IRELAND U21S LOST 3-1 away to Slovenia in today’s Uefa Championships Qualifying Round match.
Miha Zajc’s corner was slotted home by Luka Krajnc after 13 minutes to give the hosts the lead.
Slovenia then doubled their advantage 10 minutes into the second half, when Reading’s Sean Long conceded a penalty, which Gregor Bajde converted.
Ireland then reduced the deficit when 20-year-old Oxford starlet Callum O’Dowda’s low shot found the back of the net on 65 minutes.
However, Zajc then ended the game as a contest, as his powerful free-kick beat Bury’s on-loan Man City youngster Ian Lawlor.
Today’s defeat coupled with the loss to Italy at Waterford’s RSC on Thursday evening means Noel King’s side’s qualification hopes now look all but over.
With three matches remaining, the Boys in Green need to win every game and hope other results go their way to have any chance of progression.
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Looking at that again, Terry Henry really is come cheating w@nker.
He was a classless f (uk. The way he celebrated when he scored. Then when things went against him he acted like a petulant child
Torsten Frings and Philip Lahm scoring rockets on the opening day.
Cracker of a goal by Lahm considering he was a defender although I thought Frings’s goal was better,he only retired a few years back through injury too.
Bought the both of them in every FIFA for about 6 years afterward because of that game….great opener to a great world cup
Considering what’s come out today and with next one in corruption capital Russia, then Brasil this year may be last of the great World Cups for some time. Becoming very clear that football takes 2nd place where the WC is concerned.
That said if Ireland get thru to the next 2 then I will prepared to eat these words. Can’t wait for kick off in 2 weeks.
Cannavaro being a beast.
Remember hearing him say him, his wife and 4 yr old son slept with the world cup that night
Lovely Italy and the passion of their players. A great footballing nation.
They cheated their way through against Australia and materazzi insulted the football great zidane sufficiently to knowingly get a red in a final!! Passion?
Great article Amazon Kelly thanks for the memories
No matter what other things happened in that world cup the thing that stands out most to me is Zidanes headbutt
I forgot about that penalty against Australia. it was bloody outrageous. As much as I love the world cup I think it’s a fix.
Watch it again, it was a penalty
That Carlsberg ad is brilliant… RIP Bobby Robson, pure gent, don’t make them like him anymore…
Italy were brilliant and they were so tough. They had two really bad blooded games against Australia and America, so entertaining
I was in koln when italy played the usa, loads of both nationalitys around and at one point it could’ve passed as Glasgow on old firm day for the bad blood between them!
Cambiasso’s goal is one of the greatest in football history.
I forgot about matty holland!
Gol de Grosso gol de Grosso, moment of the tournament for me.
Schteve McClaren… Love it!
Highlight for me was Germany playing attractive attacking football. Really warmed to a German team for the first time. They hosted a fantastic World Cup too – the fan mile in Berlin was great fun and so inexpensive and convenient.
Left out luthar matteus very famous spit in was it World Cup 86??
Frank Rijkaard italia 90 on rudi voeller
Not surprising that was left out seeing as this is an article about the World Cup that took place two decades later.
I thought that Ronaldo’s wink was in Euro 2004, not the 2006 WC. Could be losing my marbles.
No, the red card and wink were in the 2006 WC. Portugal did beat England on penalties in the QFs in both 2004 and 2006 though.