First match of 2014 is on March 5th, vs Serbia in Dublin. Robbie Keane is rested, and there's no return for Stephen Ireland or Shay Given. Provisional squad: Forde [Millwall] Randolph [Birmingham], Elliot [Newcastle]; Keogh [Derby], Wilson [Stoke], Coleman [Everton], O'Shea [Sunderland], Pearce [Reading], Kelly [Reading], Delaney [Ipswich], Dunne [QPR], Clark [Aston Villa], Ward [Brighton]; McCarthy [Everton], Whelan [Stoke], Green [Ipswich], Reid [Nottingham Forest], McGeady [Everton], Pilkington [Norwich], McClean [Wigan], Quinn [Hull], Meyler [Hull], Hoolahan [Norwich]; Long [Hull], Murphy [Ipswich], Walters [Stoke], Cox [Nottingham Forest], Doyle [QPR], Stokes [Celtic]
Looks like Serbia will be bringing a strong squad: Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojković (Ergotelis, Greece), Željko Brkić (Udinese, Italy) Defenders: Antonio Rukavina (Valladolid, Spain), Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea,England), Dušan Basta (Udinese, Italy), Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City, England), Nenad Tomović (Fiorentina, Italy), Milan Biševac (Lyon, France) Midfielders: Radosav Petrović (Genčlerbirligi, Turkey), Nenad Krstičić (Sampdoria, Italy), Ljubomir Fejsa (Benfica, Portugal), Nemanja Matić (Chelsea, England), Adem Ljajić (Roma, Italy), Nemanja Gudelj (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Zoran Tošić (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Dušan Tadić (FC Twente, Netherlands) Strikers: Lazar Marković (Benfica, Portugal), Miralem Sulejmani (Benfica, Portugal), Stefan Šćepović (Sporting Gijon, Spain), Filip Đorđević (Nantes, France)
Kevin Doyle, Andy Reid, and Rob Elliot all out injured. Richard Dunne is rested. As of this afternoon, the rest of the squad are expected to be available.
And in Canada as well. Hopefully they use George Hamilton's commentary as they've done for previous friendlies. I know they try their best, but I cannot stand GolTV's usual commentators.
Ireland start 4-2-3-1: Forde; Coleman, Richard Keough, Wilson, Ward; Whelan, McCarthy; McGeady, Hoolahan, McLean,; Long.
Half Time: Ireland 1-0 Serbia. Very good half against a strong Serbian side. It's nice to see us hold possession against a good side, and create clear goal-scoring chances. Hoping for more in the second half! Feel like the Serbs will score, though...
As good as the first half was, that second half was awful. The number of individual errors by Irish players was staggering. We could/should have been 2 or even 3-0 up... instead we conspired to lose the match 2-1. Very disappointing.