After the final whistle, Ireland’s players hauled themselves up off the turf where they had collapsed and started a slow walk to the sole patch of Irish green in the otherwise blue-colored stands.
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Nervous-looking Rami is a weak link, and his early slip led to Ireland scoring a penalty in the second minute.
“We took a bit of time in the dressing room afterwards because they didn’t have any energy left”. Obviously we had a 1-0 lead against a team that easily could go on to win this tournament. A captain can’t always do his talking with his mouth, sometimes you have to do your talking with your feet and that’s what he did today.
Didier Deschamps men didn’t have it all their way, going a goal-down after conceding a penalty inside the first two minutes before Antoine Griezmann sparked the comeback netting a second half brace. We rattled them. We got the goal and it actually settled us down.
O’Neill had stuck with the same starting 11 that defeated Italy and they turned in another gutsy, physical performance to frustrate France’s vaunted attack in the first half.
Those elder statesmen are yet to make decisions over their respective futures, but whatever they decide, O’Neill is grateful for the service they have given in recent weeks. They went two up front and it made a difference for them. “I’ll give everything wherever I play”.
“The good thing is that we have one week to prepare for the next game”. If that’s enough to take us to the final, why not?
As a coach, Deschamps has some way to go before collecting as many trophies but he has already demonstrated he could be successful in that role as well, guiding Monaco to a Champions League final, bringing Juventus back to Serie A and winning a Ligue 1 title with Marseille. However, he was thrown in at the deep-end for his competitive global debut against Italy in which he earned a clean sheet and rave reviews, and the centre-back was up against world-class players again on Sunday.
Ireland lost their composure during that nine-minute spell and it ultimately sent them home from the Euros, but O’Neill insists he’s proud of the effort shown by his players. It’s football. It’s a matter of inches.
“I was closer to the penalty area, where the danger is”, said Griezmann, whose plays centrally for Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
“My family were in the stands as Lyon is basically my home town so that adds to it. I hope to be able to continue in this vein and to help the team”.
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Didier Deschamps can come across as quiet and unassuming but, after his team’s dismal first-half display against Ireland, the France coach had to shake up his players to turn the tricky tie into a 2-1 victory. “We were a bit tense and the Irish played very well”. “I’ll stay positive after it, I’ll hold my head up high after it and learn from my mistakes and try to do better next time”.
