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Ireland 1-5 Portugal
Hello, and welcome to our liveblog of tonight’s match.
Kick-off is just under an hour away and we’ll have the teams for you shortly.
Here’s how the MetLife Stadium looks right about now…
(Head of FAI security Bobby Ward with Paul Green and David Forde)
Irish team to face Portugal: Forde, Kelly, Keogh, Pearce, Ward; Hendrick, Meyler; McGeady, Hoolahan, McClean; Walters.
Ronaldo starts for Portugal!
Note that they’ve gotten his name wrong on the teamsheet.
Matt Holland is in the Setanta studio, so they’ve inevitably just shown a replay of this memorable goal.
(Cristiano Ronaldo pictured ahead of the game)
Matt Holland has touted David McGoldrick of Ipswich as a potential answer to Ireland’s striking problems.
“Do you know something we don’t?” asks presenter Paul Dempsey without missing a beat.
Holland denies possessing any secret information.
“I feel like staying up to watch just to see Ward and/or Kelly committing a comedy of errors, being skinned by Ronaldo at a rate of three skins per minute (s/m), before taking of their shoes and socks and weeping inconsolably at the side of the pitch á la Richie Tenenbaum.”
Reader Paul Gordon emails to inform me that he’s less than optimistic about Ireland’s chances, to put it mildly.
So how do you reckon tonight’s game will go?
Poll Results:
In case it was unclear earlier, here’s the (strong-looking) Portugal line-up.
12. Patricio. 20. Amorim 5. Fábio Coentrão 6. Carvalho 14. Neto 13. Ricardo Costa 8. João Moutinho 16. Meireles 9. Hugo Almeida 18. Varela 7. Ronaldo
We’re underway…
Immediately Ronaldo gets on the ball, but Forde saves his weak shot comfortably.
Lively start for Portugal.
GOAL FOR PORTUGAL!
Portugal 1-0 Ireland: Stephen Ward loses the ball and Varela crosses to Almeida, who heads home (2 mins).
Awful start for Ireland.
Better from Ireland!
McGeady’s shot from distance goes narrowly wide.
McClean’s cross-cum-shot goes just over, while Neto makes a poor challenge on him as he does so.
Ireland have actually played quite well since the goal.
Great saves from Forde twice, first to deny Ronaldo from distance, then Meireles closer in.
Ireland have looked very shaky in defence so far.
So close! Ronaldo hits the post with a fantastic dipping free kick.
Ireland are living on the edge at the moment.
GOAL FOR PORTUGAL!
Portugal 2-0 Ireland: Nice build-up play between Ronaldo and Coentrao, before the latter’s cross takes a wicked deflection off Keogh and loops over Forde and finds the back of the net (20 mins).
Even if it is a fortuitous goal, it’s probably deserved on the balance of play.
Here’s a vine of that first goal!
Walters has just headed meekly into Patricio’s hands.
Ireland have gotten into good positions at times, but haven’t really tested the goalkeeper yet.
Keogh’s goal in vine form…
GOAL FOR PORTUGAL!
Portugal 3-0 Ireland: Again Varela crosses from the right and Ronaldo heads it straight at Forde, but the goalkeeper can only parry it to Almeida, who makes no mistake with his finish (37 mins).
This could get embarrassing…
Here’s the vine for Portugal’s third goal…
HALF-TIME: PORTUGAL 3-0 IRELAND
So a depressing first-half from an Irish perspective.
There has been some sporadically good play by Ireland, and in particular Hoolahan, in attack, but apart from that, there are no positives to reflect on.
The back four have all been conspicuously poor, and it’s a relief that none of them are likely to start when Ireland have their first-choice team available.
Portugal have been highly efficient, but have scarcely looked like breaking a sweat while opening up their opponents.
The second half is underway… *gulps*
Hoolahan goes down under a tough tackle from Meireles and wins a free kick.
The Norwich player has easily been Ireland’s best player (of a very bad bunch) tonight.
GOAL FOR IRELAND!
Ireland 1-3 Portugal: Hoolahan takes a quick free kick to McClean, who beats Meireles, before slotting the ball into the corner (50 mins).
He hasn’t had the best of nights, but that’s a fine finish from the Wigan star.
Here’s a look at that McClean goal…
Good save from Forde, following another swerving Ronaldo free kick.
I’d be shocked if there weren’t any further goals in this game…
Ireland still look vulnerable in defence, but their attacks are increasingly promising.
They’ve gone close a few times now and are at least showing a bit of spirit.
A flood of substitutions for Portugal as Ronaldo departs the action.
For Ireland, Keane and Long replace Hoolahan and Walters.
Pilkington and Quinn have also come on for McClean and Ward…
So it looks as if Quinn is playing left-back for Ireland now.
As I type, McGeady’s dangerous ball into the box narrowly misses Pilkington.
Kevin Doyle and Simon Cox are coming on, with McGeady and Kelly going off.
It’s a very attacking Irish team now…
GOAL FOR PORTUGAL!
Portugal 4-1 Ireland: Nani producs an excellent cross and Vierinha’s initial header is well saved by Forde before he taps in the rebound.
Ireland have been made to pay for going all-out attack.
Goal number four for Portugal…
GOAL FOR PORTUGAL!
Portugal 5-1 Ireland: Good through ball from Nani and Coentrao finishes consummately (82 mins).
This has been a reality check for Martin O’Neill’s side.
Those late Irish substitutions have well and truly backfired…
Nani has the ball in the back of the net following a sublime series of passes replete with a beautiful backheel finish, but much to his disappointment, it’s ruled out for offside.
After a decent start to the second half, Ireland have gone to pieces in these last 20 minutes, and the naive, attack-minded substitutions have undoubtedly played their part in contributing to this embarrassing outcome.
Stephen Quinn gets on the end of a cross, but his powerful strike can only find the side-netting.
We’re in stoppage time now…
FULL-TIME: IRELAND 1-5 PORTUGAL
“I don’t think the gap is big as that,” says Brian Kerr, who points out that “half our best players” weren’t playing.
Matt Holland agrees that “some perspective” needs to be put on that result.
Right, that’s all from me for now.
Thanks for reading and commenting, and we’ll have more reaction to follow shortly.
