Euro Cup 2012: Team Profile Ireland ( Know the Participating Team Ireland)

There is less than 12 hours to begin the world’s one of the most exciting tournament euro Cup 2012 where all 16 qualified European giants will fight for the cup.

www.anantasports.com is bringing the profiles of all the participating team to its readers and here it is Ireland. Ireland is taking part in the tournaments under the guidance of Coach Giovanni Trapattoni 

Giovanni Trapattoni’s side qualified for Euro 2012 after being placed second after Russia in Group B and winning play off against Estonia.  Comprehensive 4-0 play-off win in Estonia, a first-leg result which all but guaranteed qualification. Ireland have often looked uncomfortable in matches where they begin as favourites, but on this occasion Giovanni Trapattoni's side showed no mercy, albeit against limited opposition.

Only once before have the Irish qualified for the tournament proper. That came in 1988 when Jack Charlton led the team to the finals in West Germany.

 There they defeated England, drew with the Soviet Union and lost to the Dutch as they bowed out respectfully at the group stages.

Ireland Team for Euro 2012

 Since then there has been play-off anguish against the Netherlands in 1996 and Turkey in 2000.
 The Irish have fared badly in their last two qualification campaigns, finishing low down the pecking order, but have restored some pride with a fine run to these finals. 

Coach: Giovanni Trapattoni

The trophy-laden Italian trainer has been dealt a fair deal of criticism by an increasingly fussy Irish public.
 There is a widespread begrudging of the 73-year-old's preferred tactical methods and squad selections. After securing qualification for Euro 2012, the 73-year-old agreed a two-year contract extension that will keep him with Ireland until the 2014 World Cup.

'Trap' began coaching 37 years ago, before any of the Irish squad were even born. His CV reads like a who's who of European football - AC Milan, Juventus, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and Benfica.

Ireland Coach Giovanni Trapattoni

Captain Robbie Keane

The Ireland No.10 comes up with the goals for his country when others simply cannot. Keane is dripping in international pedigree even if his club career has been quite muted in contrast.

Disappointing spells at Inter and Liverpool only serve to illustrate the dichotomy between Keane for country and Keane for club. But only four currently active players have scored more international goals than Robbie Keane; Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Stern John and Miroslav Klose, and only Hakan Suker and Jon-Dahl Tomasson have scored more in European Championship qualification campaigns.

He is the type of player who lingers on the shoulder of the last defender and bides his time in the penalty box to react first and plunders goals against all levels of opposition. 

Ireland Captain Robbie Keane

Player to Watch:Shay Given

Gone are the days when Ireland could turn to a talisman like Liam Brady, Paul McGrath or Roy Keane to facilitate their passage through tough matches.
 Trapattoni's Ireland are workmanlike and are difficult opponents on the strength of the collective rather than individual parts.
 That said, against top-level opposition, the Boys in Green are occasionally reliant on Shay Given to bail them out.
 The 36-year-old has only conceded twice in his last seven competitive internationals and Ireland's reputation as a defensively parsimonious team stems from Given's dependability.

Irish Player Shay Given

How Ireland Qualify for Euro 2012:

Republic of Ireland Qualify after securing secod position in Qualifying group B behind  Russia and winning the play off against Estonia with huge margin of 5-1 in aggregate.

GROUP B	GP	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1	Russia (Q)	10	7	2	1	13	23
2	Ireland (P)	10	6	3	1	8	21
3	Armenia	10	5	2	3	12	17
4	Slovakia	10	4	3	3	-3	15
5	Macedonia	10	2	2	6	-6	8
6	Andorra	10	0	0	10	-24	0

Qualification Result of Ireland 
Sep 3, 2010 Armenia 0-1 Ireland
Sep 7, 2010 Ireland 3-1 Andorra
Oct 8, 2010 Ireland 2-3 Russia
Oct 12, 2010 Slovakia 1-1 Ireland
Mar 26, 2011  Ireland 2-1 Macedonia
Jun 4, 2011: Macedonia 0-2 Ireland
Sept 2, 2011: Ireland 0-0 Slovakia
Sep 6, 2011: Russia 0-0 Ireland
Oct 7, 2011: Andorra 0-2 Ireland
Oct 11, 2011: Ireland 2-1 Armenia
Nov 11, 2011: Estonia 0-4 Ireland
Nov 15, 2011: Ireland 1-1 Estonia

Jersy

 Brand: Umbro

Home Jersey: Green
Away Jersey: White with green vertical stripes on left

Ireland Home and Away Jersy

Ireland Squad For Euro 2012:

 Coach: Giovanni Trapattoni

Goalkeepers: Shay Given (Aston Villa), Keiren Westwood (Sunderland), David Forde (Millwall)
 Defenders: Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), John O'Shea (Sunderland), Sean St. Ledger (Leicester), Darren O'Dea (Celtic), Stephen Ward (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Stephen Kelly (Fulham), Paul McShane (Hull)
 Midfielders: Glenn Whelan (Stoke), Darron Gibson (Everton), Keith Andrews (West Bromwich Albion), Paul Green (no club), Damien Duff (Fulham), Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow), Stephen Hunt (Wolverhampton Wanderers), James McClean (Sunderland)
 Forwards: Robbie Keane (Los Angeles Galaxy), Kevin Doyle (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Shane Long (West Bromwich Albion), Simon Cox (West Bromwich Albion), Jon Walters (Stoke)

Style of play: Trapattoni is a man who is tactically set in his ways, relying exclusively on a traditional 4-4-2 formation. Glenn Whelan and Keith Andrews form a stout partnership as the anchors in central midfield, allowing wingers Aiden McGeady and Damien Duff to use their pace down the flanks in launching the attack forward. The team is required to keep its shape the entire time, will all 11 players responsible for defending and winning the ball back. Attacks are quickly launched on the counter, with Robbie Keane either operating as the main striker, or dropping back in a more withdrawn role behind Kevin Doyle.