Spain vs. Ireland: Robbie Keane Will Assert Himself as Elite Striker

The Irish come into Thursday’s match against Spain quivering in fear as the Spanish national team is arguably the best in the world.

Perhaps the only way that Ireland could have advanced within the tournament would have been if they had beaten Croatia, but now that the team is already down one loss things look bleak for the Irish national team. You can call the team a Cinderella story all that you’d like, but the ultimate truth of the matter is that the parity is unmatched and that Ireland stands very little chance in their next match.

That is, of course, if Fernando Torres, David Villa and the rest of the Spanish national team has anything to say about it.

Spain, however, is not the only club with something to prove in their potential search for an upcoming victory. Ireland forward Robbie Keane, who also plays forward for the Los Angeles Galaxy, enters the match with a chip on his shoulder and much to prove.

Everyone counts the Spanish as the heavy favorite, which discounts the passion that Keane and the rest of the Irish team will hope to play with. The talented playmaker serves as captain of the team that hails from the Republic of Ireland, and at 31 years old, has only so much left in his tank.

This may well be his final year to prove to the world that he has the talent to make a difference on an international level. Keane is the all-time leader in Irish scoring, and is still considered to be one of the top 25 scorers in all of international play.

After failing to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, and placed second in the 2010 World Cup qualifying round.

This season, he has scored three times. While none of those have been for the Irish national team, he scored eight goals for them last season, which was his career high.

Regardless of whether or not Ireland comes away with a victory, so long as Keane can make a difference and act as a real impact player on the offensive side of the ball, he will be remembered with the legacy of an above-average striker in Irish national history.

“We've been on a good run, of course it's ended a couple of days ago but the lads can't get their heads down thinking too negatively," says Keane. "We have to be positive and look forward to the next game, which is Thursday against the world champions. For me it's just another game.”

The implications of his statement are simple. Win this one and get us three points. Scoring here is as important as scoring in any other game. In this particular game, however, they happen to be playing Spain—one of the toughest teams in the world.

"Of course, it's a massive game,” Keane continues, “But every game we play in is a massive game whether it's in the championship or a qualifier, it doesn't really matter it's just another game, it's another game that hopefully we can get three points.”

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