Courtesy: FAI.ie


Senior Republic of Ireland team prepare for UEFA Futsal Senior Championship

Thursday, 12 February 2009

Preparations have begun for the Republic of Ireland’s Senior Futsal team as they take part in the preliminary round of the UEFA Futsal Championship. Ireland take on Cyprus, England and Kazakhstan in the National Basketball arena in Tallaght over three nights of exciting Futsal. The team are due to train again this Friday 13th February before next weeks matches.

Derek O Neill, Republic of Ireland Futsal manger said “We’re busy preparing for the matches next week, we have a training session this coming Friday so it’ll give the lads a chance to get really focused on the games. We hope to put up some great displays of Futsal against Cyprus and Kazakhstan, both are very experienced sides. While the England game is sure to be tense, they’re hoping for a win but so are we, it’s going to be a great game”.

In November 2008, the Irish team played two friendly games in Budapest against the Hungarian Senior A team and showed lots of promise against a very strong National side. While in December they went on to tackle a more experienced English side in Loughborough University. A thrilling 3-3 draw in this match, makes the English challenge next week more exciting with both sides desperate to take the first win.

This is Ireland’s first time at Senior level in a UEFA Futsal Championship, having taken part in the Under-21 UEFA Futsal Championship in 2008. Many of the players involved at Under-21 level have made it through to the Senior Futsal team, thus the Senior team is a young but enthuastic and determined side who are looking forward to their first taste of competitive Futsal at the most senior level.

The only exception to the young side is of course Thomas Morgan, who at almost 32 is both the oldest and most experienced member of the Irish side. Morgan, a player of both heart and exceptional skill, will no doubt put up a terrific display of Futsal over the three matches and as always will be an inspiration to the younger lads on the team.

O Neill has named a provisional squad of 16 players for the preliminary tournament of the UEFA Senior Futsal Championship:

Republic of Ireland squad

John Perkins (Sporting Fingal Futsal)
Keith Gallagher (Bluebell United)
Mark Langtry (Unattached)
Philip McDonagh (Drumcondra FC)
Ian Byrne (Sporting Fingal Futsal)
Gary McCabe (Bray Wanderers)
Dane Massey (Bray Wanderers)
Thomas Morgan (Sporting Fingal Futsal)
Lloyd Massey (Shamrock Rovers)
Alan Lynch (Unattached)
Craig Duggan (Cork City)
Brendan Dawson (Sporting Fingal Futsal)
Alan Barrett (WFTA)
Paul McNally (Shamrock Rovers Futsal)
Ronan McGann (Monaghan United)
Shane O Neill (Bray Wanderers)

The Republic of Ireland fixtures are:
Thursday 19th February Ireland V Cyprus 8pm
Friday 20th February Ireland V England 8pm
Sunday 22nd February Ireland V Kazakhstan 6pm






Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com