Missing World Cup now hitting home
AMONG anoraks, there has been much co-efficient crunching about the potential seedings for the 2024 European Championship qualifying draw in Frankfurt on Sunday week. Arguably, too much. It’s the same with those sifting through the play-off percentages for the Republic of Ireland should the team, heaven forbid, fail to finish first or second in their group and proceed directly to bould Germany.
While the boffins have been having a blast, the biggest tournament in world football is about to kick off without the involvement of the Republic of Ireland. Once again.
And no one is saying a dicky bird.
England and Germany served up a six-goal thriller at Wembley on Monday night, prompting debate about who Gareth ‘The Good’ Southgate should bring to Qatar.
I’d have Jerry Maguire over hapless Harry Maguire any day, but there you go.
It’s not easy to get to a World Cup tournament, as everyone knows but boy, we will miss not being there when it kicks off on
“The code wasn’t always so hard to crack”
Sunday, November 20.
That same day Ireland will be in Malta for a low-key friendly, some 33 years after a famous 2-0 win there secured qualification for the finals in Italy.
I can still recall the planes bulging with Ireland fans swooping low over the Ta’ Qali Stadium as Ireland, captained by Ronnie Whelan, made history.
It has been 2002 since we last contested a World Cup, and it will be 2026 before another shot comes around again with no guarantees we’ll be part of the North America jamboree.
That’s almost a quarter of a century between World Cups. Ouch.
Watching the Ireland squad warming up at the Aviva Stadium on Monday, it struck me how many stalwarts are likely to sign off without experiencing the ultimate high of international football.
Séamus Coleman, 34 next month, will never play in a World Cup. Nor will James McClean, who is also 33 — at least McClean will get to 100 caps, a landmark he richly deserves.
Shane Duffy, Jeff Hendrick, Robbie Brady will all be 34 by the time of the 2026 finals. As they are no longer first XI regulars for Stephen Kenny, the odds are against them making the tournament in the US should Ireland qualify.
At least, that quintet got to experience the high of a major final — Euro 2016 in France.
Others have not, such as John Egan, Matt Doherty, Enda Stevens and Conor Hourihane.
Quite possibly, the 2024 Euros may well be the last shot these splendid servants get to star for Ireland on a big stage.
As for the World Cup, the code wasn’t always as difficult to crack.
Between 1990 and 2002, Ireland contested three finals out of four and the Boys In Green were the only sports story in town.
Since 2002, there have been two near-misses. The first was in 2009 under Giovanni Trapattoni; the second in 2017 under Martin O’Neill.
Each time, Ireland finished runner-up in their qualifying group to earn a play-off shot. Trap’s troops were robbed of a penalty shoot out in Paris, while O’Neill’s halftime gamble against Denmark in Dublin back-fired. At least, he tried something.
The advent of the World Cup finals is a reminder that Ireland never landed a blow in the qualifiers under Kenny.
Opening the campaign with three straight losses meant it was all over before anyone could root out a map to locate Qatar.
Kenny was given a free pass from the FAI for the World Cup failings and was rewarded, if that’s the right word, with a new contract to run until Euro 2024.
I felt sure he’d get a new deal after the 3-0 win in Luxembourg as the FAI hierarchy were desperate for him to succeed. As were most Irish football folk, in fairness.
In his first press briefing as manager, Kenny spoke about the prospect of the Irish team making history through the Euro 2020 play-offs and the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. A year ago, he declared his intention to top the Nations League group.
None of those ambitions were realised. Now, his reputation as manager rests entirely on reaching the Euro 2024 finals. He has no more wiggle room.
‘That’s our absolute objective to qualify for the top two. We’ll see what the draw brings, and take it from there,’ said Kenny on Monday.
As the focus on Frankfurt looms, it shouldn’t be overlooked that 13 nations in the Euro draw are preparing for the World Cup tournament, including two from Ireland’s qualifying group, Portugal and Serbia.
For those lucky 13, the Euro qualifying draw is a sideshow. It won’t matter a jot until the World Cup finishes at Christmas.
For others, like Ireland, it’s something to talk about as the nights draw in. Sure, where would we be without it?