Republic of Ireland 0-2 Greece (UEFA Nations League Group Stages)
I’m back to conclude my Nations League journey with a third game in five days, back to the Emerald Island, it’s an early flight, this time from Birmingham rather than East Midlands as I jet off courtesy of Ryanair the 45-minute hop to Dublin Airport.
On Saturday I hired a car, today I’m taking the bus, time on my side and I fancy a drink in Temple Bar after work’s done, so I’m commuting into town at 10am with a plan to visit the Guinness Storehouse before a bit of shopping at Arnotts.
After a grand day out and just one pint of black gold I stroll down the banks of the Liffey to the stadium, it doesn’t feel as busy or manic tonight as Saturday’s grudge match with England, I’ve hardly seen any Greeks amongst the many tourists today, but there’s a couple wearing half and half scarfs sat beside the River Dodder as they look up opposite to the Aviva Stadium, one has a huge drum as I stroll past towards the Lansdowne Road entrance.
It’s colder than the weekend today, but the sun is still out, as I make way through the crowd and into the tunnel at Gate P, it’s 6pm so I head down to the press room for a bit of warmth and a nice cup of tea.
The Venue
Opened in 1872 the old stadium at Lansdowne Road near the East coast of Dublin had a radical makeover in recent years, completed in 2010 as a UEFA four-star venue it's hosted six nations rugby, a Europa League final and many concerts including recently, Taylor Swift.
Outside is stunning but inside is vast and open, the high roof structure above the 50,000 plus green seats means it can be quite open to the elements and bloody cold where I’m sat in the upper tier, hogging halfway with the camera crew and commentators it’s a great view and I have the added bonus tonight, having my own TV monitor.
The Game
It’s slowly filled to an unspectacular near third full, not many in from the away team, not everyone bothering from the home team either, perhaps it’s all a bit after the lord mayors show, speaking of which, on Saturday as the teams came out, they got the opportunity to meet the Irish President, Michael D. Higgins, 83-years-old with a walking stick, we stood ahead of the National Anthems as a bloke behind me sat back down, saying “this may take a while”… I learned from the weekend that Higgins likes to take his time during the meet and greet, he hobbles up to speak to the skipper and chats with every single one of the players and officials, I’m sat back down and give it five or six minutes for Mr President to finish, then we can finally get on with the anthems, and more importantly, the match.
Greece are no mugs, new Head Coach Ivan Jovanovic can become their first national manager to win his first two games in charge tonight, they have a couple of familiar faces with some fresh youthfulness in attack and experience in midfield, it’s a good blend, they beat Finland on Saturday with less possession than their opponents, Ireland lost to England with much less possession than their opponents, I’m not expecting a classic but I am expecting the side who takes the game by the horns will be the one that ends victorious.
The Score
It’s far as presumed from a classic, the first half has little attempts as Ireland lack ideas, Greece lack ambition, but a long ball by Molumby finds Chiedoze Ogbene who is a player that looks to be the main Irish danger man, he controls and volleys from outside the box a screamer into the top corner to send the crowd wild, but is flagged for offside to poop the party.
That is a best chance of a drab half but in the second 45 Greece show more ambition, their number eleven and captain Bakasetas is becoming more influential, he lays in thick set striker Ioannidis who bends one in from outside the area, too much time, too easy, the Irish simply aren’t at the races.
Icelandic Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson shuffles his pack and his team give it a go with several forwards on the field, but Odysseas Vlachodimos is hardly tested in the Greek goal, and as Ireland push forward late on, Bakasetas again finds space, he plays a ball over the top for the speedy winger Tzolis and he seals the deal with a low left footed drive after turning Collins inside out.
The Stars
As the official Ireland man of the match was announced as Will Smallbone an echo of boos surrounded the stadium for the decision, he didn’t have a great night but in the first half looked like one player who could break the lines from midfield to contribute in an attacking sense. Jayson Molumby beside him at times played some eye catching cross field balls but it was too little, as the Irish lacked invention in all departments. Their passing game often involved kicking it back to their goalkeeper, Ogbene is their best outlet on the right, Szmodics runs around a lot on the left, but I’m yet to feel the manager has quite found the mix with his underwhelming selections and system.
Greece for all their conservative stuff in the first half, grew in the game and grew in confidence, they actually looked like scoring even more ahead of full time and in their wide players Tzolis, Chatzigiovanis, Pelkas when he came on, and in Tsimikas from full back, they have pace down the wings which is always a threat.
In midfield they played the solid ball recycling Bouchalakis who has no legs, next to the scrappy ball winner Siopis who does have legs, ahead of them Bakasetas shown style and substance in the final third, whilst front man Fotis Ioannidis, who scored two at the weekend against Finland, netted again to register his fifth international goal in thirteen appearances. The Panathinaikos striker looks to be one who’ll be on the radar of those in Europe’s big five leagues.
The Verdict
Greece are in good hands, I tweeted Sky Sports European Correspondent Kevin Hatchard after the game to say how impressed I was, he predicted ahead of the match that they would win, I think they might even give England some trouble, if not at Wembley, certainly in Athens.
For Ireland, they look a miserable outfit of their former self. The Coach is not getting his team selection right, and his ‘stand off’ style of men behind the ball, at home to the likes of Greece, is not one that the supporters will ever warm too, I’ll give him until the end of the year, but I think if things don't change, he may be gone by then?
The Teams
Republic of Ireland: Caoimhin Kelleher, Dara O’Shea, Andrew Omobamidele (Matt Doherty 84), Nathan Collins, Robbie Brady, Chiedozie Ogbene (Callum Robinson 74), Will Smallbone, Jayson Molumby (Evan Ferguson 63), Alan Browne, Jason Knight (Kasey McAteer 74), Sammie Szmodics (Adam Idah 84).
Greece: Odysseas Vlachodimos, Lazaros Rota, Ntinos Mavropanos, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Kostas Tsimikas, Andreas Bouchalakis (Dimitris Pelkas 67), Manolis Siopis (Andreas Ntoi 88), Christos Tzolis (Giorgios Vagiannidis 88), Tasos Bakasetas, Tasos Chatzigiovanis (Christos Zafeiris 67), Fotis Ioannidis (Vangelis Pavlidis 88).
7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 10th September 2024, Aviva Stadium, Dublin (att: 37,274).
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