Four Reasons Why Ireland Will Beat France
Saturday’s demoralizing one-nil home loss to France in the first leg of their World Cup play-off sees the Republic of Ireland facing an uphill task to reach next summer’s showpiece. As French fans start booking their flights to South Africa, the Irish faithful are left praying for a miracle. But is the situation so dire for Giovanni Trapattoni’s side? Here are four reasons why Ireland can beat France on Wednesday:
Fighting Irish. There’s no arguing that the boys in green picked a bad time to lose their first match of the qualifying campaign but it could be a blessing in disguise. The Irish perform best when the odds are against them. (Think Jack Charlton’s World Cup ’94 side and their battling victory over Italy.) With their backs against the wall at the Stade de France, midfield hard-men Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews will have to be tough in the tackle and strong in the mind if they’re going to repel Les Bleus’ lighting-quick counter-attacks.
Lasanna Diarra. Claude Makelele’s heir apparent for France and Real Madrid’s midfield lynchpin. Diarra was involved in handbags with Keith Andrews after the final-whistle forcing several players to square up. Rumours in the press suggest Diarra ignited the scuffle by approaching Andrews and telling him Ireland were out of the Finals. If true, then Trappatoni can thank Diarra for already giving his team’s pre-match team-talk.
Broken Streaks. Ireland entered Saturday’s match undefeated in their World Cup qualifying campaign. Although Nicolas Anelka’s deflected shot shattered their streak, Ireland under Trapattoni are a solid outfit away from home and very hard to beat. The Irish also have experience playing in these high-stakes fixtures having defeated Iran in a two-leg playoff on the road to Korea/Japan in 2002. France have not failed to qualify for the World Cup since USA 94. However, the current side is not considered nearly as solid as the 98 World Champions or even the 2000 Euro Champions. Raymond Domenech’s team lost to Serbia during the qualifiers and have choked under pressure before. (Remember, David Ginola gave the ball away in the last minute of a qualifier against Bulgaria that saw France miss out on USA 94.)
At Full Strengh. Ireland head to Paris with a clean bill of health. Under-fire captain Robbie Keane and strike-partner Kevin Doyle will be trusted with bagging the goals while Damien Duff and Aidan McGeady will maraud up the wings hoping to provide that killer pass. France on the other hand will miss several regulars. Defensive midfield maestro Jeremy Toulalan is unable to return from injury so Alou Diarra will continue to deputize. Defender Eric Abidal is missing with a thigh injury and, of course, star playmaker Franck Ribery is out of contention.
Diarra leads the post-match handshakes at Croke Park
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I don’t disagree with your analysis but if anybody is thinking of placing a bet on France v Ireland then read this first: bit.ly/259yOs
It’s an article from the Right2Bet campaign website, detailing how the odds you get will be different based upon what country you’re betting in. It’s really interesting stuff and definitely made me pause for thought. You can sign the Right2Bet petition on there too, which will go before the EU Commission when it reaches 1million.
CHeers
Jon