1. Austria’s struggles good news for Ireland
(Image courtesy of Uefa.com)
RTÉ PUNDIT DIDI Hamann among others had tipped Austria as potential dark horses to win Euro 2016 prior to today’s match with Hungary.
The Austrians were hugely impressive in qualifying — in a group that also featured Russia and Sweden, they dropped points in just one of their 10 games (at home to the Swedes).
Consequently, most people expected them to beat Hungary, who themselves scraped through qualifying, finishing third behind Northern Ireland and Romania in their group.
Yet the Austrians were left frustrated, as they couldn’t open up their opponents, who proceeded to kill them off in the second half with two well-taken goals.
It was a deserved loss — Marcel Koller’s side looked disjointed and defensively vulnerable today, which is good news for Ireland, who will face the Austrians in the upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
2. Different tournament, same Portugal
As is invariably the case, Portugal were talked of as potential outsiders to win Euro 2016 before the competition began — they were ranked among the top eight teams in the betting at the outset of the tournament.
Yet their failure to live up to expectations at major tournaments in recent years has been a recurring theme.
At the last World Cup, they were similarly talked up, but failed to get out of the group stages ultimately.
And even with star man Cristiano Ronaldo in the team tonight, Portugal could not beat Iceland, who for a country with a population of approximately 333,000 are performing minor miracles by simply managing to compete at the highest level of international football.
The Iceland equaliser came from a catalogue of Portugal errors, with full-back Vieirinha in particular badly culpable for its concession, as he was caught ball-watching, enabling Birkir Bjarnason to slot home a famous goal.
Hence, despite possessing some talented players, including teenage substitute Renato Sanches who Bayern Munich have just bought for €35 million, Portugal just can’t seem to be relied upon at the back and thus seem unlikely to seriously contend for this year’s tournament.
3. David Alaba fails to sparkle
David Alaba is very highly rated at Bayern Munich and is widely considered as one of the world’s best players.
In 2014, his displays were so impressive that he even got voted into UEFA.com Team of the Year.
Despite only being 23, he is practically a veteran already when it comes to international football — in 2009, he became his country’s youngest player ever, having made his senior debut as a 17-year-old.
One of the reasons why Alaba is so highly rated is his ability to play virtually anywhere — he is capable of featuring across the backline and on the wing, though today, he began the game for Austria in midfield.
However, like the rest of his team, Alaba failed to live up to the hype against Hungary today, struggling to influence proceedings as the 125/1 rank outsiders pulled off the first big shock of the competition.
Watching from the TV3 studios, former midfield great Graeme Souness was particularly scathing in his assessment of Alaba. While praising Alaba’s bravery and athleticism, the ex-Liverpool star suggested the Bayern Munich man lacked a “midfielder’s brain” on the basis of his underwhelming, ineffectual display earlier.
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It needs to be banned immediately. Nash has opened up a can of worms here the GAA don’t seem prepared to deal with. TJ has already joined the party and the rumour is that Tony Kelly has been getting the ball almost into the 6 yard box at trainings down in Clare.
It’s extremely dangerous and anybody arguing otherwise almost certainly hasn’t played in goal or across the full back line. It had better not take sterilised full back or a collapsed throat to get this fixed.
Are u from Clare or something ?? Helmets are already there !! Does this mean u can’t shoot inside the box ?? Other players have been doing it for years and its just because Nash can hit them perfectly people are complaining.
I’m from Dublin, word has it Clare are going to be doing this even worse this year, and Kilkenny and Cork. I’m Sure the Dubs and Tipp and Galway are all lining up someone for it as well. I explained in another post how it’s distinctly different to open field play as the backs and goalkeepers movement and positioning is restricted.
Why don’t we just let them hoist the ball into the box and smack it 2 inches from peoples faces. There has to be a limit, the helmet wont stop broken rib and ruptured testicles. Players need to be given reasonable capacity to protect themselves. That can either take the form of a restricted carry distance or allowing them to rush the striker
It’s one of the most unique and exciting aspects of hurling.. if there are safety issues re players necks, there is nothing stopping neck guards being kept behind the goal, like face-masks are kept for short corners in field hockey.. clip them onto helmets like with ice hockey helmets.
So neck guards and cups for crotch protection. Should they just strap on full body armour to stand in goal? We got by fine for decades but one breach of the honour code has opened up the floodgates on this.
Honour code?.. it’s been done for decades.. DJ Carey was particularly adept at it.. plus penalty takers know there’s a risk of over carrying.. like Nash’s botched drop-shot effort in the final last year.. next up will be a ban on any form of point blank shooting.
It was never to this extent. The issue is that it forces the goal keeper and defenders into the most dangerous possible position on the hurling field, middle distance. In open play point blank shooting is grand because goal keepers and defenders have the opportunity to get into one of several safe positions, behind the man to hook, in close to block, out of the way altogether or far enough away that you can read the flight of the ball and block or dodge. It’s also not possible to get the same kind of power on a shot from open play as from a penalty.
But with these shots you’re too close to dodge or reasonably attempt to protect yourself but you’re not allowed move up to block. The rules force you to be in a position no player would get themselves in in open play because it’s dangerous. If they’re not going to stop the carry then they need to let the keeper and backs rush the striker
What nonsense, I’m surprised at Ger. Bearing in mind you can strike the ball even harder from the hand, does this mean you won’t be allow to shoot inside the box during open play either?
Declan Ryan tipperary and clonoulty-rossmore and former tipp manager was the man who invented the style, it’s a great skill and a penalty is a penalty, Ciaran there would want to cop himself on there and keep his bullshit to himself. That is all