This is my prediction for how they’ll start this afternoon, just throwing it out there:
Walsh
Curtis
Ivan S.
Heffernan
O’Brien
Ferizaj
McManus
Vata
Umeh
Zefi
O’Mahony
Portugal look decent enough. Our passing from midfield forward is stereotypical and weak.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
1-0 - sweet goal.
Scratch that, incredible strike. Defending was ****e for it though. Way too easily allowed to turn.
PS: almost 30 mins in, this looks a very very good Portugal team. They're quicker, stronger, more physical and much better technically in open space and crucially in tight spots.
Last edited by Kingdom; 23/03/2022 at 2:29 PM.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Soft second goal to give away and young Ivan looks and defends like David Luiz !
They always had a chance at 1-0 now its damage limitation
That's an atrocious second goal to concede.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Heffernan off for McHale, and Umah on for Lupsiuc
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Ireland have looked much better since Umah has come on, we're seeing a lot more of the ball. Referee doesn't seem to like us at all. Looked to have been a few clear fouls against us that he's not gibing.
Edit 1: PS Mark O'Mahony pulls one back with a lovely close range finish, albeit with some confusion (lino looked to have flagged with ref over-ruling).
It's been threatening.
We're running at them, across them, and putting much more pressure on them in this half. Ferizaj has been more industrious, and it sounds like its Zefi running a lot wiht ball, and Vata to a certain degree.
Edit 2: ********. We should have equalised. Vata with a great run and slifes it across open goal thatUmah just couldn't reach.
We look to have pushed our full backs much higher. can't tell if we've gone three at the back, but Savshak has got much wider and higher the last 20 mins
Edit 3: Motherf@cker. We should have equalised again. Ferizaj played an absolutely gorgeous reverse slip ball in to O'Mahony who dragged badly wide. Portugal force a great save from the IE keeper immediately afterwards.
Savshak off for Danny McHale now.
Edit 4: 3-1, beautiful goal. skinned full-back, lashed a shin-high ball back towards peno spot and hit of the instep volley into top corner. great goal, qs on the defending/marking. Game over, 2 mints to go.
Last edited by Kingdom; 23/03/2022 at 3:55 PM.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
Vata is so much better playing in number 10 than out wide. Huge difference in performance since they brought Umeh on and moved Vata inside.
O’Mahony really tiring - I’d bring on McLoughlin for the last 5 to see if the fresh legs could stretch their defence
I'd been updating my previous post as I couldn't see your two posts.
Watching on the phone in work so missed a few bits of the first half.
4-1. We're flat out. seems harsh given the response going two down.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
harsh result, portugal the better side but we could easily have come away with a point.
a bit unlucky with losing 2 of the back 4 perhaps. you'd think that we needed to introduce some fresh legs, both Murphy and Vata were down with cramp when we lost the ball for 4th goal. i think Murphy went down with cramp 3 times in the last 25 mins.
In my mind, if everyone's fit, I'd have Vata in no.10, he riggles past players and finds space that isn't there. Out wide he just doesn't have the same impact, he's boxed in and while he's quick enough, he's not really as fast as you'd want to be in that position.
Umeh is really raw but just goes past players with absolute ease - he also has a knack of getting into the right place at the right time and picks up his fair share of goals from it.
Meanwhile, play any of McManus, Lipsiuc or Murphy alongside Ferizaj. Thought Ferizaj was poor by his own standards, he had is moments but didn't have a good game - wouldn't be too worried, it happens at that age.
Zefi is such a luxury player - clearly the most talented, but the work rate isn't great, especially when he loses the ball. You'd still question the decision making but in terms of natural talent, he's in a league of his own.
Fair play to O'Mahony, he scores goals for fun. Big miss at 2-1 but he's just a pure goalscorer. Will be very interesting to see his progression.
Hopefully those late goals don't cost us. Big game against Finland next, need a win at all costs...
Second qualifier against Finland just kicked off, live stream on YouTube here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpgT8o82JlE
Howler from the Finland goalkeeper for the opening goal. Zefi (I think) crossed from the left, which hit the crossbar, and rebounded through the goalkeepers hands and landed right at Umeh's feet for a tap in
Almost scored from a similar play a few minutes earlier, Vata with a cross from the left that just missed Umeh on the far post
Equaliser from Finland, far post header from a free
Zefi the best player on the pitch but he's trying to win the game by himself, needs to pass the ball when there's other players in better positions
Players are wearing black armbands as well, don't know why
3-2 to Finland now
I have serious questions of the coaches after today and the first half of the Portugal game, we are playing like a bunch of individuals throughout and when we go forward we are an absolute bucket of nerrves, no composure whatsoever. By contrast look at Finland when they get forward. To lose 3-2 when you consider the chances both sides have had is an absolute disgrace and 2 of the finish goals were completely down to us not paying attention.
Second Finnish goal came from a quickly taken free kick, with the Irish players still rushing back from an attack. They hadn't reset properly, which made the goal a little easier, but it was still a good finish
Third goal was a mistake from Heffernan, not sure how but he kicked the ball up in the are after intercepting a low cross on the near post, completely lost sight of it and it was an easy finish for the striker standing behind him
We really should have won that, the Finnish goalkeeper kept them in it with some excellent saves
As a team Finland were everything we weren’t, a composed team that knew what they were doing. We had absolutely no composer throughout, everyone just playing like an individual’s and trying to make things happen on their own which they had to do because they clearly weren’t playing as a team, and that wouldn’t be a disaster if we at least had some composer but we lack that also so when we did try make something happen as an individual we’d make a mistake. Again I would seriously have questions of the coaching staff after this game, there is no excuse to have a team so nervous throughout their games consistently.
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