Ireland U17s 4-2 Hungary U17s
A stunning performance from Ireland’s Under 17 side last night has got everyone excited about both the immediate future as well as the long-term prospects of a group of hugely talented youngsters.
Following a deserved 4-2 victory over their Hungarian hosts, Ireland advanced to the quarter-finals of the European championships, where they will meet one of Spain, Serbia or Slovenia on Saturday.
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That’s more than enough for them to focus on right now, yet you can’t help wonder where this journey will eventually end for half a dozen of this team.
In Ike Orazi, Ireland have a winger with the world at his feet. He was unstoppable last night, the excellence of his technique matched by an electrifying burst of speed and the awareness of when and where to end his run with a pass.
While he was the game's outstanding player, others put up a decent argument to suggest they deserved that accolade, not least the St Pat’s pair, Mason Melia and Luke Kehir, who scored two goals each.
Why stop there? Romeo Akachukwu, the Waterford midfielder, was superb; Danny McGrath, the Bohs playmaker, equally impressive; but even they were outshone on the night by Naz Razi, who has lit up this tournament in a way that suggests we’ll be hearing a lot more about him as the years pass.
Remember all their names.
They look special.
Certainly they were here. Needing a win to qualify for the quarter-finals, they got off to a dream start, going a goal ahead on four minutes, Kefir finishing smartly from inside the area following a decisive and smart touch from Melia.
Suddenly an upset seemed possible and even when Hungary equalised just seven minutes later - Jake Grante with an unfortunate own goal following Simon’s free kick - Ireland stayed in control.
Their passing was exquisite, freeing up the chance for Orazi to cause damage with his pace, which he routinely did.
As a result, the pressure mounted. Corners were won, and then converted, Melia with a header from one of those which squeezed in, Orazi also creating the third, which Melia, again, scored.
That took Ireland to the break, a two goal cushion feeling insufficient in a game as open as this one, yet by the time 3-1 turned to 4-1 with half an hour to go, you just knew this would be one of those special nights the boys would never forget.
That fourth goal was the best of the lot, a sidefooted finish from Kehir; Orazi, Razi and Melia involved in the build up, and even if Hungary did get a goal back, it just didn’t matter.
For it wasn’t just the result that impressed here, it was the performance, the counter attacking bursts that Hungary simply couldn’t cope with, and then the tactical intelligence that saw them smother the space in midfield, when they had a lead to defend.
For teenagers, there was a real maturity to Ireland’s play, particularly in the second half when they knew they didn’t need to overcommit in their attacks. Their positional sense, their work rate, their selflessness, never wavered.
And as a result of all that, they are now one of eight teams left in an elite European competition. Hard to believe they lost their opening game of this tournament 5-1 a week ago. That performance and this were Poles apart.
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