France 2-0 Republic of Ireland
It’s such a shame Republic of Ireland won’t be at the World Cup 2018.
For their followers bring both passion and colour to major tournaments.
In France two summers ago at Euro 2016, the Parisians hosted the Irish in the quarter-finals of a match which, judging on the squad talent, should have resulted in a one-sided victory.
In the end, the brilliance of Antoine Griezmann won the tie; but it was a lot closer than many predicted.
Indeed, unlike the players that coach Didier Deschamps at his disposal, his Irish counterparts Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane are achieving wonders with a group of worthy but journeymen footballers who were only a Christian Eriksen-inspired Denmark defeat away from qualifying for the tournament.
I’d love to see the O’Neill-Keane axis get the opportunity to manage a more stellar group of players—a bit like some of the previous Republic sides of the last 30 years—but I digress.
The fact is Ireland will not be in Russia next month but France certainly will as they look to go one step further than Euro 2016.
And they undoubtedly have the ability to be there or thereabouts.
Not that this warm-up encounter in the Stade de France gave much indication as Deschamps kept his cards close to his chest.
Griezmann, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Ousmane Dembele were all on the bench as Deschamps gave some of his fringe squad players a chance.
Despite their dominance, for the first half hour or so, the main attention was on why the kick-off was at 9.08 p.m. local time instead of on the hour; whether the passionate version of La Marseillaise was the most rousing Paris has heard and; how the hosts had not scored during a period of pressure which also included a spell of five corners inside two minutes.
There was even a pitch invader who managed to evade the first but not the second security guard inside the Stade de France!
When Olivier Giroud opened the scoring five minutes before the break, moments after Corentin Tolisso had struck the post, it had been coming.
At that point, France had enjoyed 86 percent possession. Seamus Coleman was desperately unlucky, twice blocking the Chelsea man’s efforts before the ball was bundled home at the third time of asking.
One quickly became two as Irish goalkeeper Colin Doyle, who had played well up to that point, misjudged a Nabil Fekir shot and could only parry the ball into the net.
Game over.
With Fekir and Kylian Mbappe impressing, there was still time for some of the big hitters to come on at a now rain-soaked Paris as fans gave Mexico waves. The Irish would probably have done a rain dance if they had got a goal, but there was little chance as the differing strength in depth between the two countries became more apparent.
The sign of 12 substitutions, six for each side, was proof this was no more than a warm-up for the French and end of season warm-down for the Republic on a relaxing night.
Italy and America now wait before France kick-off their World Cup in Russia where they are up against Australia, Peru and Denmark in Group C.
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