World Cup football,
Republica of Ireland, FAI, FAROE ISLANDS, Aviva Stadium
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Rep of Ireland vs Faroe Islands FIFA World Cup Qualifier in the Aviva Stadium 7th June 2013
Republic of Ireland manager
Giovanni Trapattoni often seems to have a story to fit each and every occasion,
but there was none yesterday to illustrate how any of his sides had ever been
on the wrong end of a result like tonight’s at the Aviva Stadium.
Chelsea beating Bayern in
last year’s Champions League final has been wheeled out more than once by the
Italian as an example of David beating Goliath, but if his side doesn’t beat
the Faroe Islands, he’ll have a more startling example on his hands; and, of
course, he would probably be citing it to a new audience before too long.
The Italian, lest we forget,
was supposed to be on the way out when the two sides last met back in October.
Against the remarkable background of “a senior FAI source” doing his level best
to undermine the manager in the wake of a hefty defeat by Germany, Trapattoni
showed considerable class to keep his composure, stay focused on preparing his
players well and ultimately engineered a win that enabled his side to turn a
bit of a corner.
Ireland’s six matches since
may not have been flawless – the tail-end of the Austria game was clearly a
major blow to the team’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup, made
all the harder to bear by the extent to which the setback was self-inflicted –
but there have been a few positives and in the immediate aftermath of the draw
in London against England and a big win at the weekend over Georgia, there is a
real sense of confidence around the squad again.
Evaporate quickly
However, it would evaporate
quickly enough if this evening does not go to plan, but there is little enough
in the Faroes’ recent record to suggest that they can come here and cause a
real surprise – as long as Trapattoni and his players play to something
approaching their own potential.
The visitors haven’t managed
a positive result of any description since beating Estonia at home two years
ago this month.
On home soil they gave the
Swedes a scare last October and certainly didn’t roll over a few days later
when Trapattoni and co came to town.
Still, against a generally
strong Ireland side that should be highly motivated, breaking a run of three
defeats in three meetings between the sides should prove beyond them.
As events in Torshavn
showed, however, this Irish side rarely makes life easy for themselves and an
early goal would make matters a little less edgy than it was at half-time in
the away game.
Then, the Faroese showed
enough determination in defence to thwart the Irish through the opening half
and sufficient invention on the counter-attack.
Eventually Arnbjorn Hansen
got them a goal that was well deserved but by then Ireland had a decisive
advantage.
The hope this time will be
that Wes Hoolahan, and what Trapattoni described yesterday as his “fantastic
final pass”, can make their resistance that little bit easier to break down. It
won’t be the only factor, though.
Attacking outlook
The Italian’s shift towards
a generally more attacking outlook has markedly continued with his team
selection and while there will be those who believe James McClean did enough
against Georgia to merit selection here, Simon Cox has been preferred because
he is seen as more likely to actually score a goal rather than just set one up.
McClean, indeed, may well
feature over the course of the evening but Trapattoni was at pains yesterday to
explain the decision to omit him from the start, contending that the
24-year-old Sunderland winger can neither play on the right or up front, and
would therefore limit the amount of flexibility the manager will enjoy to chop
and change the roles of those who start ahead of him.
If Séamus Coleman and Marc
Wilson can maintain the sort of form they have shown in recent internationals
then the side’s attacking impetus should be considerable although the
right-back, in particular, needs to ensure that he does not hand opportunities
to opponents by surrendering possession as he seeks to play his way out of
defence.
Stick goals away
It would be nice, of course,
if the night belonged to Robbie Keane on this the occasion of his 126th
appearance for his country and wonderful if, as Trapattoni suggested yesterday,
it really were as simple as his team-mates giving their skipper the ball so
that he can stick the goals away.
Barring another gift like
Sunday’s sending-off, the game is sure to be more difficult and the big win
required to close the goal difference on the Austrians looks highly unlikely.
Three points, though, along
with, perhaps, a favour from Ireland’s chief rivals for second place, who meet
tonight in Vienna, would certainly be enough to maintain the team’s hopes of a
play-off place entering the autumn run-in.
Given some of the dramas
that have been endured over the campaign’s first half, that would probably seem
satisfactory enough come this evening’s final whistle.
How they’ll line out
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Forde
(Millwall); Coleman (Everton), O’Shea (Sunderland), St Ledger (Leicester City),
Wilson (Stoke City); Cox (Nottingham Forest), Hoolahan (Norwich City), Whelan
(Stoke City), McGeady (Spartak Moscow); Keane (LA Galaxy), Walters (Stoke
City).
FAROE ISLANDS (probable):
Nielsen (Silkeborg, Denmark); Naes (Valur, Iceland), Baldvinsson (Bryne,
Norway), Justinussen (NSI Runavik, Faroe Is), Jonsson (Silkeborg, Denmark);
Hansson (Aalborg, Denmark), Holst (Silkeborg, Denmark), Olsen (B36 Torshavn,
Faroe Is); Samuelsen (HB Torshavn, Faroe Is), Edmundsson (Viking, Norway),
Mouritsen (HB Torshavn, Faroe Is).
Referee: M Gestranius
(Finland).