Ireland vs Uruguay, KO 6 pm, live on eir sport 1

Mr.Nice Guy

I thought I'd do a match thread. I like the line-ups for this one.

Ireland XI: Randolph; Christie, Duffy, Long, Ward; Whelan, Hendrick, Arter; Brady, Walters, Hayes

Uruguay XI: Conde; Pereira, Gimenez, Coates, Caceres; Sanchez, Rios, Vecino; Urretaviscaya, Cavani, Laxalt

I'm pleased to see Hayes get a start. Himself and Brady could be dangerous down the wide channels.

I'm quite worried about how that defence will get on against Cavani though. If he's given close to ninety minutes I'd fancy him to score.

I'll predict a 2-2 draw.

Mr.Nice Guy

Bright enough start.

Mr.Nice Guy

Cavani off after 12 minutes due to a knock. Pity.

Mr.Nice Guy

What a goal!

WALTERS!

Mars Bar

Brilliant finish

ollie1

Great goal by Walters. Ireland have been playing very well

Mr.Nice Guy

Header from Cacares hits the crossbar. Uruguay doing better since the goal.

Lucas Hood

Randolph what are you doing.

Mr.Nice Guy

Uruguay equalise from a set-piece. Gimenez. Randolph was very poor there. Gets nowhere near the ball.

johnnyryan89

Really poor from Randolph

Mushy

Harder to miss that

Mr.Nice Guy

OMG Walters! How did you miss that?

From the sublime to the ridiculous!

johnnyryan89

Scores a beauty but missed a sitter

Mr.Nice Guy

Half-Time. Good game of football. I'd say Ireland were the better side. Main concern for me is our defending at set pieces. This is an area Austria will be strong with the likes of Janko and Hinteregger being a threat aerially.

ollie1

I enjoyed that 1st half thought we played pretty well.

Minderbinder

Really think Westwood is a more reliable keeper.

Mr.Nice Guy

Minderbinder wrote: »

Really think Westwood is a more reliable keeper.

On current form it looks like it. He's on for the second half.

Mr.Nice Guy

Christie scores!

Looked like an attempted cross. :pac:

Mushy

Some man for those balls across the box that are schnaking in at the far post.

Diabhal Beag

Safe to say that Cyrus is one of the most clinical RB's in international association football

Mr.Nice Guy

Nice save from Westwood.

Hendrick down with some injury. Hopefully not serious.

Agent Coulson

Great run and goal from McClean.

Mr.Nice Guy

Great goal from James McClean!

ThunbergsAreGo

Great goal, we needed this win

ollie1

Great goal from James

Diabhal Beag

A bullet into the bottom corner. His finishing has come a long way in the last few months.

ERG89

When Suarez & Cavani retire Uruguay will have to call Zalayeta & Recoba out of retirement they are that stuck.

Skylinehead

ERG89 wrote: »

When Suarez & Cavani retire Uruguay will have to call Zalayeta & Recoba out of retirement they are that stuck.

Sebastian Abreu still plays football!

yabadabado

Minderbinder wrote: »

Really think Westwood is a more reliable keeper.

I think Westwood is the better keeper but Randolph got his chance and did well .Very poor for the goal today but hoping it's just a blip.

Vincent Vega

McClean Goal

Citizenpain

Vincent Vega wrote: »

McClean Goal

Commentary is much better than Eir's!!

Mr.Nice Guy

Full-Time and 3-1 to Ireland. A lot of positives from today. Best display of 2017, doesn't look to be any injuries, two great goals from Walters and McClean which should give us confidence going into the Austria game.

The goal we conceded is a worry as it was an avoidable goal, and we looked vulnerable at set-pieces, but hopefully we can do better in that department in the qualifier.

Overall, I think we have to be happy enough with that.

monkey9

Was at the match and as Lansdowne friendlies go, this was hugely enjoyable. McClean's goal was just brilliant, a replica of his goal in Vienna.

Overall, a really lovely workout going into the Austria match next Sunday. Whatever happens, a lack of match fitness or a post season drop can not be made as excuses.

Kirby

Was also at the game. Great seats to watch the game from. We played all the football in the first half. All Uruguay did when they got it was lump a diagonal forward. Where as we, surprisingly, played some nice possession football and were the only ones who looked like scoring.

Very impressive stuff from us. Best I've seen us play in ages. Yes, it's true that this Uruguay team have lost a few in a row and they were missing Suarez......but we made them look rubbish tbh. And they are 3rd in the south american qualifying above Chile and Argentina.

This is good progress.

monkey9

Kirby wrote: »

Was also at the game. Great seats to watch the game from. We played all the football in the first half. All Uruguay did when they got it was lump a diagonal forward. Where as we, surprisingly, played some nice possession football and were the only ones who looked like scoring.

Very impressive stuff from us. Best I've seen us play in ages. Yes, it's true that this Uruguay team have lost a few in a row and they were missing Suarez......but we made them look rubbish tbh. And they are 3rd in the south american qualifying above Chile and Argentina.

This is good progress.

Agree with all this, Kirby. I wouldn't be reading anything at all into the fact we beat Uruguay 3-1 in a friendly in terms of what we have to do against Austria, but the fact that we did beat them along with the performance just leaves positive vibes going into that Austria game.

Can't wait for next Sunday.

Cervantes2

Great performances by Arter and Walters yesterday.

noodler

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

A bullet into the bottom corner. His finishing has come a long way in the last few months.

Could be wrong, but I think tis his first goals since October?

johnnyryan89

noodler wrote: »

Could be wrong, but I think tis his first goals since October?

Austria in November. McClean scored more goals for Ireland in competitive games this season than he did West Brom, two for West Brom (one in the league and league cup) and three for Ireland (x2 Moldova and Austria).

noodler

johnnyryan89 wrote: »

Austria in November. McClean scored more goals for Ireland in competitive games this season than he did West Brom, two for West Brom (one in the league and league cup) and three for Ireland (x2 Moldova and Austria).

Ah yeah but still, one goal since November.

Didn't really tally with the "his finishing has really come in in the last few months" post.

Heading to the game Sunday
Excitement upped after that performance regardless of it being a friendly or not