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Ireland
Not many people expected the Irish to be making a trip to the finals. After all, they were drawn in the same qualifying group as Portugal and Holland.
But not only did they qualify, they did it in impressive fashion, going unbeaten in group play. But they still had another test to pass -- a playoff with Iran. They proved their mettle again and moved on. Can they now carry over their momentum to the finals?
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto takes a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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Manager Mick McCarthy normally employs a traditional 4-4-2 formation, which worked very well in qualifying. He prefers to play in a direct-ball style using long passes to the frontline. This means Ireland is better on the counterattack and many times scores goals against the run of play. It happened in Holland and in Portugal, where they achieved impressive 2-2 and 1-1 results respectively.
Giant striker Niall Quinn is fundamental in this system, since it is he who holds up the ball or nods it on for his colleagues. In addition to having a big target man, Ireland has excellent crossers of the ball; players like Kevin Kilbane, Jason McAteer, Damien Duff and Matt Holland are speedy wingers who can swing in great balls for Quinn and Robbie Keane.
And who can forget Roy? A crucial piece in the Ireland puzzle.
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Roy Keane. Everything seems to go through Ireland's No. 6. He is a midfield maestro who sets the tempo of the Ireland attack. He has been instrumental for Manchester United and is also crucial to McCarthy's side. He leads by example and is not shy to tell his teammates what they should be doing on the pitch -- an important quality of an effective captain. They need him to be healthy throughout the finals.
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Predictability. How's Ireland going to hurt you? They are going to try to hit you on the break or pump the ball down the wings and cross it into the area. It's a simple plan and it worked in qualifying, but it is very predictable. The truth is Ireland lacks one player who can turn the game in its favor with a moment of improvisational magic, and that will hurt the team in tight games. There is no question about this side's commitment because they can run you off the pitch, but many times they play more with their hearts than their heads -- not ideal in many situations.
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Injuries. Throughout the qualifying campaign, Ireland had to play many games without both Keanes, who were both injured. They didn't play many matches for their clubs either throughout the season, so they could be lacking a bit of rhythm when the finals roll around. The Irish need their two stars to be in top shape in order to make an impact. |
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Ireland qualified for the finals after beating Iran 2-1 on aggregate in a world playoff. In the first phase of qualifying, it finished second in UEFA's Group 2. The Irish won seven and drew three of their 10 games, scoring 23 goals and conceding five.
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Ireland is making a third trip to the finals. The Irish made the quarterfinals in 1990 and were eliminated in the second round in '94. They have played a total of nine World Cup games, winning one, drawing five and losing three.
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Ireland may have done well in qualifying, but I still don't see them making it far in the finals. At best they will squeak into the second round, but still that is a bit farfetched. Why? Their players just don't have enough quality and skill to make it through. Their strength is definitely in unity and team play, but I don't see that taking them far in the tournament with so many other talented sides around.
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