The Los Angeles Dodgers witnessed a walk-off home run end their Saturday game. Nolan Arenado smacked his homer to seal the 2-1 victory for the St. Louis Cardinals. Yoshinobu Yamamoto wasn’t on the mound for that HR, though. Yamamoto even hit a feat not seen since 2019 before Arenado’s blast. The right-handed pitcher reached a […]
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Aryna Sabalenka was the heavy favorite in her French Open championship match against Coco Gauff, but the American’s resilience and Sabalenka’s unforced errors prevented her from winning the title. Sabalenka appeared to be on her way to an easy victory when she opened the match by winning four of the first five games and racing […]
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As the New York Yankees look to maintain their hold on the AL East, manager Aaron Boone had a number of updates concerning his team. The New York manager touched on starter Luis Gil’s rehab and also discussed the status of veteran slugger Giancarlo Stanton. He shared that Stanton will be rehabbing up in New […]
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Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons has plenty on his mind, as he prepares for mandatory minicamp and also waits for a new contract, but the All-Pro is still finding time to keep up with the rest of the sports world. He posted an amped-up NSFW message after American tennis star Coco Gauff won the French […]
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HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON reckons Ireland’s new recruits have ‘rocked the boat’.
Hallgrímsson is planning a transatlantic crossing next summer for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
It would be Ireland’s first appearance at a World Cup in 24 years.
In their five attempts since 2002, Ireland’s qualification campaigns sunk without a trace, running aground at the group stage three times and twice being capsized in play-offs.
There will be choppy waters in the autumn when his side must finish top of a group containing Portugal, Hungary and Armenia.
But the performance in Friday’s friendly against Senegal has raised hopes with the draw making it three games without defeat, their longest unbeaten run for more than three years.
Kasey McAteer and Jack Taylor both made their first start, with the Leicester City winger scoring, whilst Killian Phillips made his debut off the bench.
Will Smallbone and Ryan Manning were also given opportunities to shine with Hallgrímsson believing some of their performances mean Ireland regulars can no longer take their places for granted.
Hallgrímsson said: “When you do friendlies and give players a chance you will get answers.
“Not all of them will be positive answers but you need to have answers and the players who came in now did a good job.
“They have rocked the boat a bit, so the players watching will think ‘oh, this one is coming’. So that is healthy competition.
“Everybody should come in with the thought ‘I’m going to use this opportunity to my benefit and cement my name in the starting line-up or squad from now on.”
And the Icelander stressed that strength in depth was more important than ever because all of Ireland’s six group games will take place in the space of just 61 days.
He said: “We need to have more than one option, because if you are injured in September you might miss out for the whole tournament and we need to be prepared for that as well.”
Largely overlooked by his predecessors, Ryan Manning has now started two out of the last three games, on the left side of midfield ahead of Robbie Brady.
And, despite suffering relegation with Southampton, Hallgrímsson suggested he could have a big role to play.
He said: “He is growing in this role that we have given him, he is getting to start game after game now so you can see his understanding of the tactics.
“He is a player who can create and is quick.
“For me also when Robbie is higher he can drop in and be the left back so that is really a good positive thing, their cooperation has been really good.
“He is a genuine good player but the best thing for me is that he can play more than one position. That helps us a lot in how we want to play.
“We want players to take action and then for others to fill up and react to that position. Him and Robbie have done a good job playing together.”
Manning’s Southampton team-mate Will Smallbone had begun to emerge in the latter stages of Stephen Kenny’s reign but injuries have hampered his progress.
Despite describing him as more of an offensive player before the game, it was he who was deployed in a holding role alongside Jason Knight with Taylor pushed further forward to support Adam Idah.
Hallgrímsson said:l“We haven’t had a chance to work with Will a lot, so he was one we wanted to see in action. That is the purpose of giving players a chance.”
And, aside from injuries, Ireland are also likely to need to rotate with all six of their qualifiers taking place in double-headers with just 72 or fewer hours in between.
He said: “It depends on the situation. So if a player has been tired or is carrying an injury, you probably cannot play him twice in three days. It’s different from individual to individual.”
As well as more intense competition in the squad – with Premier League regular Jake O’Brien named only as a substitute – there also appeared to be an increased competitiveness.
That was evidenced by Matt Doherty and Dara O’Shea each taking the other to task when they competed for the same ball – both missing – in the build-up to Kasey McAteer’s opener.
Then, Adam Idah gave McAteer a piece of his mind when the winger was unable to beat his man with a cross to pick him out in a good position.
For a team that has been criticised at various times for not caring enough or not having an edge, it was no bad thing as far as the manager was concerned.
He said: “We want to be in sync when we take decisions, there always needs to be a reaction. It was just a misunderstanding. And that is a healthy thing.
“Everybody likes to play the game and do well, if they have a chance to do so and the ball doesn’t come because somebody makes a mistake then they are unhappy with it, they should be unhappy with it.
“I cannot disagree with players saying this is how it should be done. It is OK.”
There was still one dissenting voice, however, with former boss Brian Kerr questioning the wisdom of playing African opposition in preparation for competitive games against European sides.
In his three-year spell in charge – in an era when there were far more friendlies played – Ireland played opposition from Africa, Asia, Central America, North America and South America.
And Hallgrímsson shrugged off the criticism and said: “It’s a really easy answer. First of all, it was difficult to find an opponent in this window because a lot of the teams are playing World Cup.
“And others already decided who they would play in friendlies so there was not a lot of options. Senegal was playing England.
“That is a world-class opponent and we wanted a strong opponent and that was probably the strongest we could get.
“It wouldn’t have been the correct way to do it, to play maybe two teams below us in the Fifa rankings. It wouldn’t be the same.
“To play different opponents is healthy and challenging for the players, with different kinds of threats and we can develop our game playing against opponents like these.
“And if we qualify for the World Cup, we need to play teams from Africa, Asia etc so it’s a good preparation. There is not a lot of games we can have if we qualify to play these opponents.”
YOU can take Killian Phillips out of Kilbarrack but you can not take Kilbarrack out of Killian Phillips.
He may be in a profession where peers holiday in Dubai rather than Dublin, but the St Mirren man is only going one place when his season ends.
Phillips declared: “There’s no better place in the world than Kilbarrack, I will be back sleeping on my ma’s couch on Wednesday.
“It’s Kilbarrack for me now. I might cross the Liffey a couple of times but that’s my holidays, I just want to go home, see everyone and get ready for pre-season.”
When he does return to St Mirren – the Buddies triggered an option to buy him from Crystal Palace following his loan – he will now have a new word attached to his name – ‘Ireland’s’..
Whatever happens in the rest of his career, the 23-year-old will always be an Ireland international after coming off the bench in Friday’s 1-1 draw with Senegal.
He said: ”It was probably the best feeling of my life, it was everything I wanted to do when growing up so it’s a dream come true.
“I was a bit nervous coming in, obviously a lot of players that I’ve watched over the years and supported in this stadium. So I probably froze a bit during the week.
“I think out there I was calm, I had a couple of deep breaths when I first came on, I was probably a little overwhelmed when I first run on.
“It’s just a game of ball, and at the end of day, that’s the way I look at it.”
Phillips impressed during his 23 minutes and took it all in afterwards as he sought out his personal fan club who got the Dart across the city to watch their local hero.
He continued: “I think there was bleedin’ 70 to 100 here. The support that I get in my local area and from family and friends means the world to me.
“I have such a great support system, a lot of people who looked after me over the years, coached me, I have to thank all of them now.
“I believe I am the first international from Kilbarrack so that’s something I can bring to the grave with me.
“I’m sure I will be sitting in the pub in 20 or 30 years’ time saying it to everyone who walks in.”
The area is probably best known outside Dublin 5 as where the movie ‘The Snapper’ was filmed.
And like any suburb, there are temptations and pitfalls to be avoided.
He continued: “It means the world to me, and I hope it gives the kids in Kilbarrack something to look up to as well…
“That you don’t have to go down the roads of… you know yourself, you know what goes on in Kilbarrack, you don’t have to do that, if you have a dream and you work hard every day you can do it.
“I am just a kid from Kilbarrack whose dream came true and the kids at the club now (Kilbarrack United) have someone to look up to.
“It’s easier now to dream that dream as someone has done it, I am so proud because my community backs me so much.”
And his own story should inspire as his route from Kilbarrack to the Aviva Stadium was far from straightforward.
The 23-year-old explained: “I was turned down by League of Ireland clubs when I was 17 but that’s football and the beauty of the game, there’s no linear progression.
“I was playing Sunday league at 17.”
At that time, he was also on the FAI Fingal County Council TY Course where he was named Player of the Year and was soon picked up by Drogheda United’s academy.
And he credited the support there from current Longford Town boss Wayne Groves there as helping him on the road to where he is now.
He continued: “Everyone at Drogheda… Tim (Clancy), Kev (Doherty), Wayne Groves, they played a big part in developing me, they were the first managers who believed in me.
“I’d have quit football a few years ago if I hadn’t met Wayne Groves when I did, he was the first person to believe in me so I owe him so much.
“And Tim and Kev, who gave me my professional debut as well. Without them I wouldn’t be here.
“I am here now and I’d hope to inspire a younger generation, never give up and if you work as hard as I do, sacrifice as much as I did, you get the rewards.”
But now Phillips wants to show that he can become a fixture in the Ireland team.
His call-up and debut came after an impressive season with St Mirren where he was player of the year, but also because Hallgrímsson believes he offers something different.
Standing 6ft 3in, his big frame and athleticism make him a different sort of Ireland’s other midfield option.
Phillips continued: “I spoke to him on the phone a few weeks before I got called up, he just spoke to me about the season, how I was playing.
“It was a private conversation – but he told me exactly what he expected from me.
“Probably something different. A lot of presence in midfield, I can get around the pitch fairly handy. I can win a lot of duels as well.
“So obviously something that the gaffer thinks I can do well and something different I can bring to the team, so when I am called upon that’s what I will do.
“That’s what I try to bring when I play for my country. That’s what I will bring to play for my country.”
ADAM IDAH has been told it’s not easy being green with his role as a striker for Ireland more demanding than it is as Celtic.
In Friday night’s friendly against Senegal, the Cork striker made his first start for his country since the opening match of Heimir Hallgrímsson’s reign, against England last September.
Doubts over Evan Ferguson’s ability to ast 90 minutes- plus Idah’s winner off the bench against Bulgaria in March – helped convince the Icelander to ask him to lead the line.
Although he did not get a sniff of goal – berating scorer Kasey McAteer for failing to find him with a cross in the first half – Hallgrímsson was pleased with his efforts.
And he reckons the penny has dropped that his duties for Ireland are far more onerous than they are for Celtic, for whom he scored 20 times in all competitions this season.
Asked how Ferguson was looking after a hugely-disappointing club campaign, Hallgrímsson said: “Really good, we were even thinking of starting him.
“He’s been sharp in training and I think you saw when he came on he was sharp. We’ve been really happy with him in the sessions.
“Whether he was ready for 90 minutes, we were not sure and Adam deserved to start.
“And he did a solid performance, his workrate was I thought better than often before.”
Hallgrímsson insisted that he had never had cause to question Idah’s willingness to work but reckoned the former Norwich City just had to come to terms with the differing demands for club and country.
Hallgrímsson said: “No, I saw he took the job seriously on Friday.
“It’s not been an issue but I think in his club it’s just so different a role it’s difficult to switch.
“Because we need a lot of defending from our strikers and he’s just not used to it at Celtic when they have their possession at say 60/70/80 percent in games.
“So the space he needs to work on in games is small. It’s a switch and hopefully players are learning more and more and he is growing. He knows what we expect so that’s a positive sign.”
But he could be dropped for Tuesday’s match against Luxembourg Troy Parrott – who was ill last week – and Ferguson vying to start.
Hallgrímsson said: “When a player is sick, we’re not doing him a favour playing him if he’s 80 percent.
“We would obviously like to play him fully fit and give him the chance to show himself when he is fully fit.
“He was OK. Probably he would have come into this game were it not for the injury to Robbie Brady in the end but we will see him play in two days.”
One Punch Man is an iconic superhero series that has impacted the Seinen genre with its parody of heroism, the mangaka reshaped tropes, and our perceptions of characters. But there’s something most fans don’t know. As popular and relevant as the series might be, it took tedious efforts to ensure its visibility. The whole process […]
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