The Republic of Ireland’s chances of Euro 2012 success will hinge on whether they can penetrate, and not simply frustrate, their more illustrious group opponents.
Up against three of the world’s top 12 sides, coach Giovanni Trapattoni’s resolute and hardworking charges, drawn mainly from the English Premier League’s less-fashionable clubs, will be favorites to prop up Group C, but the experienced Italian has built a tough team since taking charge three years ago and he has lost only once in the last two major championship qualification campaigns — a record bettered only by Germany and two of Ireland’s group rivals, Spain and Italy.
Their other Group C opponents Croatia, who they face in their opening game in Poznan on Sunday, played in Dublin in a friendly in August last year. Like many talented teams before them, they could only draw.
That stalemate marked the second unbeaten game in a run that now stretches to 14 and in which Ireland, appearing in their first major tournament for a decade, have conceded just four times.
Marshalled at the back by veteran goalkeeper Shay Given and Aston Villa teammate, centerback Richard Dunne, Ireland are led by captain and record goal-scorer Robbie Keane.
Yet Keane’s consistent strike-rate, complemented by the still dangerous play of Damien Duff on the wing, cannot conceal that Ireland will be among the least creative sides at the finals. Hampered by an ordinary center midfield partnership in Stoke City’s Glenn Whelan and West Bromwich Albion’s Keith Andrews, Ireland go long periods without threatening in the final third.
That soft center can leave them liable to being overrun on occasion as Russia found out when they raced to a 3-0 lead inside 50 minutes in Dublin at the start of the last campaign, although Ireland did later score twice.
That was their only defeat in their 10 qualifiers, which set them up for a playoff against Estonia, who they duly dispatched 5-1 on aggregate to reach the finals.
Ireland have also struggled to beat higher-ranked teams under Trapattoni. Despite finishing ahead of Bulgaria and Slovakia in World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 qualifying, they were unable to beat either at home or away.
No team has ever reached the knockout stages of the European Championships on draws alone, so Ireland are likely to need at least one victory to make progress.
The reality is, even with Trapattoni’s influence, that will hard to achieve, especially against the world champions and his own countrymen.
Still, Ireland are more resolute and self-confident than they used to be, as evidenced by their 0-0 draw in Moscow in the qualifiers and the emphatic way they beat Estonia 4-0 in the first leg of their playoff.
Whether those qualities will be enough to see them through, though, is another matter.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two