France Must Be Wary of Ireland Threat in Year of the Underdog

The 2016 UEFA European Championship in France has been a tournament for the underdogs so far.

Nations such as Wales, Croatia and Hungary have topped their groups, despite the presence of far more illustrious opponents.

VI-Images/Getty Images

Slovakia, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Iceland have defied the odds, to various degrees, by reaching the latter stages as well.

Hosts France will face the Republic at Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday, but Didier Deschamps’ men are yet to truly impress on home soil.

The Irish drew 1-1 with Sweden in Paris and heroically beat Group E winners Italy in Lille to finish on four points and advance to the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed sides.

Martin O’Neill’s men deserved their narrow victory over the Azzurri at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and Robbie Brady’s 85th-minute header past Salvatore Sirigu will live long in the memory of many Irish supporters.

Speaking with journalists shortly after the final whistle, as reported by PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC), the Norwich City man was ecstatic with his winning goal. He also unselfishly chose to pay tribute to his team-mate at club and international level, Wes Hoolahan, who provided the assist.

Brady said:

"

I can't really explain the feeling. People who have scored these type of goals, they speak about it and say it's like an out-of-body experience and I was lucky enough to experience that tonight.

I'm stuck for words really; I don't know what to say. My head's still a bit all over the place, but I'm absolutely delighted with it.

I sort of lost myself a little bit in the celebrations, but I couldn't help it. It's what dreams are made of. It was a proud night for myself and fantastic for the team.

I think the chance Wes had before, it all came so quickly. It was a massive moment and it just got caught under his feet a little bit.

But it just shows the character and the playmaker he is to go and pick the ball up two minutes later and put it exactly where I ran, so all the plaudits to Wes Hoolahan as well.

It was a fantastic ball. He put it right on my head and I would have done well to miss, I think.

"

One memory that Brady’s famous goal will not be able to erase, though, is that of France’s 2-1 aggregate triumph against the Boys in Green during qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Trailing 1-0 after the first leg thanks to a Nicolas Anelka strike 18 minutes from time at Croke Park in Dublin, then-Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni’s men needed to equal or better Les Bleus’ first-leg result in Paris in order to qualify.

A 33rd-minute Robbie Keane effort gave the Irish a 1-0 win over 90 minutes at Stade de France, and 30 minutes' extra time was required to separate the pair.

LIONEL BONAVENTURE/Getty Images

Thirteen minutes into the 30 added on, a controversial incident occurred, and it is one that many Ireland fans still feel outraged by to this day.

France’s Thierry Henry blatantly handled the ball twice to stop it from going out of play in the process of creating a chance for William Gallas. The then-Barcelona man and French captain found his former Arsenal team-mate, and the defender headed the ball in.

The Green Army players, staff and supporters were furious—rightly so—but Swedish referee Martin Hansson allowed the dubious goal to stand and it finished 1-1, so 2-1 to Raymond Domenech’s men on aggregate.

That goal sent the French to an ill-fated World Cup campaign in South Africa and denied Trapattoni’s side their chance. Ireland have been waiting ever since for revenge, and almost seven years later, this opportunity has been presented to them.

Henry’s double handball in the buildup to Gallas’ deciding goal has been dubbed the “Hand of Frog” by many, and now that they are out of the group stage and into the knockout round, Irish eyes will be smiling at the prospect of retribution on the French that has been a long time in the making.

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

Of course, Sunday’s clash in Lyon will not only be about what happened back in November 2009. It would be equally foolish, though, to suggest that the painful memory of that night in Paris will not be a massive source of motivation for O’Neill and his players.

Captain Keane, Shay Given, John O’Shea, Glenn Whelan and Aiden McGeady are all survivors from that 1-1 draw in the French capital in this current Ireland squad.

All five, particularly the influential senior figures of Keane, Given and O’Shea, will no doubt explain the significance of the event to their younger team-mates ahead of the clash—if they need reminding at all.

Of all of the supposedly “weaker” sides France could have drawn straight out of the group stage, the Irish are probably one of the teams they would have chosen to avoid because of that recent bad blood.

However, the Boys in Green are a team that Deschamps and his players should have been hoping to avoid anyway.

Although they were beaten 3-0 by Belgium in Bordeaux, Ireland were unlucky to draw against Sweden because of Ciaran Clark’s unfortunate own goal, and they deserved their win over Italy.

Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

Antonio Conte’s Azzurri side may well have rested a number of regular starters in Lille on Wednesday, but it was still a test for the Green Army and one they passed in the nick of time.

Of all the players Les Bleus should be wary of going into Sunday’s meeting at Parc OL, Hoolahan is perhaps the key figure.

The Norwich veteran only started the Italy win as a substitute, but it was the 34-year-old’s inch-perfect cross—moments after he had missed a golden opportunity himself—that provided Brady with the only goal of the game and sent the travelling Irish contingent into delirium.

Hoolahan scored Ireland’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Sweden with a well-taken finish, and entering the match against Italy after 77 minutes, he provided the creative spark O’Neill’s men needed to get them over the line.

As reported by PA Sport (h/t ESPN FC), the tactician from Kilrea, Northern Ireland, admitted to journalists after the match that he feared his team would not get another chance as good in time to beat the Italians following the No. 20’s initial miss:

"

You make a very good point, to keep his head, because he may well have lost it in the dressing room had he not have done.

It was a great cross. I am delighted for him because he might have rued that miss. It was a great chance for us and I must admit while I am incredibly positive, I was concerned that we might not create as good a chance again.

I know I don't look it, but I'm absolutely thrilled. I haven't got an ounce of energy left.

"

Defensively, France have been solid so far, and Deschamps has kept faith in a back four of Bacary Sagna, Adil Rami, Laurent Koscielny and Patrice Evra in front of goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris.

However, both the Sevilla and Arsenal men at centre-back are one booking away from suspension, and that could lead to the pair being too cautious against Ireland.

Les Bleus have only conceded one goal to date—a penalty from Romania’s Bogdan Stancu—but the back line has not been tested either.

Deschamps is undecided about the best combination in midfield, while the hosts are struggling in attack. It is hardly ideal circumstances to be preparing to clash with some plucky underdogs.

Now that they are into the latter stages, the Green Army are a dangerous adversary for the French. They have nothing to lose, and they have been buoyed by fantastic support all the way through the tournament so far.

That will be no different in Lyon, and Parc OL will be awash with colour as the vociferous home supporters meet one of the sets of fans France has fallen in love with over the past few weeks because of their admirable loyalty and great sense of humour.

The French are looking forward to the spectacle, but many appear to have forgotten why Ireland are viewing the impending clash with such significance.

Considering how unconvincing Deschamps’ men have been so far, as well as the combination of no real pressure and the prospect of revenge for the Irish, a major shock could be on the cards this Sunday.