Il Trap nuovo ct dell'Irlanda??? update

Prima vittoria per il Trap.
L'Irlanda batte la Colombia per 1-0 grazie al capitano Robbie Keane.

Fonte:Irish Independent


Trap has luck of the Irish

Friday May 30 2008

RECENT history has shown this crop of Irish players incapable of holding a lead for any significant period of time, so the fact they gripped onto their advantage at Craven Cottage for 87 minutes last night would have to be considered a good omen for Giovanni Trapattoni.

Of course, the Italian will be aware that his men rode their luck on occasion against a pacey Colombian side who will consider themselves unlucky to have finished on the losing side. But winning is a habit, one that Ireland have gone cold turkey on over the past few years.

In that context, this success will send them into the summer break with a spring in their step, ready for the considerably more important challenges that lie on the horizon thereafter.

Robbie Keane's somewhat fortuitous third minute strike surprisingly proved the only goal of an entertaining game, which was in dramatic contrast with the bore fest against Serbia. While the late drama in that fixture came from the boot of Andy Keogh, the dying stages of last night's game were notable for some sterling defending.

Funereal

Compared to the funereal feel of Croke Park last Saturday, the tighter confines of Craven Cottage and two vocal sets of supporters made for a carnival atmosphere.

It helped that the game was infinitely better, with the slippy underfoot conditions adding to the drama.

From the outset, it was extremely lively fare with the Irish out of the blocks quicker. Within seconds Andy Keogh, in for Damien Duff who was forced out at the last minute with sinusitis, was charging on goal but the Colombians shut him out.

However, the South Americans found themselves behind within three minutes amid scenes of chaos in their penalty area, with Keane capitalising on persistence from Liam Miller and benefiting from two generous deflections -- significantly off Elvis Gonzalez -- with a shot that bamboozled Robinson Zapata and only just crept across the line.

The mantra that 'an early goal makes a game' proved prescient. They may have started in disorganised fashion, but Colombia were opponents worthy of serious respect, currently in a World Cup qualification spot with a win against Argentina under their belt.

Like Ireland, their side was a mix of established names and wannabes, and it was one of their more experienced performers, attacker Edixon Perea, who almost equalised in the eighth minute, but Paul McShane got his body in the way.

It would be a busy half for the Irish back four, with the central midfield pair of Glenn Whelan and Miller struggling to contain Colombian playmaker McNelly Torres who was causing multiple problems, with his partner Fredy Guarin equally impressive. Mostly, it was backs against the wall stuff, particularly around the quarter-hour mark when Falcao Garcia squandered two gift-wrapped situations to restore parity.

While Ireland did look dangerous going forward with Kevin Doyle's work-rate and height advantage over Luis Amaranto Perea an asset, their spells in the final third were fleeting compared to prolonged tilts from the Colombians.

In truth, it was something of a miracle that they weren't level by the interval with Dean Kiely making two top drawer stops, firstly from a Juan Carlos Escobar header on the half hour mark and then, on the stroke of half-time, a double save to deny Garcia and Edixon Perea with admirable flexibility at the last second to clear off the line.

That wasn't Ireland's first narrow escape of that nature, with two goal-line blocks shortly beforehand with Kiely powerless as Miller and Richard Dunne denying Garcia and Guarin respectively.

Miller had warmed Robinson Zapata's hands at the other end after trickery from the ever busy Aiden McGeady, but it was clear that Trapattoni needed to ship up the midfield department if the advantage was to be retained. After the resumption, it was temporarily better as Whelan and Miller got more of a foothold, with the Irish having some of their best spells of possession with front pair Keane and Doyle dropping deep to help out.

Briefly, chances were at a premium with the Colombians waiting until the hour mark to threaten again with Edixon Perea shooting straight at Kiely after a rapid fire counter attack. At that point, opposition coach Jorge Luis Pinto rang the changes, making four successive substitutions.

Team Trapattoni had no such desire to dabble until the latter stages, with the Italian again demonstrating a preference to concentrate on the side he prefers and developing them as a unit rather than reshuffling his deck.

Understandably, with the switches, the Colombians lost a degree of their fluidity with Ireland succeeding in penning them a little bit further up the park than they had earlier. All the same, Dunne and McShane had plenty to do, with the Sunderland man making one first half howler but otherwise reasonably competent.

Eventually, Trapattoni looked to his subs, with Daryl Murphy sent on in place of the outstanding Doyle -- the latter's display will have reminded potential buyers of his abilities.

Frantic

The arrival of Murphy couldn't prevent the Colombian tide sweeping forward into the Irish box with the desperation of the situation exemplified by Keogh being required to make one frantic punt to safety after McShane had bravely frustrated substitute Elkin Soto with a diving header.

Keogh was soon withdrawn to be replaced by debutant Wes Hoolahan who was introduced just before the fourth official displayed the news of three additional minutes, so often the instigator of bad news for Irish followers with a short memory.

Yet that would not be the case here, due to a combination of Colombian over elaborating and a solid enough shape from the Irish back four convincing them that another pass was required in the first place.

By the end they had ran out of ideas, as Ireland enjoyed their first win since last August's friendly romp in Denmark. Hopefully, it will not prove to be another false dawn.

IRELAND -- Kiely 8 O'Shea 6 McShane 7 Dunne 7 Delaney 7; Keogh 7 (Hoolahan 88, 6) Miller 7 Whelan 6 McGeady 8; Doyle 8 (Murphy 84, 6) Keane 7

colombia -- R Zapata, Bustos (Vallejo 45), C Zapata, L Perea (Moreno 65), Gonzalez (Armero 70); Sanchez, Torres (Hernandez 73), Guarin, Escobar (Soto 63); E Perea, Garcia (Polo 64).