We’re just a couple of months away from arguably the biggest soccer game the Republic of Ireland’s men’s team have played in a very, very long time.
After Troy Parrott’s heroics in Budapest, vibes around the men’s team are heading into the World Cup play-offs in March, where they’ll face Czechia in Prague in the semi-finals, and if they win that, they have a home play-off final against the winner of Denmark and North Macedonia.
And while it’s quite rosy for Hemir Hallgrimsson and the Republic of Ireland, for their opponents, Czechia, it hasn’t been quite like that.
Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Czechia’s match against Ireland will be the first one under new Head Coach Miroslav Koubek, who has taken the reins of the National team after an extensive search for a new man. The Czech Football Association sacked previous boss Ivan Hasek after the Czech’s suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands in October.
Jaroslav Köstl took over on an interim basis for the November window to assure the Czech’s qualified for the play-offs as the Czech association (CAFR) searched for a new man. Former West Ham boss and current Slavia Prague manager Slaven Bilic reportedly turned down the role, and the CAFR decided to go with 74-year-old Koubek, who was the manager at Viktoria Plzen.
And now it appears Koubek is trying to quell the nerves of any Czechia fansnervous about his first game being such a vital one against Ireland, as in a press conference as boss, he revealed the result of the research he had done on the Irish.
NBMMiroslav Koubek. Pic: Ivan Romano/Getty Images
‘I watched all of Ireland’s qualifying matches, and now I’m halfway through watching Denmark’s performances.’ Koubek said. ‘The Irish are a team with heart, they play simple and straightforward football, and they are very aggressive and intense.’
He went further into Ireland’s ‘simple’ football by then comparing Ireland to Denmark, who would be the likely opponent in the case of Czechia beating the Boys in Green.
‘The Danes are more football-oriented with an excellent attack. They may have some problems in the back, but I wouldn’t want to specify those.’
Miroslav Koubek. Pic: Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
‘We’re analysing their defensive and offensive set pieces; there’s a lot to take in, so it’s crucial to figure out what might work against our opponents in terms of line-up and player type.’
However, Koubek was quick not to look too cocky or confident ahead of the play-off, likely covering his own back. ‘We’re facing tough opponents, but that’s part of the play-offs.’
Ireland head out to Prague on March 26, with kick off at the Fortuna Arena at 7:45 pm.