2-0 up at half time and both goals came after 7 minutes with O'Neill and Carty both scoring.
Emakhu scored 7mins after coming on at half time for a debut goal but FAI have posted on Twitter that game was abandoned after one of the Kuwait players racially abused one of the Irish subs.
Not the only game abandoned this evening. New Zealand vs Qatar also abandoned as New Zealand refused to come out for the second half. New Zealands Michael Boxall was racially abused and players decided against coming back out at half time as no punishment was handed out to the player who abused him.
That's weird. Boxall is half Pacific Islander; in skin colour that can't be too far off the Qatari players? Are they just stupid or were they calling him the equivalent of a thick Paddy *******?
Definitely interesting to know what was said cause the Qatar player in question was black.Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Qatar though have taken the he who smelt it dealt it defence. Released a statement saying that their player in question said there was an exchange in words but it was him that was racially abused in that game.
With the u21 euros starting, it reminded me of what a monumental **** up it was not to beat Israel and qualify. The damage was done in the home leg when Crawford played an incredibly conservative team and formation against a very average Israel side.
Looking at the squad we could have had, (you need to remove 3 players), I genuinely think it’s good enough to win the tournament:
Bazunu
Maher
Harrington
L O’Connor
Lyons
Ebosele
Collins
Omobamidele
McGuinness
Cashin
J O’Brien
Bagan
Adaramola
Coventry
Hodge
Kilkenny
Knight
Smallbone
Azaz
Connell
Ferguson
Idah
Parrott
Obafemi
Cannon
Connolly
Would you suggest that any of the players who were unavailable due to senior team duty, would have been better off challenging for an u21 trophy in terms of their development? Genuine question by the way. I've no answer to it. Obviously the senior team needed an injection of talent but it's been a tough few years.
21 leagues and 25 cups.
Not really. Whenever they were called up, they were used. Take the playoff window - we called up 6 21s to the seniors (vs Scotland and Armenia) - 1 missed through injury and the other 5 started both games, so no complaints there…
Reality is, the squad was more that good enough to qualify, as it was. Probably should have been faster to realise the quality of Azaz, Hodge and Cannon, and to not ignore Connell because he wasn’t playing for Celtic etc etc.
And just show confidence to beat Israel at home rather than playing 5 at the back against a bang average side.
Example starting 11:
Bazunu
Lyons
Omobamidele
Collins
Bagan
Coventry
Knight
Smallbone
Parrott
Ferguson
Obafemi
Back up 11:
Maher/Harrington
Ebosele
McGuinness
Cashin
Adaramola
Connell
Hodge
Azaz
Cannon
Connolly
Idah
If we had qualifed we wouldnt have brought our strongest possible squad. There was already talk before the playoff that the players who got us there would "deserve" to play. I remember making the argument at the time that in professional football deserve doesnt come in to it.
The full potential squad you listed looks brilliant at that level, and again goes to show that we are going in the right directions with the players coming in and it takes time.
Joel Bagan given a new three-year contract by Cardiff.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66076851
An U-19 who may well come through into the U-21s, John Clarke (Reading) missed the rest of the 2022/23 season after sustaining a knee ligament injury in December. The left-back has however been offered a new contract and has accepted it. Reading FC | Professional contracts signed by nine young players
James Furlong signs a new contract at Brighton through to 2025.
https://www.brightonandhovealbion.co...s-new-contract
U21s will be playing their first two games of the next campaign in Cork. Hopefully the pitch is in good nick.
Cristiano Fitzgerald has been given the squad number 30 at Boavista this season, might see him in the first team soon
His photo on the squad photo looks mildly terrifying (scroll down to the last row of players)
https://boavistafc.pt/futebol/
Jamie Bowden is on trial with fallen giants Deportivo La Coruna, now in Spain's third tier.
https://www.football.london/tottenha...ining-27527644
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/spor...s-for-ireland/
Scotland called up Connor O'Riordan but he's turned them down
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