stock Forums

Ithiel · Site Admin Joined: 01 Jan 1970 Posts: 15317

<div class="track"><img alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.20.3/52536?ns=guardian&pageName=Republic+of+Ireland+v+France+-+live+minute-by-minute+report%3AArticle%3A1305265&ch=Football&c3=GU.co.uk&c4=World+Cup+2010+%28Football%29%2CRepublic+of+Ireland+football+team%2CFrance%2CFootball%2CFrance+%28Football+team%29&c6=Josh+Widdicombe&c7=09-Nov-14&c8=1305265&c9=Article&c10=Minute+by+minute&c11=Football&c13=&c25=&c30=content&h2=GU%2FFootball%2FWorld+Cup+2010" width="1" height="1" /></div>Hit the auto-update button for the latest posts and email <a href="mailto:joshwiddi@gmail.com">joshwiddi@gmail.com</a> with your predictions and witticisms. <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/matches">Follow all tonight's scores live here</a>The mayor of Dublin is just meeting the teams. She is wearing a hat she will want to forget in years to come, a touch too much of the Mick Fleetwood to it.The players are about to come out at Croke Park, it is all look very green in the stands. And on the pitch, obviously."When you call this game the Big Game of the Day, don't you mean of the games being played by teams from the British Isles?" asks James Wells. "Wouldn't Egypt v Algeria be the Big Game of the Day, since it actually decides who's in, plus is being contested by bitter rivals? And just won by Egypt in the 95th minute." I judge the size of games purely on which I am doing the minute-by-minute on, James, I am very shallow.My colleague Evan Fanning, who is far more Irish than I will ever be (although I do really, really love Father Ted), has sent this to me as means of inspiration: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5PT65I2ny8">Irish motivational video</a>. My goosebumps are pending.Sky's build up is trying to stay away from any Irish stereotypes. I am currently watching a montage set to U2 played on a harp. I am not joking.The teams Republic of Ireland: Given, O'Shea, St. Ledger, Dunne, Kilbane, Lawrence, Whelan, Andrews, Duff, Doyle, Keane. Subs: Joe Murphy, McGeady, McShane, Kelly, Gibson, Hunt, Best. France: Lloris, Sagna, Gallas, Abidal, Evra, Lassana Diarra, Alou Diarra, Gourcuff, Anelka, Gignac, Henry. Subs: Mandanda, Escude, Govou, Benzema, Sissoko, Malouda, Squillaci. Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)Looks like Liam's brother won't be his big birthday surprise then ...It's a long shot, but can we get a full team of footballer's retives by the end of this match?I don't want to drop a name but ... I've just got an email from the brother of one of tonight's key players. "Hey Josh," writes Liam Given (YES! That Given). "Imagine my surprise when my fiancé said that for my 40th birthday treat she had organised a 'surprise' party the same night as the Rep of Ireland v France game here in Belfast. And that because people were 'flying in' etc I had no choice but to be there. Ungrateful of me? Perhaps. But when you appreciate my birthday isn't until Monday AND – more pertinently - I'm Shay Given's oldest brother and never miss a game it does add a glumness to proceedings. Enjoy the game!" You poor blighter, Liam. But at least you don't have to work on a Saturday night like your brother. Do we have any other reletives of tonight's teams out there? It is not an exact science but based purely on reletives reading this report I am predicting tonight's score to be 1-0 to Ireland (Thierry Henry's uncle is yet to email me).Preamble: Hello there and welcome to the big game of the day (quiet at the back, England fans), as Ireland and France meet in the first leg of what promises to be a rather tense 180 minutes of play-off football. After all the discussion of Ireland being undone by the late seeding of the play-off draw, they could have drawn far worse than the underperforming French and their "eccentric" and unpopular manager.It's not just me whose confident about Ireland's chances (though of course, that would be enough) but the team themselves, who have been talking themselves up this week. "If [France] were as good as everyone seems to think, they would have won their group," says Richard Dunne, neglecting to mention that no one actually thinks they are any good.One thing, can anyone help me out on this? It is seen as common sense that playing at home first over two legs is a disadvantage. Is there any evidence to back this up? Do we have statistics, people? I've just read Freakanomics you see (yes, I'm three years too late), so i am treating received wisdom like this with a raised eyebrow.<div class="related" style="float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/worldcup2010">World Cup 2010</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/republicofireland">Republic of Ireland</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/france">France</a></li><li><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/france">France</a></li></ul></div><div class="author"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/joshwiddicombe">Josh Widdicombe</a></div> <div class="terms"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk">guardian.co.uk</a> © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/help/feeds">More Feeds</a></div>
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2e60329KyDTLvMqFx42lz4nqhTA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2e60329KyDTLvMqFx42lz4nqhTA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> 
<a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2e60329KyDTLvMqFx42lz4nqhTA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/2e60329KyDTLvMqFx42lz4nqhTA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a>

Read more...