1
A brave new Irish world?
New Republic of Ireland manager
Stephen Kelly has sparked a national
wave of optimism with talk of a more
progressive style of play, ditching the
more direct style of his predecessors.
The former Dundalk boss impressed in
two years in charge of the Under-21s,
winning seven out of12 matches with
more positive football, but old habits
die hard – his first game with the
seniors was a1-1 draw with Bulgaria,
thanks to 90th-minute equaliser
from centre-back Shane Duffy.2
Skriniar v McGoldrick
One of the tie’s key match-ups will
be between Slovakia’s Milan Skriniar –
the Internazionale 25-year-old rated
as one of the best defenders in Europe- and Ireland striker David McGoldrick.
The Sheffield United forward, recently
voted FAI Player of the Year, may not be
a prolific goalscorer, but his excellent
link-up play, industry and mobility
makes him vital for club and country.
When he drops deep, Skriniar faces
a dilemma – does he stick or follow?
3
Hamsik’s final curtain?
Should defeat ensue, this play-off
might well be the last chance to savourlegendary Slovakia midfielder Marek
Hamsik on the big stage. His drive,
creative swagger and goals are the
team’s lifeblood and, at the age off 33,
he must be approaching the end of his
international career. Now starring for
Dalian Professional in China after aSlovakia v Republic of Ireland
glorious decade with Napoli, he will
see Euro 2020 as the ideal terminus
of a stellar career.4
The 50-50 call
These two sides could hardly
be more evenly matched. They are
adjacent in the current FIFA rankings,
with Slovakia in 36th and the Republic
37th, while their head-to-head record is
almost symmetrical, with four of their
five encounters ending in draws. The
form book is no more revealing: in their
last five games, both teams have each
picked up two draws, two defeats, and
one win. Extra time and penalties
seem highly likely.5
Ataleofthreekeepers
As a result of Newcastle No.1
Martin Dubravka breaking an ankle
in preseason, Slovakia may be forced
to call up young Fulham keeper Marek
Rodak, who was uncapped at senior
level prior to his debut against Israel in
September. Stephen Kelly’s side will aim
to expose this international rawness, yet
their own No.1, Darren Randolph, has
an entirely different problem: although
a regular for his country, he is only a
back-up for his club West Ham behind
Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.WORLD SERVICESlovakia’s Marek Hamsik...Bowing out?New era...Republic of
Ireland boss Stephen
Kenny addresses his
players