Canada were better than Qatar, they had more to offer and should have left Ireland with an impossible second-half mountain to climb. But their second period performance was atrocious, specifically heartless – and they should have lost. A performance suggesting that even though they will have the advantage of being a host nation, playing in Toronto and then Vancouver twice, there will be very little for them at the coming World Cup. Credit in the bank so for Heimir Hallgrimsson who strengthened the side at
half-time by bringing in Liam Scales and Jamie McGrath for Corrie Ndaba and Dawson Devoy. It was not hard to see what he saw, Scales was superb for Celtic when they worked out he was better placed on the left, McGrath had a busy, run-around season at Hibs; Ndaba and Devoy’s first-half contribution had been negligible. The change confirms Hallgrimsson’s reputation from his time with Iceland as an astute reader of games which, by the way, puts him with Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O’Neill. That’s
rather than Steve Staunton, Mick McCarthy, also Brian Kerr and Stephen Kenny who both grappled with the complexity of high level ebb and flow. What’s more, I approve of what I’m hopin’ and wishin’ and prayin’ HH is up to – which is sticking with the day job but trying to organise a clever garage sale in the background. Ireland have just posted a 1-1 away draw with Fifa’s 30th ranked side and if managers and coaches across the world are studying the Ireland team
sheet, they should be collectively scratching their heads. Not that there is a fine-tooth comb needed but an i-Pad would be handy to find out just who Corrie Ndaba, Dawson Devoy, Mason Melia, Joe Hodge, Kian Leavy and Adam Brennan are. The future of Irish soccer won’t be teenagers going from Ireland to a top Premier club and breaking through seamlessly via the youth team, that’s now old technology. It will be from going Ireland to a Premier club and, while there, securing a meaningful
loan for maybe up to a full season as part of their education. Having international caps, being on the bulletin board, in the news cycle, will help get a ‘better’ loan, at a club playing football in a meaningful league. Without being cruel, that’s Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, the top Championship, Dutch and Belgian sides, not clubs such as Yeovil, Luton, Exeter and Shrewsbury Town. Not Scotland. As it was in Montreal, Ireland merely survived the first half as the profligate Canucks proved incoherent in
attack; Ireland deserved to win the second-half as Canada showed they couldn’t think for themselves on the field. Hallgrimsson must have been staring in disbelief as former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch seemed more interested in arguing with the referee than communicating with his team. Meanwhile, that’s Ireland’s eight game undefeated in a row. And, hopefully, this latest result has coaches, Europe-wide, checking out just who these guys Ndaba, Devoy, Melia, Hodge, Leavy and Brennan are, making notes. Click here to sign up to our sport
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Ireland, Canada, Montreal, Hallgrimsson, Liam Scales, Jamie McGrath, Corrie Ndaba, Dawson Devoy, Jesse Marsch, 1-1 draw, Fifa 30th ranked side, World Cup, Irish soccer loans