Ireland seek to spoil their hosts’ party in Lyon clash
IT’S only eight days since the Republic of Ireland docked at the confluence of two majestic French rivers, the Garonne and Dordogne, only to sink into the silt. Today in Lyon, where the mighty Saone and Rhone converge, they will ride a rip tide of confidence into European Championship last 16 battle against the hosts, France.
Back home, a nation will grind to a halt at 2pm, drawn by the unique appeal of the international football team, who set sail from Dublin on June 8 under Martin O’Neill to make history. That history beckons.
Should O’Neill’s men overcome France, they will join Jack Charlton’s ground-breakers of Italia ’90 as only the second Irish team to reach the last eight of a tournament. They will also become the first Irish team to win successive games in any finals.
These are the high-octane games Irish players crave, the elusive opportunity to go toe to toe with the elite on the high wire of knock-out play. Unlike the group phase, there are no cushioned landings. It’s all or nothing.
As folk dare to dream, perhaps some perspective is needed about the scale of the challenge they undertake today, in the Stade De Lyon. Ireland don’t often contest major finals and when they do, they usually don’t overstay their welcome – don’t mention Poland.
Only three times before has the team managed to survive the group phase, in Italia ’90, USA ’94 and the 2002 World Cup finals. Only once have they won a knock-out game, and that on penalties.
In contrast, France have rocked up as winners of the European Championships in 1984 and 2000, they won the World Cup in 1998 and were runnersup in 2006. These guys are good and they have at the helm, Didier Deschamps.
Described by Eric Cantona as a watercarrier, Deschamps supped sparkling Perrier as he led France during the golden period of 1998-2000 when Les Bleus ruled the world. He is the doughty talisman the French have turned to in their hour of need, and he is expected to deliver a third championship success on home turf.
And home it will feel like today as UEFA have gone to great lengths to ensure France have the bulk of the tickets, and support, which has so miffed O’Neill and Roy Keane – the manager labelled it ‘totally disproportionate’ yesterday.
More likely, it is the gap between games which will have a greater effect than the reduction in the ranks of Green Army. France have had a week to switch off and then regroup to peak today. In contrast, O’Neill has only been able to work his stars of Wednesday night lightly. He cannot be sure of what they have in their legs and lungs, and whether they can sustain the effort shown against Italy.
‘Because we kicked off the group games last, we were always going to face this problem at some stage or another when we qualified. They way the players maintained the energy levels is going to take its toll, naturally,’ said O’Neill yesterday.
A quick turnaround is not new to O’Neill. Last October, the team stunned Germany in Dublin before losing 2-1 to Poland where they not quite at the level required. A month later, they used the 1-1 draw in Bosnia-Herzegovina as springboard for closing the deal in Dublin a few days later. Those experiences will stand to O’Neill’s men.
Ireland are gnarly and battle-hardened since September of 2014, unlike the French who strolled around playing meaningless matches before a cushy draw for the finals.
They have yet to be challenged and were they to fall behind today, their reaction could reveal a lot about their moral fibre.
O’Neill intends to examine the French character, and seek to expose a possible vulnerability in veteran full backs Bacary Sagna and Patrice Evra, by playing on the front foot as much as possible.
‘I have spent my time (as Irish manager) sending out what I consider to be adventurous teams to win games,’ he said. ‘We played an adventurous game against Sweden, but weren’t allowed to against Belgium who are the number two team in the world.
‘For the game against Italy we needed extra energy because we have some players in their 30s and not only did we get that but we played brilliantly. The players fed off that and are feeling the confidence from the other evening. They are taking that into the game and think they can win,’ he added.
O’Neill has calls to make on the fitness and well-being of his players. Stephen Ward, who has had two fine games at left-back, managed a little work yesterday and is back in the frame. So too is Jon Walters who has improved sufficiently to take a full part in training over the last 48 hours and should see some action.
The sight of Walters coming on to the park as the muck and bullets are flying would spark a roar from the Irish fans that would rock the French. The Stoke City man may be no Dmitri Payet, but he’s a guy you want on your side until the gunsmoke clears.
O’Neill could name an unchanged team, something he has never done before in 29 games, and let the young colts of Lille saddle up again. He may also feel for a game where Ireland can be that bit patient, the experience of John O’Shea, who has come up against Olivier Giroud many times, and Glenn Whelan may be required.
Either way, no one will know as O’Neill gives nothing away, to anyone, until the last minute.
It wasn’t a straightforward passage for the Republic of Ireland to the last 16 or for those travelling yesterday as a lightning strike knocked out power lines and disrupted the train services – a two-hour journey from Paris took seven. But the hassle won’t matter a fig if the Irish high kings of Lyon roar today.