As the international window draws to a close, there seems to be a general consensus that this last week was a step forward for the “Boys in Green”. A year ago, the mood could not have been more different however.
On the 26th of March one year ago, Finn Azaz made his Ireland debut in front of less than 30,000 in a sparsely populated Aviva Stadium – coming on for the last five minutes in what was ultimately a dull 1-0 loss to Switzerland in a friendly. Now though, as the players now make their way back to their respective clubs in England, the Netherlands, and Scotland – there is a genuine mood of cautious optimism.
While at times not pretty, the original goal over the two legs was to simply get the job done. Two comeback victories versus Bulgaria, both in Plovdiv and Dublin, showed improvement from a side that, under past management, likely would have lost or drawn. Heimir Hallgrímsson himself even stated that he noticed more signs of a “collective connection” within the team, which clearly showed on the pitch. Mind you, we never once won a game under Martin O’Neill or Stephen Kenny once we fell behind – a stark reminder of the team’s recent woes.
Away in Plovdiv the team started brightly, with Finn Azaz leading the attack. Even so, with their first surge into Ireland’s third, the Bulgarians put themselves ahead courtesy of a decent enough Marin Petkov goal. However it was Ireland’s grit and determination that got them back into the hunt, with Azaz scoring his first senior international goal – in no small part due to a lovely setup by an in-form Troy Parrott. A daring header by Matt Doherty to put Ireland ahead showed why he had good reason to challenge Jake O’Brien for a starting position on the night at right-back.
The second half was undoubtedly a brutal watch – with the Bulgarians committing numerous fouls. While the home side dominated possession, they never really looked threatening – and Ireland were able to dig deep and sit in for the win on the night. Finn Azaz was without a doubt the highlight of the away game, with a goal to his name as well as some truly outrageous passes. One of Ireland’s less-impressive (though still solid) performers was Nathan Collins, despite being one of the best defenders in the Premiership at the moment, he never really found his feet, and looked nervy throughout the night. Regardless, Ireland would bring a one goal advantage, as well as a win for confidence under their belt, back to Dublin.
Come Sunday the mood within the camp was one of confidence – and in front of a crowd of 40,000 the team started very brightly, with chances falling to Jake O’Brien, Mikey Johnston, and Finn Azaz – who again would go on to shine in a green shirt. Yet, as we’ve seen all too many times before, with their first chance of the night the Bulgarians took the lead. Despite being blessed with a plethora of Premiership level centre backs it was a scrappy goal due to Nathan Collins and Jake O’Brien failing to clear. Heimir’s halftime remarks to the team were simple, urging them to be patient – and they did just that. Ireland took control of the second half completely, not forcing their chances, although Mikey Johnston should have done much better with a chance early on.
The 63rd minute was when everything changed. Evan Ferguson surged forward with the ball, and a neat “one-two” with Finn Azaz handed the Bettystown man his first goal for club and country since November. A driving run by Belfast-bornn Mark Sykes and a deflected cross in the 84th minute handed Adam Idah the easiest of finishes (albeit, on his weaker foot) to kill off the tie, and hand Ireland their first consecutive [competitive] victories since 2019.
Overall it was another step in the right direction for the “Boys in Green”, and another valuable chance for Heimir and Co. to familiarise themselves with the players. For the likes of Azaz and Parrott the window gave themselves a chance to impress – which they both took well. Evan Ferguson’s goal on Sunday should do him a world of confidence as he looks to make his first start for Graham Potter’s West Ham, nearly two months since his arrival at the London Stadium.
For the first time in a long time the general air surrounding all of our teams is not that of gloom and doom, but instead somewhat positive. As for the youth teams, the U17’s confirmed their place at the U17 World Cup in November with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Iceland. The U19’s held their weight against a German side filled with Bundesliga regulars, and Mason Melia made history by becoming the youngest goalscorer for the U21’s since Troy Parrott, and so on. Going into the June window the team has nothing to lose, and it will be an ample opportunity for a week long camp, a chance to integrate new faces into the team, and to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers come September.