Ireland v Portugal *Spoilers*

eirebhoy

Match kick's off at 7.45 so those of you that want to avoid the score until TV3 are showing delayed coverage, avoid this thread. BTW, if you aren't going to the match and don't have Sky just go down the pub, I couldn't bare to miss an Ireland match.

Anyway, the teams are as follows:

Ireland: Given; Finnan, O'Brien, Cunningham, O'Shea; Reid, Holland, Kilbane, Duff; Morrison, Robbie Keane.

Portugal: Ricardo (Sporting Lisbon); Ferreira (Chelsea), Caneira (Valencia), Andrade (Deportivo la Coruna), Matias (Vitoria Setubal); Deco(Barcelona), Petit (Benfica), Tiago (Chelsea); Simao (Benfica), Pauleta (Paris St Germain), Ronaldo (Manchester United).

While many of us would have preferred Dunne to start. The O'Brien - Cunningham partnership have conceded just one goal in their 7 full matches together. Surely O'Brien doesn't deserve to be dropped because of his performances with terrible partners at Newcastle.

Prediction: 2-1 Ireland.

Guy:Incognito

just watching the first few mins, is the crowd really there or bluescreened in? doesnt sound like theres any atmosphere.

Guy:Incognito

1-0 Andy O'Brien

eirebhoy

How its great to see Duff play for Ireland. He has got more freedom to run with the ball in that first half than he has all season under Mourino.

Given still worries me kicking the ball out.
O'Brien is a nerves wreck (well he was before he scored).
Cunningham is eh, Cunningham.
O'Shea's getting forward a lot and looks confidant.
Finnan has been fantastic and if he keeps up this performance will start against Israel

Reid started of really well but didn't do too much at the end. His set pieces have been terrible (Kav was slated for it against Brazil so Reid has to get a bit of stick).
Kilbane has been getting himself about.
Holland is in the game more than he usually is.
Duff, freeeee.

Keane is doing very well and knocking the ball off for midfielders when he'd have took the shot this time last year. Too quick for the linesman though.
Morrison, another fantastic performance, making things out of nothing.

The Muppet

eirebhoy wrote:

How its great to see Duff play for Ireland. He has got more freedom to run with the ball in that first half than he has all season under Mourino.

I thought his blue boots clashed with the green Jersey, Did he not look in the mirror before he went out?

Cianan2

Did the match kick off early? I was watching the england game,and flicked over at quarter to 8 but it was already about 20 minutes into it. Annoyed me,cos on the "more info" thing on ntl,it said kick off wasnt till 8:05. I didnt bother watchin it then,thought id wait til tv3 but now i cant really be arsed

A Dub in Glasgo

I don't know how anyone can get too excited about a friendly. The athmosphere sounded dead on Sky - reminded of recent Celtic home games.

eirebhoy

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

I don't know how anyone can get too excited about a friendly. The athmosphere sounded dead on Sky - reminded of recent Celtic home games.

The atmosphere is only ever in Landsdowne to get behind the team, no need to get behind the team in a friendly. I've been looking forward to this match since Sunday. Nothing compares to Ireland matches, friendlies or not, in my eyes. While there's nothing wrong with Cianan's post, I'm shocked that someone could feel that way.

Cianan2

Well, eirebhoy i was just miffed about being wrongly informed of the kick off. And i though it'd be best to watch it on tv3 later,then possibly missing some good 20 mins of footy. I was just annoyed...

KdjaCL

eirebhoy wrote:

The atmosphere is only ever in Landsdowne to get behind the team, no need to get behind the team in a friendly. I've been looking forward to this match since Sunday. Nothing compares to Ireland matches, friendlies or not, in my eyes. While there's nothing wrong with Cianan's post, I'm shocked that someone could feel that way.

Would that be in one of the toilets? LR is the worst stadium to watch a match i have ever been in, especially for ireland games dont matter who we playing the crowd are more used to prawn sandwiches at OT than actually cheering on the team (unless a player used to play for rangers then its different)

Embarrasses me to watch then fans at them games , thankfully EL clubs getting more tickets and their own section , easily spot them as the actually cheering.

Used to hate stewarding there, was told before i was heard on tv shouting at people to clear the entrances to the south terrace, the game was going on

eirebhoy

Aye, can't stand people that wouldn't join in a song when everyone around them is singing and Lansdowne is full of them in the stands which invariably means no singing.:)

Cianan - You watched an England game instead of an Ireland game (you admitted you couldn't be arsed watching the Ireland one). I just find it weird and there's a load of people in this country just like you. Put it this way, I'm just after doing a search for the Charity Shield (which is also a "meaningless" match on Sky) and there is a 3 page thread on it. Unless everyone's out in the pub I find it weird that nobody has commented on this game yet. Nobody has commented on how we will fair in Tel Aviv, noone has commented about Ireland's time wasting at the end....

edit - BTW Kdjac. OT but you can get a free month's subscription of Setanta on Sky so you can watch the Setanta cup for free.

Slash/ED

The atmosphere was, as ever, woeful except bizzarely enough for a random team of gary breens chant which caught on fairly well.

Reid, Duff and Morrison were outstanding imo, Finnan and Given excellent too. Not sure how O'Brien got MOTM, though he was solid enough and it's yet another clean sheet for the O'Brien/Cunningham partnership. Have we ever lost with these two together? I doubt it.

Jivin Turkey

I was well impressed with the performance from a lot of players.

Morrison, Duff, Reid, O'Shea, Finnan to name a few. Morrison really puts it in for us, and is definately my first choice to start alongside Keane in attack. Reid played well, he will begin to look even better once he gets a few games for Tottenham under his belt and gets premiership sharpness. O'Shea and Finnan have the full back slots for me nailed down now for the next game.

All in all, I dont care if we take these games more seriously than other teams. Ill take beating Portugal at home and keeping a clean sheet anyday.

Go on the boys.

applehunter

Great result again for Ireland. Portugal are a top team and we were deserving winners. I thought Duff and Reid were the 2 players that stood out. Clinton Morrison was good with holding up the ball.

The atmosphere seemed pretty poor on TV. Even with the terraces open tonight youd think there would be a bit of excitment. I dont know why that is. I guess a lot of people arent used to going to soccer matches.

Is Duff better for Ireland or for Chelsea?

GuanYin

What game wer eyou at? The Atmosphere was very very good. Especially when things got heated in the second half (around the time of Ronaldo's "injury").

Reid, Finnan, Morisson and Duff were outstanding but O'Shea was badly exposed.

Fergie has seen he's not good enough for defense so Kerr should too.

Great win, we were easily the better teamm.

Slash/ED

syke wrote:

What game wer eyou at? The Atmosphere was very very good. Especially when things got heated in the second half (around the time of Ronaldo's "injury").

If you think that's a "very very good" atmosphere you've obviously not exerpeienced many decent atmospheres! It was completley quiet for most of the match, only one chant really caught on (A Keano chant), typical Lansedown road really espically for a friendly.

GuanYin

Emm I've been to the san siro for the milan derby 5 times, I've been to 2 world cups and a european championship.

The stadium isn't overly suited to "atmosphere" and the type of people going tend to be suits.

That said, where I was, there was crowd noise and chanting for the whole match. PErhaps you were just in a crap area.

Slash/ED

Maybe I was, it seemed to be absolutley dead all over though, if there was a section chanting I didn't hear it.

The Rooster

The atmosphere in Lansdowne last night was probably the best of any of the friendly games in Europe last night. Except maybe the last 10 minutes of France v Sweden when the French started booing their own team

But in any event atmostphere at friendly games is totally and utterly irrelevant. Its about getting the lads together, playing together and seeing who is in form and who isnt.

O'Brien got man of the match because journalists pick it. And they know so little about football, its scary. "'O'Brien scored the goal, so he must be man of the match". I would probably have plumped for Reid, but Duffer, Finnan and Morrisson would all have been in contention. O'Brien though did well, and cemented his place in the team for Israel.

I'd rate our full backs at this moment 1-Finnan, 2-Carr, 3-O'Shea. But Josh is probably the best left back.

I think, assuming everyone is fit, the only real questionmark over the team to face Israel is who will partner Keane in midfield - Holland or Kilbane. I'd be strongly in favour of the latter.

Really feckin annoyed me when Ireland started timewasting at the end :mad:

cournioni

Yeah, the atmosphere is always dead for friendlies, nearly every friendly international I've been to with Ireland has been the same. You could hear a pin drop there yesterday, I think the only decent atmosphere I've heard for a friendly was Romania vs. Ireland last year when Roy made his return.

Big Nelly

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Yeah, the atmosphere is always dead for friendlies, nearly every friendly international I've been to with Ireland has been the same. You could hear a pin drop there yesterday, I think the only decent atmosphere I've heard for a friendly was Romania vs. Ireland last year when Roy made his return.

Was at the game against Australia......class atmosphere......skippy the kangaroo and everything been sung!!! also are you watching England at the end!! haha!! very funny!! even the Oz fans where joining in!!

About last nites game......in pub so thats why no comments yet!! still feeling affects!! haha!! great game!! I though Ireland played really well but the whole pub was silent for 30 secs at the end with Ex Newcastle players shot(cant remember name....budweiser brain)

Finnan had a solid game......so had O'Shea......defence was good but O'Brian shouldnt have got MoM......Midfield was solid......Kilbane had a quiet enough game compared to last few games for Club and Country.....Holland had the best game in green shirt he has had for 2-3 years......Duff was great, knew after that early bust up with Ronaldo that he was really in the mood to put one over them, you could see in every tackle...move forward he was fightin for everything.......Reid had good game but sometimes he went missing but still think for overall contribution throughtout the game should have got MoM.....

Keane worked hard but still haveing probs with Offside....how many times in the last 2 games has he been caught offside.......Morrison continues to improve, showed he is auto choice now up front......

Subs: Kavanagh didnt have the best of halfs....was sloppy on a number of balls.....Miller was useless when he came on, I seen at one stage he lost the ball and he just stood there with his head down in the middle of pitch instead of trying to get back.......McGeady had a good 5-10 mins.....showed what he has been doing all season for Celtic........cant remember anymore subs

In regards to playing down the time.....wat u expect??? for us to play the ball to Portugal and say "come on score!".....it is a senior international match......every country does it.....you still want to live with a second rate team that just goes out for the hope of winning???? well if you do support Northern Ireland.....I want a senior team that goes out to win every match no matter who it is or in what comp it is!! Roy Keane thought you nothing!! haha!

eirebhoy

applehunter wrote:

Is Duff better for Ireland or for Chelsea?

Ireland without a doubt. Mourinho just wants to play safe and allow Robben stay forward and be the only player allowed run with the ball. We seen tonight that Duff is able to run with the ball and if he doesn't get by the players he will win a free. There's no risk about it at all and I think he does be out to prove a point to Mourinho in these friendly matches. I'd say Duff will be given more freedom now that Robben is injured and Mourinho knows he needs someone to break down defences.

McGeady came on and showed what he can do. He looked really nervous coming on and wanted to show the Irish public what he's made of. If this was a Celtic match he would have done half that stuff, just like Duffer with Chelsea.

I think Keane does actually beat the linesman in 30 - 40% of his offside calls. The Switzerland match I counted 3 or 4 times he was called offside but was online with the last defender. One of those times was when Keane actually scored a volley and it would have got us to 2-1 up. Everyone seemed to ignore it because we only barely deserved a draw.

BTW - Big Nelly, Roy would certainly have been embarassed to see the players going into the corner last night. As would most of the players for that matter.

Boro

PORNAPSTER wrote:

Yeah, the atmosphere is always dead for friendlies, nearly every friendly international I've been to with Ireland has been the same. You could hear a pin drop there yesterday, I think the only decent atmosphere I've heard for a friendly was Romania vs. Ireland last year when Roy made his return.

The brazil match wasnt too bad for atmosphere.
I was in the north stand last night and there must have been only about 20 people that could be arsed chanting. The biggest chant of the evening came when the carlsberg band were going by and some lads started with "get yer t*ts out for the lads". The booing of ronaldo after his 23 rollovers was another 'high' point i suppose, but apart from that, it was the prawn-sandwich brigade out there.

_blank_

I was at the game, got free tickets in work, and so was in the middle of a whole pile of suits.

I swear to god, if people are going to go to a match and talk about "the game on saturday", meaning the Rugby match, then they should stay at home.

I'm no fan of friendlies myself, but given the opportunity, of course I went to the game. I'll hand the tickets back the next time. Atmosphere was brutal, and I was apalled at the way people were booing Ronaldo, many of them Man Utd fans too. One suit in front of me, wearing a United bobble hat was rubbing his hands with glee when Duff took him down that time. These people have no clue.

eirebhoy

seansouth wrote:

One suit in front of me, wearing a United bobble hat was rubbing his hands with glee when Duff took him down that time. These people have no clue.

Fair play to that man, country should come before foreign club.

The Muppet

eirebhoy wrote:

Fair play to that man, country should come before foreign club.

Why?

SteM

eirebhoy wrote:

Fair play to that man, country should come before foreign club.

All the people that wear their Celtic jersey to Ireland matches must be fierce confused then

A Dub in Glasgo

When you are at an international game, your support for your country should come before your club.

When you are at a club game, your support for your club should come before your country.

I am going to have to become Jeckyll & Hyde when Ireland play Celtic for Jackie McNamaras game.

A Dub in Glasgo

SteM wrote:

All the people that wear their Celtic jersey to Ireland matches must be fierce confused then

The jersey is green and white is it not? or maybe they are Shamrock Rovers fans

eirebhoy

The Muppet wrote:

Why?

Because he's at an Ireland match supporting Ireland, he's also most likely Irish and has no links to Manchester. As I've said, you wouldn't see a Danish Man U fan choosing Man United over Ireland and you wouldn't see a Dutch or Englishman choosing to watch an Ireland match when his own country is playing.

_blank_

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

The jersey is green and white is it not?

That has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Celtic are a Scottish team playing in a Scottish League.

Irish they are not.

What would you think of a person wearing the jersey of another British club, say for example, Glasgow Rangers, to an Ireland game?

Or, maybe a Yeovil Town jersey, that is Green and White too.

A Dub in Glasgo

seansouth wrote:

That has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Celtic are a Scottish team playing in a Scottish League.

Irish they are not.

What would you think of a person wearing the jersey of another British club, say for example, Glasgow Rangers, to an Ireland game?

Or, maybe a Yeovil Town jersey, that is Green and White too.

Oh Dear, looks like Mr. South did not see the smiley. This is usually used when something is said in jest.

When did you have the SOH bypass??

The Muppet

eirebhoy wrote:

Because he's at an Ireland match supporting Ireland, he's also most likely Irish and has no links to Manchester. As I've said, you wouldn't see a Danish Man U fan choosing Man United over Ireland and you wouldn't see a Dutch or Englishman choosing to watch an Ireland match when his own country is playing.

I,m sure we can all make up our own minds on what teams we wish to support without being lectured on who we "should" support. Like it or not there is still a lot of bad feeling towards the FAI about the way the have done things.

_blank_

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

Oh Dear, looks like Mr. South did not see the smiley. This is usually used when something is said in jest.

When did you have the SOH bypass??

Fair enough, I hold my hands up, I lost the head there, and I apologise, sorry.

The following is not directed at you.

What sickens me is the people who claim to be "fans of Irish Football" and profess this "country before club" mentality.

Sure, you might go to the Internationals and clap and cheer when a player from the club you support in England is down on the ground after an illegal tackle, bully for you (and Duff's tackle was illegal, he raked Ronaldo's calf, and was subsequently booked), but where are you for the games in the eircom League? Support Irish Football do you?

Would forty-four thousand people turn up to watch an eL XI play a Norway League XI, frankly I doubt it. Would forty-four thousand people turn up to watch an eL XI take on a Premiership XI, you can bet your house they would.

Why, because people in this country who claim to be supporters of Irish Football, are in the main, fair weather fans (or bad, as last night shows), out to get entertained.

Twenty-four thousand of them were in Landsdown for the Shels -v- Dépor match last summer, not a peep out of them for the Lille game. They came to watch the Dépor superstars.

cournioni

I agree, the jeering of Ronaldo was disgraceful. It's not like he done anything to Duff, obviously Duff is worried about United's form and he tried to injure him which is not on. My opinion of Duff has totally changed after the game last night.

On the subject of club vs. country... I too support my club over my country. And I am not ashamed to admit that. But that does not take away from the fact that I go to most of my country's games and watch them whenever I can and I am a big supporter of my country. But seeing players from rival clubs regardless of whether they play for Ireland or not, raking their studs down a Manchester United players leg really really pisses me off.

Big Nelly

Duff isnt that sort of player!! anyway the Portugal players got him back a few mins later!! Duff and Ronaldo where pulling and shoving each other all night!! at one stage one of the Portugal players was throwing the ball in and the camera was looking straight at Duff and Ronaldo pratically wresting with each other!!

_blank_

Big Nelly wrote:

Duff isnt that sort of player!!

But....he did rake his studs down Ronaldo's leg, are you disputing that?

Big Nelly wrote:

anyway the Portugal players got him back

oh yeah.....that makes what Duff did alright then, does it?

BolBill

seansouth wrote:

That has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Celtic are a Scottish team playing in a Scottish League.

Irish they are not.

What would you think of a person wearing the jersey of another British club, say for example, Glasgow Rangers, to an Ireland game?

Or, maybe a Yeovil Town jersey, that is Green and White too.

Seansouth, agree 100% with youir post but you'll end up fighting a losing battle, great reply though when it was pointed out he was only joking.

cournioni

Well IMO he certainly knew what he was doing when he raked his studs down the back of Ronaldo's leg. They even mentioned on TV3 that Duff knew what he was doing, you could see that he was looking down at Ronaldo's ankle.

_blank_

PORNAPSTER wrote:

you could see that he was looking down at Ronaldo's ankle.

It happened pretty much in front of me in Landsdown.

As Ronaldo picked up the ball I had a look at Duff, he was about ten yards behind Ronaldo, and from the second Ronaldo got the ball, you could see there was only one thing on Duff's mind, and that was to foul.

It was a cynical thing to do, not the end of the world all the same, just cynical.

SteM

Boro wrote:

The brazil match wasnt too bad for atmosphere.
I was in the north stand last night and there must have been only about 20 people that could be arsed chanting. The biggest chant of the evening came when the carlsberg band were going by and some lads started with "get yer t*ts out for the lads". The booing of ronaldo after his 23 rollovers was another 'high' point i suppose, but apart from that, it was the prawn-sandwich brigade out there.

The lack of atmosphere at Ireland matches is becoming a serious issue though I think. Didn't they bring in a consultant from Celtic a few years ago to help with this? It just goes to show that you can't make people chant if they don't want to, but why don't they? I honestly believe it's because the majority of people in this country watch football in the pub or at home on a weekly basis. They're not used to being at a live match and reacting as such, they'd prefer turning to a mate and commenting on something rather than getting behind the team. That's why it's important to ensure LOI supporters clubs contine to get decent amounts of tickets for international matches.

cournioni

SteM wrote:

The lack of atmosphere at Ireland matches is becoming a serious issue though I think. Didn't they bring in a consultant from Celtic a few years ago to help with this? It just goes to show that you can't make people chant if they don't want to, but why don't they? I honestly believe it's because the majority of people in this country watch football in the pub or at home on a weekly basis. They're not used to being at a live match and reacting as such, they'd prefer turning to a mate and commenting on something rather than getting behind the team. That's why it's important to ensure LOI supporters clubs contine to get decent amounts of tickets for international matches.

Couldn't have said it any better myself.

A Dub in Glasgo

SteM wrote:

The lack of atmosphere at Ireland matches is becoming a serious issue though I think. Didn't they bring in a consultant from Celtic a few years ago to help with this? It just goes to show that you can't make people chant if they don't want to, but why don't they? I honestly believe it's because the majority of people in this country watch football in the pub or at home on a weekly basis. They're not used to being at a live match and reacting as such, they'd prefer turning to a mate and commenting on something rather than getting behind the team. That's why it's important to ensure LOI supporters clubs contine to get decent amounts of tickets for international matches.

Totally agree with that

_blank_

SteM wrote:

That's why it's important to ensure LOI supporters clubs contine to get decent amounts of tickets for international matches.

Hear hear!

I know the eL teams aren't that well supported, but I have to say, the people that do go to the games make a genuine effort to get behind their teams. (please, do not let this degenerate in to a "Shels get feck all Cork get loads" thread). If these people were actively encouraged to sit in the same section time and again then we would have a genuine football atmospehere for the games.

As it is at the moment, the people who want to start chants are left isolated in a group of whisperers.

Allow me to point out an example.

As I have already pointed out, twenty-four thousand people were in Landsdown for the Shels -v- Dépor match last summer, however, the Tolka Park regulars, the ones who usually do the chanting, people like me from the New Stand in Tolka had a whole section in the West Stand reserved for us. The tickets could only be bought in Tolka, not on Ticketmaster, and I have to say, there was a good atmosphere there that night, in that section.

If this arrangement had not happened, then we would have been scattered all around the ground, and the atrmosphere would have suffered, like last night.

GuanYin

PORNAPSTER wrote:

They even mentioned on TV3 that Duff knew what he was doing

Oh well in THAT case... if TV3 football coverage says something then it MUST be true.... :rolleyes:

_blank_

syke wrote:

Oh well in THAT case... if TV3 football coverage says something then it MUST be true.... :rolleyes:

What is that about?

Duff did do it on purpose.

GuanYin

seansouth wrote:

What is that about?

Duff did do it on purpose.

I don't dispute that, but quite frankly, using TV3 commentary as something to balance your argument is hilarious.

Draupnir

snip

_blank_

Glad you edited that out.

Draupnir

Me too. While it was all true, it was a personal opinion which doesnt much add to the debate.

d22ontour

Draupnir wrote:

Me too. While it was all true, it was a personal opinion which doesnt much add to the debate.

and when did that stop you before