Wales vs Northern Ireland: Quarter-finals beckons for one debutant
It’s going to be a United Kingdom derby as Wales and Northern Ireland lock horns in the round of 16 at the Parc des Princes on Saturday evening.
Both Wales and Northern Ireland have never been at this stage in a Euro tournament. In fact, these two sides have never competed at a Euro competition. Period. The Dragons and the Green and White Army are one of five debutants making their bow this summer in France. Both defied the odds to get to this juncture – albeit through vastly different styles of football. And both are looking to take it one step further as they seek to book their spot in the quarter-finals – and perhaps beyond.
Neither Wales nor Northern Ireland were placed in an “easy” group, but they did not face the toughest quartet, either. For Chris Coleman’s side, they ended up in Group B. With England, fellow debutant Slovakia, and Russia for company, arguably, the Three Lions represented their biggest challenge – on paper at least. However, the Dragons impressed everyone by not just surviving in their group – they thrived.
Against Slovakia, they showed their determination by fighting back from a 1-1 draw to snatch all three points. In their second game, they suffered a setback when they lost to England. However, were it not for Daniel Sturridge’s last gasp goal, Wales would have secured one point. And finally, they showed their fortitude as they cruised to a deserved 3-0 win over Russia.
Although star player Gareth Bale – who presently is on top of the scoring charts with three goals – received most of the plaudits, Wales’s supporting cast also were equally as impressive. With six points out of nine, they topped their quartet and booked their spot in the final 16. Coleman, fortunately, will have everyone available, with no injuries or suspensions. Throughout this tournament, he has rotated the squad quite effectively; in fact, only a handful of players have featured in all three matches as starters.
However, despite no suspensions, there are two players who need to be very careful. Both Ben Davies and Sam Vokes cannot afford to pick up a yellow card as they will miss out if Wales makes it to the quarter-finals. With that in mind, it will be very interesting to see if Coleman opts to swap them out, or sticks with the same starting XI from the match against Russia.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland will not win neutrals over with their brand of football. But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and the Green and White Army certainly know their limitations. Their ultra-defensive approach did not prevent them from losing to Germany and Poland, but it definitely kept the score-line down. And they picked up a 2-0 win over Ukraine – their first ever at a Euro tournament.
Like Coleman, O’Neill has a full-strength squad available at his disposal. Despite leading the scoring for Northern Ireland, Kyle Lafferty may have to start from the bench. Instead, Conor Washington could lead the line in his stead. And four players – Craig Cathcart, Jonny Evans, Jamie Ward and Stuart Dallas – need to be on their best behavior to avoid another booking.
So far, Wales and Northern Ireland have faced off five times. And so far, the Dragons have yet to lose, albeit three of these games resulted in draws. Their last meeting, which took place in March of this year concluded as a one-all stalemate. Cathcart struck first for the Green and White Army, before Simon Church’s late spot-kick earned a draw for the Dragons.
This will be the second debutant clash on Saturday. Yes, Switzerland and Poland are not new to the Euro scene; however, neither have ever featured in the knockout rounds. Both Wales and Northern Ireland will obviously be looking to prolong their run as long as possible. However, Bale has been the star man for the Dragons – he single-handedly fired them into this tournament, and expect him to be the difference for Wales to book their spot in the quarter-finals.
