possible opponents we could have had, all are littered with former Derry City players so we’re going to be up against it because we will be playing against quality players who have left Derry City.”
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...source=dlvr.it
Shiels is gas craic. Like Mourinho but without the charisma.
Ah, he's brilliant. Love his wee talks. Half truth, half a wind-up.
He forgot to add in Dundalk's hour bus to Dublin/Belfast airport, and then the bus on the other side, mind.
I'd also add that we do have five away matches in a row. Not that I really think travelling is all that gruelling for any LoI side.
Last edited by brendy_éire; 13/09/2016 at 10:47 AM.
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