Euro 2012: Northern Ireland bid to end European Championship hoodoo
When the draw was made for the Euro 2012 qualifiers, those in Northern Ireland must have let out a collective sigh and rolled their eyes in unison after seeing Italy and Serbia drawn out alongside them in Group C.
They’ve been in this situation before, you see. On more occasions than they’d care to remember.
Northern Ireland may have competed in three World Cup finals, but they still wait patiently for their first appearance in Europe’s showpiece international tournament.
That’s not to say they haven’t come close. In fact, the small nation have come within touching distance of qualification several times before, only for their dream to inevitably shatter.
Back in 1984, Northern Ireland beat the mighty West Germany home and away during qualification, but still missed out because of their inferior goal difference. Meanwhile, for Euro 2008, David Healy’s stunning goalscoring exploits, where he broke the record of goals scored in one Euro qualification campaign with 13, were eventually to little avail as Spain and Sweden pipped them to the post.
This time it’s hoped their bad fortune will finally come to an end. Surely it’s only a matter of time until the fabled “luck of the Irish” comes to prominence for the national football team?
Manager Nigel Worthington will be hoping so. His predecessor, Lawrie Sanchez, oversaw a large chunk of the last Euro qualifying campaign – including Northern Ireland’s famous 3-2 victory over eventual European and world champions Spain - and helped the national side to all-time high of 27th in the world rankings.
Equalling those achievements is a daunting prospect for Worthington, but after guiding the team through qualifying for this summer’s World Cup, the former Norwich City boss has the necessary experience and guile to take Northern Ireland close once more.
While the Italians and Serbians are the unsurprising favourites to advance from the group, Worthington’s side are considered the best of the rest - the plucky underdogs with an outside chance of causing an upset. It’s up to the players to show they’re more than just hopefuls, and to prove they’re determined to grab the opportunity to compete at Euro 2012 with both hands.
And despite their tag, Northern Ireland are a long way ahead of fellow Group C contenders Faroe Islands, who came within three minutes of securing their first-ever away win, only to concede two goals in the final minute against Estonia in the group’s opening match.
The only other team in the group are Slovenia, who Northern Ireland face in Maribor on Friday evening. In order to advance to their first European Championships, these are the sort of matches where picking up maximum points can be the difference between actually being at a major international tournament and watching it from home.
Of course, taking points from the group’s big-guns Italy and Serbia will also be required, but it’s the matches against those teams around them which can often prove the trickiest.
Belfast’s Windsor Park is braced for the next wave of highly-charged international matches. And none are as eagerly-anticipated as the national team’s first home qualifier against the Azzurri in October.
Rest assured, star striker Healy, who bursts into life every time he pulls on the green shirt, will be relishing this occasion as much as the supporters. Huge pressure is on his shoulders to lead the team again, though. For all their heart, Northern Ireland lack the quality to compete with the likes of Italy.
However, as both Spain and England have discovered to their peril over recent years, a spirited Northern Ireland side should never be underestimated.
Euro 2012 previews:
http://www.senore.com/Euro-2012-Englands-footballers-start-the-long-road-back-to-regaining-the-nations-trust-a24972
http://www.senore.com/Euro-2012-John-Toshack-running-out-of-time-to-help-Wales-youngsters-prove-their-worth-a24977
http://www.senore.com/EURO-2012-Tough-task-awaits-new-Scotland-boss-Craig-Levein-a24981
http://www.senore.com/Euro-2012-Republic-of-Ireland-looking-to-overcome-Paris-heartache-a24975
Tags: