A look back at a night in which Ireland were almost perfect…but not perfect.
Gavin Cooney ANOTHER HARD LUCK story for Ireland then, this time left to rue one sloppy error, one now-trademark opposition screamer, and one “out of this world” save from the opposition goalkeeper.
France have at least one world class player in every position and the team has no issues with either individual attitude of collective cohesion, so they are too good to be completely shut out. Defending them is really an exercise in mitigation, and Ireland should be proud of their efforts in this regard.
But the key facet to last night’s set-up was that Ireland did not set up only to defend. Just as they did away to Portugal in Faro in 2021, Ireland had very clear patters for counter-attacking. “He has just been injured for a lot of my time as manager but he could play at a good level. He’s the quickest player that we have in that position by some distance. We have good players that can counter attack but he’s rapid and we’ll need that against France – we need speed, that’s important.”
Credit to Doherty, though: he holds off the challenge of Kolo Muani, and, naturally for a right-footed player, comes inside and wins a free-kick.Later in the half, Ireland tried the same exit move again. This time it’s John Egan’s pass, and again Knight does well to attract Pavard and then spin the ball wide for Doherty.Doherty takes the ball on the run but then checks back slightly, allowing Pavard to recover, and eventually Doherty plays the ball backwards to Cullen to retain possession.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Kenny: 'Out of this world' save denied Ireland on a night when Mbappe was shackled'We’ve watched France’s last 20 games and I’ve never seen Kylian Mbappe have such a quiet night', reflected Stephen Kenny.
Read more »
City’s win over Chelsea good news for Rep of Ireland duoSquad-watch: Emphatic win for Katie McCabe’s Arsenal in London derby as Ireland defender Aoife Mannion returns to action in Manchester United’s win over West Ham
Read more »
Ireland Under-21s beat Iceland with 6,000 fans turning out for friendly at Turner’s CrossIreland Under-21s beat Iceland with 6,000 fans turning out for friendly at Turner’s Cross via IrishTimesSport
Read more »
Michael O’Neill rues missed chances as Northern Ireland suffer Finland setbackBenjamin Kallman’s first-half goal earned the visitors victory at Windsor Park.
Read more »
Ireland v France: Kylian Mbappé glides into Dublin with Platini’s record in his sightsEuro 2024 Qualifiers - Republic of Ireland vs France: ‘Determination is part of Irish football DNA but they also have quality, they are capable of playing on the ground’, says Didier Deschamps
Read more »
Ken Early: Kenny looks unwilling to deviate from his principles as Ireland meet FranceAt the World Cup, Argentina coach Scaloni showed the merit of having the flexibility to change his side’s tactics as the occasion demanded
Read more »