The international winners and losers

Ger McCarthy

THE usual suspects cemented their place at Euro 2012 last night with Spain, Germany, Italy and France topping their respective qualifying groups. The dreaded play offs loom large however for the Republic of Ireland, Portugal and Croatia with surprise packages Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Turkey poised to cause potential upsets. Here are your midweek international winners and losers.

WINNERS
Giovanni Trapattoni
LAST night’s win over Armenia was far from pretty but Giovanni Trapattoni has delivered the Euro 2012 play-off berth his employers demanded as a minimum requirement at the beginning of the campaign. Ireland’s ultra-defensive setup has made us hard to beat but a reluctance to commit additional players forward when attacking attack has made for frustrating viewing.
The FAI has yet to commit to a contract extension for their current manager despite the Italian expressing his desire to continue in the role. A full house in the upcoming playoff second-leg at the Aviva Stadium plus qualification for Euro 2012 would make it difficult for John Delany not to extend Trapattoni’s term with the Republic of Ireland.

Simon Cox
WHEN the Republic of Ireland starting 11 was announced for the showdown with Armenia Simon Cox’s inclusion as a strike partner for Kevin Doyle caused eyebrows to rise to unprecedented levels. Cox fully justified his manager’s faith however and went on to produce an all-action display in an otherwise forgettable Irish team performance.
The West Brom striker has found it difficult to unseat fellow Irishman Shane Long at the Hawthorns this season but Giovanni Trapattoni’s decision to start Cox ahead of Long reaped immediate dividends. Cox’s attempted lob of Roman Berezovsky saw the Armenian goalkeeper (wrongly) sent off for a handball outside the area and the visitors plans were left in tatters allowing Ireland to eke out a 2-1 victory.

Estonia 
TARMO Rüütli’s Estonia are currently ranked 58th in the world by governing body FIFA but made a mockery of that lowly standing by surprisingly qualifying for the Euro 2012 play offs last night. Estonia finished second behind runaway group winners Italy in Group C but few if any of their own supporters could have predicted ending their campaign ahead of Serbia, Slovenia or even Northern Ireland.
The highlight of Estonia’s Group C qualifying campaign was the 3-1 victory away to Serbia last October that ultimately proved decisive in clinching their playoff berth. Konstantin Vassiljev has scored five times and looks Estonia’s most potent attacking weapon in an emerging side that will fear no one in Thursday’s draw.

Spain
A ROUTINE 3-1 win over Scotland in Alicante last night completed a perfect qualification campaign for the current World Champions. As if eight qualifying victories out of eight wasn’t enough Spain concluded their Group I assignment without the services of Fernando Torres and Iker Cassilas. The only issue facing Vicente Del Bosque ahead of next summer’s Poland — Ukraine tournament is who to leave out of a star-studded squad.

Sweden
IRELAND will face Sweden in their World Cup 2014 qualifying group and are set to face one of the most improved sides in European football. The Swedes 3-2 defeat of the previously unbeaten Holland in last night’s Group E encounter ensured Erik Hamrén’s side automatically qualified for Euro 2012 as the best runners-up thus avoiding the dreaded play offs.


LOSERS
Nemanja Vidic 
THE Serbian international and Manchester United central defender’s return from a long-term injury saw Vidic fail to convert a penalty kick that ultimately cost his country a playoff berth. Slovenia were already 1-0 ahead when Vidic stepped forward in the 65th minute only to send his weak spot-kick into the midriff of goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
Serbian heads noticeably dropped following that miss and Estonia grabbed the runners-up spot in Group C. Rumours of Vidic’s decision to retire from international football immediately after the game will do little to enhance his reputation with the Serbian FA and its supporters.

Kevin Doyle
THE Wolves and Republic of Ireland striker got himself sent off in the latter stages of the Republic’s victory over Armenia last night and is subsequently ruled himself out of the first-leg of the Ireland’s upcoming Euro 2012 play off. Doyle cut a frustrated figure for much of last night’s 2-1 victory but with Robbie Keane struggling for form Giovanni Trapattoni can ill afford to lose another first choice striker. The Italian’s reaction to Doyle’s dismissal will be interesting when the first team is selected for the second-leg of Ireland’s play off.

Shane Long
IT must have been difficult for Shane Long to sit on the bench last night and watch his West Bromwich Albion teammate Simon Cox produce an all action display in the position Long would have expected to start in. Worse still, Trapattoni decided to spring Stoke City’s Jon Walters from the bench in preference of the West Brom striker during the second half.
Long has done little wrong in his time playing for the Republic of Ireland under Trapattoni’s tenure and remains a first choice striker for his club (ahead of Cox) in the Premier League. The former Cork City player has scored goals at the highest level for Roy Hodgson and Trapattoni so it is difficult to fathom what he has to do to get back into Ireland’s starting line-up.

Follow Ger on Twitter: @offcentrecircle

Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/NcZaDSjkFR4/post.aspx

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