FT: Republic of Ireland 2 Hungary 2
“Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson has been clear on the things we should judge his Ireland team on. His stated intention is for them to be excellent in specific areas – structure, physicality, setpieces, fast attacking among others," Malachy Clerkin writes.
“After 15 minutes here, it felt like he had been playing a sick joke on us, as if his intention all along had been to draw attention to the things his team aren’t actually very good at at all.”
Read Malachy’s talking point from tonight’s game in full below:
It’s off to Yerevan we go for game two in this group, Armenia - who lost 5-0 to Portugal today - Ireland’s opponents on Tuesday. After tonight’s mayhem, we have literally no clue what to expect. But we can but hope the game will be easier on the heart. Night all, thank you for your company.
And here’s Gavin Cummiskey’s match report. Our heart goes out to our comrade for having to make sense of it all.
Here’s Malachy Clerkin’s player ratings, one lad getting a ruthless four, but Caoimhín Kelleher faring well.
[ Caoimhín Kelleher recovers well, Evan Ferguson shows his smartsOpens in new window ]
In eight of nine of Ireland’s competitive matches under Heimir Hallgrímsson, they’ve gone a goal down.
This was his take on that stat, and how he responded to tonight’s performance against Hungary.
“That’s more psychological than a lack of quality, we need to address that. Two-zero down after 15 minutes is really tough, this cannot happen at this level, to be sloppy in duels.”
“Hugely disappointed to only have one point, especially in front of this fantastic crowd, they were magnificent. Saying that, I’m proud of the guys in the second half, how they came back from this ‘defeat’, it’s not easy at this level to come back from 2-0 down, even against 10 men.”
“So, hugely proud of their performance in the second half, the effort they put in, they absolutely out-ran them. I think we had 40 crosses in the game, we should have scored more goals, but I need to be happy, I must be happy, with the effort and the character they showed in the second half.”
Some moment for Adam Idah, he endured a fair heap of abuse during the latter phase of his Celtic career, before his move to Swansea City last month. If his confidence was low, that goal should give him a helluva lift.
The moment, bless your cotton socks Adam Idah....
All over, it finishes 2-2. A gutsy comeback from Ireland after the worst of starts to the game.
This game is, frankly, nuts. Ireland are pushing like mad lads for a winner with two-ish minutes of added time to go.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL - Adam Idah!!! There is a God!
Kasey McAteer is on for Jason Knight. There are six minutes added time, and they will be the longest six minutes of your life. Still 2-1 to 10-man Hungary.
This is excruciating. Ceaseless pressure from Ireland, Ogbene drawing a save from Dibusz, but thus far, that equaliser is proving elusive.
Mikey Johnston and Adam Idah are on for Sammie Szmodics and Finn Azaz.
Dénes Dibusz does brilliantly to keep out Finn Azaz’s header, Sammie Szmodics coming close-ish to turning in the rebound. “I’m not sure I’m going to able for this,” says Darragh Maloney. You’re not alone Darragh, you’re not alone.
Huge pressure now from Ireland as they search for that equaliser, but Hungary remain dangerous on the break. It’ll be some last 20 minutes.
Two changes for Ireland - Chiedozie Ogbene replaces Matt Doherty and Jack Taylor is on for Josh Cullen. Ryan Manning drops back to the left of the defence.
Kelleher keeps Ireland alive again with another fine save - meanwhile here’s that Ferguson goal.
Solid save by Kelleher from Bendegúz Bolla. Ireland need to calm the heads, their goal and the Hungarian red card has led to a bit of giddiness. The crowd, meanwhile, is going nuts.
Well, well, well - Hungary are down to 10 men after Roland Sallai earned himself a red card for a late tackle on Dara O’Shea. Could this be a game of, you know, two halves?
GOOOOOOOOOOAL: 0-1. Evan Ferguson gets Ireland back in to it with his sixth goal for his country from a Ryan Manning free-kick. It won’t win the Puskas award, the Hungarian goalie making a bags of it, but do we care? Hell no. Game on.
No changes to either side for the second half, although Jack Taylor is limbering up for Ireland. Off we go again.
Richie Sadlier on RTÉ2: “This a horror show, I can’t imagine it going any worse than it has gone. Hungary have had the run of the place. We wondered would the campaign be over after today, we’re sitting here wondering did it last all of 15 minutes.”
Half-time: 0-2. Two words to sum up that half? Oh Lord.
God, a quick-off-his-line Kelleher did really well there to deny Hungary a third. Half-time, as they say in the trade, can’t come soon enough.
Evan Ferguson has a decent effort saved by Dénes Dibusz. Ireland finishing the half well, a goal would be nice.
There was an Irish newspaper editor back in the day, not of this parish, who used to warn his journalists never to use the word ‘disaster’ in relation to sport, that it just wasn’t appropriate when you considered the grimness of some of the stuff that was going on in the world. He was, of course, right, but, well, thus far this feels like a disaster. Evan Ferguson has just been booked, just to lower the mood further.
No little effort from Ireland as they try to drag themselves back in to the game, Jake O’Brien on the right and Ryan Manning on the left seeing plenty of the ball. The final passes and crosses, though, just aren’t good enough.
Szoboszlai is booked for dragging back Jason Knight as he attempted to launch an Irish counter-attack.
This, to be blunt, has been shambolic from Ireland so far, the ‘defending’ for both goals woeful. They’re all over the place. It’s a helluva way back in this game.
GOAL: 0-2. Okay, it’s a nightmare. Hungary double their lead when Roland Sallai heads home a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. Puss in Boots is on RTE1 if you want to switch over.
Varga should have made it 2-0 for Hungary from a Kerkez cross, but he sends his header wide. This is a bit of a grim start to Ireland’s campaign. But look, early yet.
It was a neat finish from Varga who beat Dara O’Shea to Callum Styles’ ball over the top and powered it past Caoimhín Kelleher. Things can only get better?
There’s a bit too much zip on Jake O’Brien’s cross from the right, a well-placed Finn Azaz unable to turn it home. Better, though, after Hungary controlled the opening 10 minutes.
GOAL - 0-1: As starts go to crucial games, this one couldn’t have been worse - Hungary have scored through Barnabás Varga after one minute and 55 seconds. Calamitous.
The teams are out. The place is bouncing. Even Ronnie Whelan sounds a teency bit enthusiastic. We’re up and running.
Speaking on RTÉ2, Richie Sadlier has probably summed it up:
“If we win tonight, I think a second place position [in the group] is gettable. If we draw, it’s very difficult. If we lose, forget about it.”
Didi Hamann thought Richie was being a bit too negative, but conceded a defeat would be, well, catastrophic, a draw less so. “This is like a final tonight,” he said.
In other words, a tummy-churning evening ahead.
While Hungary, certainly in terms of their ranking, should be favourites this evening, their recent form is no great shakes - they’ve won just one of their last six games, 2-1 against Azerbaijan in a friendly. Their Nations League campaign ended in relegation to the B division after they lost 6-1 on aggregate to Turkey in a play-off.
Ireland are on a healthier run, winning three and drawing two of their last six games. Mind you, that sequence ended with a scoreless draw away to Luxembourg in June, so that wasn’t exactly inspiring.
Ireland haven’t qualified for the World Cup since 2002, Hungary’s drought dating all the way back to 1986. They did, though, qualify for Euro 2024 where they finished third in their group behind Germany and Switzerland.
There are three Attilas in Hungary’s squad, one in the starting line-up and two on the bench, so if any of them has a decisive impact on the game, the headlines will write themselves.
On the bench for Ireland tonight: Gavin Bazunu, Mark Travers, Jimmy Dunne, Bosun Lawal, Liam Scales, Jack Taylor, Killian Phillips, Kasey McAteer, Mikey Johnston, Chiedozie Ogbene, Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny.
The gaffer gives his pre-match thoughts:
Over in Yerevan, it finished 5-0 to Portugal against Armenia, yer man (hint: CR7) getting his second of the night with a bit of a peach. Even at 84, he’s useful.
Hungary’s Italian manager Marco Rossi appears to have gone for a 4-1-4-1 set-up, but we’ll see how that plays out. Three of Robbie Keane’s Ferencváros players are included, goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz, 19-year-old midfielder Alex Tóth and striker Barnabás Varga - who has scored 10 goals for his club already this season.
Full-back Milos Kerkez, Liverpool’s €46 million signing from Bournemouth, starts, as, of course, does his club-mate Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain. English-born Callum Styles, a team-mate of Mikey Johnston and Jayson Molumby at West Brom, wins his 25th cap.
Hungary: Dénes Dibusz; Milos Kerkez, Attila Szalai, Willi Orbán, Loïc Négo; Callum Styles; Roland Sallai, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alex Tóth, Bendegúz Bolla; Barnabás Varga.
We have our starting line-up:
We’ll have to wait and see what formation Hallgrímsson opts for, but if it’s a 4-4-1-1, then he’ll have Jake O’Brien, Nathan Collins, Dara O’Shea and Matt Doherty as his back four, in front of Caoimhín Kelleher. Josh Cullen and Jason Knight are his midfielders, with Sammie Szmodics to their right and Ryan Manning on the left. Finn Azaz has been chosen to fill the slot behind Evan Ferguson.
If we had this fella at the back tonight, Caoimhín Kelleher would be able to have a 90 minute nap. Loving the legend’s confidence.
Meanwhile, it’s 3-0 at half-time for Portugal away to Armenia in the opening game of their campaign in Ireland’s group, João Cancelo adding the third. Hopefully Armenia will be worn out by the end of it - Ireland visit Yerevan on Tuesday.
Portugal are already 2-0 up away to Armenia. João Félix scored after 10 minutes and a young fella by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo doubled the lead 10 minutes later.
Malachy Clerkin has done nothing for our nerves: “Ireland have taken part in five campaigns since the start of this decade – three Nations Leagues as well as qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Euros. Not only have they lost their first home game each time, they haven’t scored a goal.”
Cripes.
You have plenty of reading to do before kick-off, some are linked above, but here is your full menu.
Gavin Cummiskey previews the game, and takes a stab at predicting the shape of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s line-up.
Ken Early writes about “the biggest international match Dublin has hosted in nearly eight years”.
Malachy Clerkin looks at the impact Hallgrímsson has had in his 14 months in charge so far.
Gordon Manning takes us on a trip down memory lane.
Kevin Kilbane says Ireland’s hopes in this campaign may rest on a certain Roma striker.
[ Ireland’s chance of success falls on Evan Ferguson’s shouldersOpens in new window ]
James McDermott takes us through the history of Republic of Ireland v Hungary meetings.
[ Recent history bodes well for Hallgrímsson’s men ahead of World Cup qualifierOpens in new window ]
And Michael Walker profiles Dominik Szoboszlai, the Hungarian captain.
[ Limiting Dominik Szoboszlai triple threat key if Ireland are to hamper HungaryOpens in new window ]
Szoboszlai is reasonably good at free-kicks too.
Afternoon all, are you ready for the start of the Republic of Ireland’s 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign? No? Well, you’d want to get a move on because it kicks off at 7.45 this evening at a sold-out Aviva Stadium (live on RTÉ2). Hungary are the first opponents on the road to …. hopefully …. the United States/Canada/Mexico next summer.
With world rankings in brackets, Ireland (60) were drawn in group F with Portugal (6), Hungary (38) and Armenia (105). These are their fixtures:
Today: RoI v Hungary, Dublin; September 9: Armenia v RoI, Yerevan; October 11: Portugal v RoI, Lisbon; October 14: RoI v Armenia, Dublin; November 13: RoI v Portugal, Dublin; November 16: Hungary v RoI, Budapest.
The group winners automatically qualify for the World Cup, the runners-up go into the play-offs next March where they’ll have to conquer two nations to qualify.
There’s a third route to those play-offs that involves how you fared in the Nations League, but even Archimedes would struggle to understand the permutations. Those who can make sense of them say Ireland’s chances of prevailing on that front are exceedingly slim.
So, we’ll stick with needing to win the group or, a heap more realistically, taking second place. Portugal - who kick off against Armenia in Yerevan at 5.0 today - are, naturally, favourites to top it, which, barring any catastrophes against Armenia, means Ireland and Hungary will slug it out for the runners-up spot. Which makes tonight’s game mahoosive.
