PREVIEW
Republic of Ireland take on Norway at Ullevaal Stadion in their final international friendly before they embark on their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Head coach Giovanni Trapattoni will be aiming to come away from Wednesday's fixture with a positive result as he prepares for back-to-back qualifiers against Georgia, which will take place at a neutral venue, and Montenegro in September.
Trapattoni, who took over as Ireland boss in February, has already confirmed 10 of his starting 11 for the encounter against Age Hareide's men.
Steven Reid remains the Italian's only fitness doubt with Liam Miller poised to replace the Blackburn midfielder should he fail to recover from a knee problem.
Trapattoni bows
Experienced shot-stopper Shay Given, full-back Steve Finnan, who came out of international retirement at the manager's request for the encounter, and the fit-again Kevin Kilbane will make their first appearances under Trapattoni's reign.
Liverpool's £20million forward Robbie Keane will skipper the side, and could come up against former Reds team-mate John Arne Riise, who moved to Roma this summer.
Aston Villa's John Carew, Fulham duo Brede Hangeland and Erik Nevland, and Blackburn winger Morten Gamst Pedersen could all be set for roles.
On the fixture, Hareide said: "We have to play Scotland in the qualifying games for the World Cup and this game against Ireland will give us a good idea of what to expect against the Scots."
Republic of Ireland last played Norway in 2003 when a Damien Duff goal gave former manager Brian Kerr a 1-0 win.
Match 438
MATCH REPORT
Norway 1-1 Republic of Ireland
The Republic of Ireland failed to build upon their half-time advantage tonight at Ullevaal Stadium as Norway recovered to earn a deserved draw in this friendly played through a downpour of rain.
Robbie Keane’s 34th senior International goal put Ireland in command at the break but they came under pressure from the Norwegians later in the game and succumbed through the concession of an equaliser by Tore Reginiussen just past the hour.
The exercise was most useful in the run-up to the start of the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, which will begin shortly on September 6 against Georgia at a neutral venue.
Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni set up his team in an attacking formation with wingers Aiden McGeady and Damien Duff given the freedom to attack from the flanks.
Before Ireland took a stranglehold on the game midway through the first-half, they had to endure some hesitant moments.
Debutant Mohamed Abdellaoui was a handful in attack for Norway and he raced free from John O’Shea on ten minutes but could only lift his lob over the advancing goalkeeper Shay Given.
The Newcastle stopper denied the same front-man with a save after 23 minutes when Abdellaoui nipped in to stab a shot from close-range following some slack defending.
The Irish, influenced by the purposeful passing of midfielder Steven Reid, began to settle into a cohesive unit and gradually found the openings.
Reid fed captain Robbie Keane with a pass into feet on the half-hour mark and the Irish captain twisted inside and outside of his marker before smashing a shot towards the bottom corner which goalkeeper Rune Almenning Jarstein pushed away.
Four minutes later, Damien Duff went close with a deflected shot from outside the box that Jarstein touched over for a corner.
From the resultant flag-kick, the ball was worked into the path of Aiden McGeady outside of the area and his wicked left-footed shot veered low and just wide of the right post.
The goal that looked likely to arrive did so after 44 minutes. Damien Duff pushed a pass through to Robbie Keane and after the striker stepped inside Tore Reginlussen, he fired a shot with his left-foot from ten yards that swept beneath goalkeeper Jarstein.
The incessant rain which fell during the latter part of the first period had its toll on the pitch after the break as surface water made concise passing the exception rather than the norm.
Norway pressed for an equaliser in the second period and drew level through a set-piece just past the hour mark.
Martin Andresen’s free-kick from the left was missed by substitute goalkeeper Dean Kiely and when Kevin Kilbane inadvertently headed the ball back across his goal, Tore Reginlussen was there to volley home from close range.
John Arne Riise's trusty left-foot was the source of many attempts at goal by Norway and the former Liverpool defender unleashed a thunderous volley on 65 minutes from 25 yards which required Kilbane’s intervention to divert off-target and out for a corner.
The conditions ensured that any pattern of play in the second half was disrupted and both nations would have felt a draw was a fair result in the end as they move on to the competitive fixtures next month.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Given (Newcastle United) - Kiely (West Brom) - h/t; Finnan (Liverpool) - Kelly (Birmingham City) - 69 mins, O’Shea (Manchester United), Dunne (Manchester City), Kilbane (Wigan Athletic); McGeady (Celtic) - Hunt (Reading) - 69 mins, S. Reid (Blackburn Rovers), Whelan (Stoke City), Duff (Newcastle United); Keane (Liverpool), Doyle (Reading) - Murphy (Sunderland) - 64 mins.
NORWAY: Jarstein, Reginlussen, Hengeland, Riise, Stromstad (Haestad - 43 mins), Andresen, Hogli, Abdellaoui, Helstad, Holm. Subs: Haestad for Stromstad (43 minutes), Pedersen for Holm (h/t), Nevland for Helstad (57 mins), Grindheim for Abdellaoui (81 mins).
REF: Mr. M. Whitby (Wales). |
