[caption id="attachment_71638" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Three key Irish players in the European Championships tournament: goalkeeper Shay Given, central defender Richard Dunne and forward Kevin Doyle. "]
We can tell that the build-up to Euro 2012 has already intensified by the increasing number of John Delaney appearances in the media. As the crucial 24th member of Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad, the tall, athletic Waterford man has performed brilliantly so far with a two-footed tackle on Roy Keane over Saipan revisited and a shameless appearance in a DrinkAware promotion showcasing the versatility that makes him so valuable in an event like this.
Now that it looks like they’ve lost Carles Puyol for the duration, the Spanish must be looking on rather enviously at Ireland having so many leaders available that their wily Italian manager can leave Delaney in his civilian clothes for the big games. Certainly, the sight of Puyol sitting in the stands in Gdansk on June 14 will give heart to Irish supporters. Sad as it is for one of the most talismanic figures in the sport to be deprived of one more major tournament, it is an undoubted boon for Ireland. And, there are more reasons to be cheerful too.
The bulk of the Spanish starting XI will be drawn from Barcelona and Real Madrid. On paper, this will make them the strongest side in the competition (just edging the Germans for that billing) and make their game with Ireland look like a foregone conclusion. But, as the increasing number of Irish devotees of La Primera Liga will vouchsafe, many of the Spanish players have looked like tired versions of their normal selves in recent weeks as they juggled domestic and European commitments. It’s not just the number of games they’ve played but the high-intensity feel of so many of the fixtures.
The impact of such a punishing schedule for their clubs has also been needlessly exacerbated by the greed of the Spanish FA. Since their victory in South Africa, the Spanish squad has been dragged across the world playing meaningless friendlies at bizarre times of the season in order to fill the FA’s coffers. Having failed to see how much damage this carry-on has done to Brazil over the past decade or so, the Spanish took their stars to Venezuela, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States to cash in on their status as the most sought-after national team of the moment.
Will these players have recovered enough by the time they reach the Euros? Only time will tell but for now, Ireland fans can be far more hopeful than they were at the time of the draw that Trapattoni’s team of honest journeymen (the phrase was never more applicable) can wring something from their clash with the World champions. It helps too that one of the hallmarks of this side under the Italian is that they do better against better teams because this is where their ultra-negative/defensive formation can frustrate superior players and yield some sort of positive result.
The Italians already know how resolute this Irish side can be. They learned the hard way during 2010 World Cup qualification that just because they never bump into the vast majority of these boys in green in the Champions’ League doesn’t mean they aren’t difficult to break down. Again, Ireland’s defensive resilience, presuming Richard Dunne’s collar bone remains intact and Shay Given isn’t too traumatized from playing for the worst Aston Villa team in memory, will prove vital because the Italians have struggled to score goals in qualifying.
For them, the loss of American-born striker Giuseppe Rossi cannot be underestimated. It would be like Ireland taking the stage without Robbie Keane. Speaking of whom, the Dubliner has caught the bug of Irish players preparing for the tournament by doing badly at their clubs. After a bright start to his second Major League Soccer season, Keane and the Los Angeles Galaxy, the most expensively-assembled squad in the American game, are struggling badly, their results negatively affected by the Irishman’s inability to gel with striking partner Edson Buddle.
Of course, if Trapattoni’s reign has taught us anything, it’s that club form counts for little in the international arena. How else to explain Simon Cox, two starts and just a handful of substitute cameos for West Bromwich Albion since Feb 1, getting onto the plane? If the Spanish are too tired from playing all those high-profile games, then conversely, Cox and the other Irish players who have struggled at club level this past year will be well-rested and fresh by the time June 10 comes around. The glass is either half-empty or half-full.
Slaven Bilic will appreciate the wisdom of such thinking because he’s in the same boat. The Croatian manager has a few of his own likely starters coming into the opening game between these two countries, woefully short of match practice. Between Spurs and Bayer Leverkausen, Vedran Corluka has started just seven league games since last August. For all his experience, Corluka mightn’t be thrilled to see James McLean coming off the bench and trundling up and down the left wing with half an hour to play in Poznan and the game scoreless.
With both countries overshadowed by the presence of Spain and Italy in Group C, the opening clash between the lesser lights has been billed as a must-win for both sides. Certainly, three points here would set either one up for their showdowns with their more vaunted opponents. But, a draw wouldn’t be a disaster either. Better to go into the second game with something on the board than nothing and, call us hopelessly optimistic, this group may turn out to be a tight affair.
If the Spanish are as tired as they’ve looked, they may get off to a slow start, just as they did in South Africa. And if the Italians are so lacking quality strikers they have to rely on the totally unreliable Mario Balotelli (what price a sending-off?) for goals, this group could be one where all the games are drawn and underdogs could slip through to the second round. Hopeless optimism. With less than four weeks to go, that’s allowed.
