The British and Irish Lions matchday 23 for their first warm-up test against Japan this Saturday has been announced.
The two teams will face each other at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh with kick-off at 3:00 pm.
Six Irish players are included in the starting XV – Iain Henderson, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw. You can use your Coral Promo Code and back The Lions at 2/1 to win the tour in South Africa.
It is the highest amount of players in the XV from any of the four national teams of Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.
Leinster prop Tadhg Furlong is on the bench, bringing the total of Irish players in the 23 to seven.
Tour Captain Alun Wyn Jones= takes the armband for the side’s first warm-up test.
Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson give a Scottish feel to the front row while the back row includes Beirne and Conan alongside Hamish Watson.
Conor Murray and Dan Biggar are the starting inside-back pairing with Irish centres Aki and Henshaw beside them.
Duhan Van Der Merwe, Josh Adams and Liam Williams round off the XV.
Furlong, Jamie George, Owen Farrell and Anthony Watson are among those on the bench.
Chris Farrell opened Ireland’s account with a try after Yu Tamura’s early penalty. Japan responded when Michael Leitch touched down after the visitors mauled over for a try.
Stuart McCloskey then gave Ireland a 12-10 lead after Joey Carbery started an attack with a clever chip, but Japan continued to attack in waves and Timothy Lafaele got over after a free-flowing move.
Finlay Bealham responded for Ireland just before half-time with a try and they took a 19-17 lead into the break.
Siosaia Fifita was next to touch down after the break as Japan came out all guns blazing. It was tit-for-tat as Josh van der Flier then got an Ireland try to put Farrell’s men 26-24 ahead.
Jacob Stockdale was next to notch a try for Ireland but Japan rallied with a late try from Naoto Saito. A Joey Carbery penalty opened up an eight-point lead and Ireland held on for the win.
We’re a game down in Euro 2020 and it’s fair to say that it’s already been a tournament of highs and lows. Some nations have really thrown their hat into the ring as a major contender, while others, such as Croatia, have seemingly looked like they’re on the decline following a big World Cup just three years ago.
But after one game, which are the nations that are looking good, and potentially on track to be real contenders in just a few weeks time?
Italy
Italy got off to the perfect start, and in a country that invented bingo, their cards are certainly now marked by the rest of the competition. To put it into a bingo site like analogy, the calls were loud and clear by Roberto Mancini and his side delivered a performance against the Turkish that had all Azzurri fans and pundits going, “bingo”, Mancini really has got it right after the nation struggled over the past few tournaments.
England
England looked assured on Sunday afternoon and Gareth Southgate will be pleased with how comfortable his young side looked against the experience of Croatia. It certainly sent a message to the rest of the pack with the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raheem Sterling being particularly effective. The squad is talented and they have the depth to stay fresh, select teams to suit the opposition, and of course be one of the most exciting attacking prospects in the competition.
Netherlands
Netherlands are like Italy in that they’ve struggled to hit the heights of yesteryear in more recent tournaments. They’re back though and got their tournament underway in exciting fashion with a win over Ukraine. The better team for large spells of the fixture, they also showed the resilience to bounce back and win after their opponents hit two quick goals to equalise. It’s their toughest fixture out of the way, and they should be comfortably into the knockout stages, where anything can happen.
Belgium
Belgium were already being considered major contenders, but their dismantling of Russia would suggest they’re here for business more than some were giving them credit for. An ageing defence and relatively uninspiring midfield had seen many write the Red Devils off, but they certainly hit the ground running in their opener and the potency of Romelu Lukaku will certainly keep them in the running against any other nation in the tournament.
Of course, both France and Germany are always going to be contenders, while Portugal and Spain have good squads that could see them beat anyone on their day. It’s as open as a book at present, and the first round of fixtures have certainly ensured it stays that way.
No sooner has the domestic and continental football season concluded, fans are already beginning to wonder what lies ahead for their favourite teams. In the Premier League, the leading clubs are preparing for a serious assault on the title won last season by Manchester City. But will they be dethroned in the 2021-22 campaign or can Pep Guardiola steer them to another league crown?
Considering the vast sums of money some of the continental clubs were splashing out, Manchester City actually spent very wisely ahead of last season. The biggest individual spend was on Ruben Dias, who cost around £65 million from Portuguese side Benfica, although he more than proved his worth.
Dias proved to be the missing link that Pep Guardiola and City had been looking for, the keystone at the heart of what became the best Premier League defence, conceding just 32 goals. The 24-year-old centre-back was so impressive that he also won the Premier League Player of the Season award, while teammate Phil Foden won the Young Player of the Season award.
Looking ahead, there’s no doubt Guardiola will be looking to strengthen other areas, with an extra attacking reinforcement required following the departure of Sergio Aguero, who left after 10 glorious campaigns with the club. Heading off to join his lifelong friend Lionel Messi at Barcelona, as reported by Fabrizio Romano for The Guardian, he will be a tough player to replace.
Otherwise, the squad is packed with more than enough depth and quality, with little real need to splash out on anything other than another striker to fill the boots of Aguero. For this reason, Manchester City are 3/4 Premier League favourites with online betting site Betway as of 9th June, and with their resources it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a top striker join their project.
Time for the Red Devils to Challenge?
Manchester United made a poor start to the season, losing three of their first six games, including a 1-6 home trouncing by Tottenham Hotspur. However, when the team hit its rhythm, they lost just one of their next 28 games. Despite losing just six games over the course of the season, the same as champions Manchester City, draws proved the biggest problem.
United were held in 11 of their 38 games last season, more than half of which were 0-0 draws. While they were incredibly tough to beat, the side led by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer often lacked enough cutting edge going forward. Incredible for a side that was capable of beating Southampton 9-0 at Old Trafford at the start of February.
The key issue for the Red Devils was blowing hot and cold. When they were in good form, the quality football on display was reminiscent of the sides managed by Alex Ferguson. Nevertheless, there was always the sense that in some games, key players just weren’t capable of producing the goods.
Solskjaer already knows he needs to strengthen, with two or three quality additions needed to make his team genuine title contenders. United really need another top-class defender to slot alongside captain Harry Maguire, along with a genuine grafter and ball-winner in midfield.
Kings of Europe Battle for English Crown
Last season Chelsea invested heavily in the transfer market, spending more than £120 million on German duo Kai Havertz and Timo Werner. They were accompanied by over £100 million to land Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, and Edouard Mendy. Unfortunately for manager Frank Lampard, despite a positive start to the campaign, everything fell apart by December.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich decided it was time to press the ejection button, firing Lampard at the end of January after an awful run of 5 Premier League defeats in 8 games. Former PSG and Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel was hired, with the German coach immediately sparking a remarkable transformation in fortunes.
While the arrival of Tuchel was ultimately too late to help Chelsea mount a Premier League title bid, he did steer them back into the top four. What’s more, he also guided the Blues to winning the biggest prize of them all, beating Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League final, with fellow countryman Kai Havertz netting the winning goal.
Tuchel will inevitably be looking to add players to fit his own preferences this summer, therefore Abramovich will probably be digging into his deep pockets again. That said, the Stamford Bridge outfit already has one of the strongest squads in the Premier League, making them arguably the most likely candidates to dethrone Manchester City next season.
Reds Return & Foxes Flight of Fancy?
Despite ending the 2020-21 campaign third in the Premier League, many pundits are wondering whether Liverpool are now a spent force. In fairness, losing star defender Virgil van Dijk was a massive blow to their title defence, while the rest of the squad was unable to match their previous exploits. This will be an important summer for Jurgen Klopp and the Reds.
Finally, given Leicester City spent most of the last campaign within the top four, manager Brendan Rodgers will be hugely frustrated his team ultimately finished in fifth. Still, winning the FA Cup against Chelsea was worthy compensation. With a few quality additions to key areas, don’t underestimate the Foxes for a genuine Premier League title bid next season.
Football is considered one of the most popular games among the stronger sex. Guys have been kicking the ball since childhood in the courtyard, on the school field, and later gather in companies on the “green”. With age, time for entertainment is becoming less and less, and now you only have the opportunity to watch the games on TV. Solve this problem may virtual simulators available on mobile devices. Below we look at five of the most popular football games.
Try a live casino not on gamstop, where there are football-themed machines. Instead of scoring goals, you’ll have to collect combinations of symbols. Playing for money will allow you to earn real winnings. You can try the slot machines for free, using the demo mode with virtual credits. But best of all, you don’t need to download any gaming clients. The machines run through a standard HTML5 enabled browser.
FIFA 2021
One of the most famous game franchises from the Electronic Arts studio, which has received huge acclaim among football gamers. The game is ported to PCs and consoles, but the developers are not forgetting the mobile fans. The players will have a career storyline as one of the players, the possibility to play against real opponents and friends. All teams and squads are real, there are also the popular European Championships, the Champions League and more. By participating in online games, you can unlock seasonal rewards and receive gifts from the battle pass. The game is constantly updated with the latest team line-ups. Beginners are offered a training mode, where you can learn all the basics of the gameplay.
Football Cup 2021
Football simulator with excellent graphics, approaching realism. There are three game modes: season, tournament and practice. Choose your favourite team and take them to the top and earn the championship trophy. In the season, you face all the teams in the league. At the end, based on the results of all the matches, decide the winner. Control the players using the display on your device. The players’ features include sprints as well as professional dribbling to get past defenders. In practice mode you can practice specific situations on the pitch: penalties, free kicks, corner kicks or just quick matches against the computer. With an authorised Google account it is possible to invite friends to friendly matches.
Real Football
In this game you will not take on the role of a specific player, but the entire squad, including managers and the head coach. Your career will start from the bottom, you will have to train players, buy new players in the transfer window and sell old ones. To diversify the gameplay the developers added daily tasks and achievements. The rewards you earn can be exchanged for different bonuses in the in-game shop. The player is controlled using the virtual joystick on the display screen. Advanced team settings allow the gamer to change the player’s formation, change uniforms, make substitutions and view statistics.
Score! Hero
A single player career simulator where the user finds himself in different situations and matches that require you to perform a specific task. It can be as few assists to his partner as a few goals, or a hat trick for a limited time. There are over 800 different levels available in total, developing your character from the bottom of your career up to the peak of his popularity. Along with the difficulty of the game, the character’s characteristics increase as well. In special game events you can earn medals, bonuses and special points that can be spent in the shop by buying various improvements. The game offers good graphics, a superficial plot, and the ability to play with their friends (requires logging in via Facebook).
Dream League Soccer 2021
Football simulation with an isometric camera and high-quality 3D graphics. Choose from existing teams or create your own, using over 4000 players from all over the world. There are 8 football divisions with top clubs and real life stadiums. The in-game shop has plenty of accessories to customise your team and players. If you are not interested in creating your own team, you can use any of the top clubs and play for them in the popular leagues. To strengthen your squad you will need to constantly monitor the transfer window, scout newcomers and hold training sessions with your old players.
With football simulators you will once again have the chance to live the atmosphere of noisy stadiums, play on the pitch and become a match hero by scoring the decisive goal in the Champions League final. Choose from the path of an aspiring player, a top manager or a football star. Use your wireless connection to enjoy football battles against real opponents, computer bots or friends. All you have to do is choose one of the featured games and download it to your mobile device.
Online gaming is big business. According to a study by Grand View Research, a couple of years ago the annual global online gaming market was valued at 48 billion USD. This amount is only expected to grow as smartphones and mobile internet continue to proliferate.
The new payment medium has penetrated many areas of business. But one of the most promising industries for virtual currency is online gambling. Why do gamblers and casinos choose to use bitcoin? First of all, it is a new modern payment method for casinos, but what other advantages does it have?
Benefits of digital currency for casinos
Being a sector with an enviable capital base and huge growth potential, online gambling continues to face challenges related to issues of trust from casino customers. Player concerns relate to the accuracy of odds, the security of cash bets and payouts, delays in withdrawals and high fees, not to mention data protection and digital security issues.
The integration of blockchain technology and online gambling will solve these problems of online casinos and restore the reputation of the industry as a whole by making transparency and controllability a key component of the product. In addition to this, other benefits of using digital currency are as follows.
Total Anonymity
Great anonymity is the main advantage that bitcoin online casinos offer their customers. They do not need to provide any confidential information to register. Decentralization of the payment system deals with it. All you need is an email address.
Transparency by transactions
The principle of Bitcoin transactions is fundamentally different from the state financial systems. Financial transactions conducted at Bitcoin Casino are classified as irrevocable. They do not involve the intermediation of other payment systems. It is hard to imagine a more transparent way to make payments. Plus, you get flexible limits and extremely low fees.
Withdrawal reliability
The reliability of the system is superior to any other system, largely since bitcoin cannot be counterfeited. Bitcoin’s properties guarantee security: casinos using this currency are protected from fraudsters. Therefore, a user’s account can’t be blocked because of dishonest visitors playing nearby.
Gaming with the lowest stakes
Bitcoin casinos are ideal for those who are not after big winnings but want to enjoy the gaming process. The creator of this cryptocurrency provided for its division into the smallest parts: one bitcoin has 100 million Satoshi. A player can bet one Satoshi, which is equal to about $0.002. So casino conversion to bitcoin will attract a new segment of players to you.
iGaming without borders
Bitcoin transfers have no restrictions. Nor does it matter where the location of the cryptocurrency transaction takes place. Crypto casinos are not defined by the player’s IP, so they can play in any country and withdraw money from their account — even in places where gambling is strictly illegal.
Bitcoin-only casinos are much more generous than their online competitors. This is due to a proactive policy of attracting players. Bitcoin transfer fees are either very small compared to other currencies or none at all. Thus, a player has a better chance of getting a higher percentage of returns on bitcoin slots.
Availability of special client programmes
Another big advantage is the availability of special client programs. These involve installing bitcoin on gadgets. This, in turn, allows the bitcoin payment method to be used as a regular wallet. There’s no limit to the number of transactions.
Ireland track star Sarah Lavin took a big step towards Olympic qualification last night with a superb run in Spain all but sealing it for the Limerick athlete.
Lavin ran a monumental 12.95 in the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Continental Tour silver meeting in Madrid last night, earning silver in the event.
The time meant that the hurdler became only the second Irish woman ever to break the 13-second barrier after Derval O’Rourke.
The Limerick native qualified for the 100m hurdles final after running a 13.2 and cut 0.24 off her personal best to achieve the impressive sub-13-second time.
The Tokyo Olympics Organisation Committee has announced that there will be a 50 percent cap in every sporting venue with no amount over 10,000
Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto made the announcement this morning after a long meeting with the Olympic and Japanese organizing bodies.
This decision goes against the advice of medical professionals who think having spectators is too risky during the Covid19 pandemic.
This statement is considered a surprise after there was an increase in cases in Japan in recent months. With the billions the country spent on this event, they plan to run it as close to normal as possible.
The country has already lost a large amount of revenue from the Olympics with new spaced-out venues needed and fewer ticket sales.
It was already announced weeks ago that overseas spectators would not be allowed in sporting events.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters:
“In the event of a state emergency was declared then we can’t rule out not having spectators.”
Fans are required to wear masks in the stadiums and shouting is said to be strictly prohibited.
A 50 percent attendance would not be too noticeable in most of the Japanese sports arenas except for the Tokyo Olympic Stadium and Football stadium. Both events have a capacity of around 65,000. Which the new regulations less than one-sixth of the supporters will see the 100m sprint or the football finals.
It seems that social media and television will have to be a major part of this year’s Olympic experience.
The Tokyo Olympic Games will start on Friday 23rd July and run until Sunday 8th August.
The GAA has seen many great and dominating teams throughout the decades. With Mick O’ Dwyer’s and Jack O’Connor’s Kerry sides coming to mind when discussing icon teams.
The Kingdom’s dominance all those years ago is now in the rearview mirror with one team coming to the fold as the pound for pound greatest GAA team of all time.
The present Dublin team have outgrown the amateur roots of the sport, leaving others in the dust of their success.
With an unprecedented seven-in-row on the horizon and a record-shattering ten-in-a-row a real possibility, the only question to ask is;
how does one stop the Dubs?
1. Neutralise Brian Fenton
Everything that comes through Dublin comes from Fenton, his overall impact on the midfield has been instrumental in their success over the past few years. If he is not playing you can see a gap in their quality going forward, when he does play it is almost impossible to stop the man who has not lost a championship game in his career so far.
When Fenton attains possession from the middle of the park, he has the pace, size and power. The way he carries the ball is a skill in itself and his acute ability to ponder into space is the best in the country. Man-marking him out of the game and from kick-outs will hamper him to a certain extent.
Matching him with a player of similar size and stature would help. David Moran in the 2019 All-Ireland Final went toe-to-toe with Fenton, matching him in the tackle and in work rate.
2. Maximise Scoring Opportunities
Any team that faces the Dubs know that if they do not take their chances when presented that they will inevitably be blitzed. To beat Dublin, a forward line especially needs to consistent in front of the goal. Mayo in 2017 had 48 attacks and only scored 17 points. Cillian O’Connor missed some crucial scores to let Dublin of the leash for the rest of the game.
A team needs reliable free-takers, for instance. The last team to beat Dublin was Donegal in 2014. They had Michael Murphy who rarely misses from frees and from open play. Scoring goals is also a big factor in conquering Dublin. Scoring at least three goals was enough for Donegal to beat them. Anything less will almost spell defeat for anyone.
3. Cluxton’s Kickouts
The infamous Cluxton kick-out has been feared and revered for years now. Making teams second-guessing on how the Dubs will progress forward. Dublin usually plays from the back-line with pace, with wing-backs galloping forward to create pressure out-wide.
However, under smart tactics to nullify the kick-out, teams will have to press high, Mayo did it in 2016 and 2017 with enough success to make Dublin lose possession. Mayo’s turn-over success rate from kick-outs was a major factor in why they did so well in those games from the middle of the park, especially in the first half.
You stop Cluxton, you stop Dublin in a major way.
4. The Donegal blueprint
Jim McGuinness was the last manager to dethrone the Dubs at Croke Park. All the way back in 2014 Donegal masterfully and tactically outsmarted Dublin in every way. in 2011 McGuinness’s Donegal played the Dubs with 15 men behind the ball. A defensive onslaught that still led to a defeat. Their second meeting saw his side layout a similar gameplan but when they did win back the ball, they drove at pace with a long-ball kicking gameplan.
Another way McGuinness saw off Dublin was to show no respect. Dublin kills off teams when teams play the way they want to play. By not breaking their defensive shape, it was difficult for Dublin to score freely. Inevitably Dublin grew conscious of this and began to panic, kicking from difficult angles to no avail.
It’s not as simple as putting 15 men behind the ball and not play football, it’s having the right gameplan with enough variety to cause damage. Donegals win in 2014 has often been imitated but never duplicated to the same result.
5. Time will Prevail
Every sport has that one team that is seen as invincible, blown up by the media and pundits alike. They are the greatest team in history, no debate there, but they can be beaten and eventually they will be. Games against Mayo in All-Ireland Finals have shown a chink in the armour, winning on both occasions by a single-point
Eventually, players will leave the panel. Stephen Cluxton, Philly McMahon, Johnny Cooper, Michael Fitzsimons, James McCarthy and Cian O’Sullivan are all coming to the twilight end of their careers, finding replacements of their quality and experience will be difficult.
With Mayo and Kerry fielding young and ambitious sides for the future, time will not be kind to Dublin if they are to sustain their dominance for years to come.
Like all good things, they must and will come to an end.
It is the 23rd of September 1951, Mayo has just beaten Leinster champions, Meath, in Croke Park to pick up their third All-Ireland title. The players jubilant in their success, travel home on the back of a truck.
While passing through a funeral in Foxford.The team decided not to pay respects and carried on with their celebrations.
Infuriated, a local priest put a curse on the team. That while every player from the 1951 team was still alive and well, Mayo would never win an All-Ireland title.
That was over 70 years ago, and Mayo has yet to lift the famous Sam Maguire cup. Those who witnessed its last success in 51 will share fond memories. Watching captain Sean Flanagan from their black and white TV is a Mayo person’s dream in the modern era.
Not competing in a single All-Ireland Final until 38 years after their 1951 victory in a losing attempt against Cork.
Not competing in a single All-Ireland Final until 38 years after their 1951 victory in a losing attempt against Cork. In 1996, 1997 against Meath and Kerry, Defeats did nothing for morale while whitewashes to Kerry in 2004 and 2006 saw great Mayo players leave the panel with no All-Ireland medals.
Sometimes you got to take a step back to take two steps forward
Fast forward to 2010 and Mayo have just been eliminated from the championship in the opening round of the qualifiers by Longford, the so-called Johnno II era was over with.
By the start of the 2011 campaign, former player James Horan became manager. New players such as Aidan O’Shea and Cillian O’Connor were finding their feet, the optimism around Mayo was growing.
Beating Roscommon to win their 41st Connacht title, eliminating All-Ireland Champions Cork in the Quarter-Finals. Before losing to Kerry in the All-Ireland Semi-Final was nothing to scoff about. This was the same group of players, who a year before lost to Longford.
The Bridesmaid Era
Conquering Connacht in 2012, and yet again knocking out the All-Ireland Champions in Dublin. Yet, losing another All-Ireland final to a ferocious Donegal side was deemed a success in some ways.
By 2013, Mayo was seen as the favourites for the championship, for the third year in a row, eliminating the All-Ireland Champions in Donegal before losing in the final to Dublin by a single point.
Cruelly losing to Kerry in the 2014 All-Ireland Semi-Final in Limerick saw James Horan step down as manager shortly after the loss.
Mayo later appointed Pat Holmes and Noel Connolly as joint managers in September of 2014.
Mayo ultimately lost to eventual champions Dublin in a Semi-Final Replay in 2015.
Shortly after, controversy fell upon Mayo once again. With Holmes and Connolly being ousted out of their roles by the players themselves. A vote of no confidence in the pair led to their resignation with the majority of players in favour of the decision.
Scrutiny around the camp was at an all-time high, many pundits criticizing the ‘’celebrity’’ nature of a team that failed on the big occasion time after time.
As a result, Stephen Rochford became Mayo manager in 2016.
Struggling in Connacht before battling their way through the Qualifiers. Another meeting with Dublin was set.
Their first meeting on All-Ireland final day was a classic and for the first time in history. Mayo scores two own goals, giving Dublin the advantage. Cillian O’Connor brought the game to a replay and another day in Croke Park loomed.
After an opening goal from Lee Keegan, Mayo ultimately lost by a single point, and it was back to square one.
A game they should have won became a constant theme throughout the decade, especially against the all-conquering Dubs was a hard pill to swallow.
Luck is for Winners
The start of the 2017 All-Ireland campaign showed the wear and tear of this Mayo team. Many ageing stars stuck around in the hope for one last hurrah. With Andy Moran committing for another season.
Losing to Galway in the Connacht Semi-Final did little to hamper spirits. The Qualifiers were up and running, and so was Mayo.
Beating the likes of Derry and Cork in close games before meeting Roscommon and Kerry in the Quarter and Semi-Finals, each tie going to a replay.
In the latter games, Mayo played with passion, ferocity and a willingness to put their bodies on the line for a united cause. They stormed through to the final where Dublin awaited yet again.
As soon as the match started, Mayo fell behind to a goal and played catch-up for the remainder of the first half before taking the lead heading into half-time The second half saw goal chances, red cards and a movie like finish that saw the Dubs come out victorious.
Mayo lost again, and it was clear that it was not for a lack of trying. Lady luck had swung in Dublin’s favour again. Mayo’s golden generation had come up short once more on the big occasion.
The Why, What, Where, When?
Looking back, the Mayo team from the last decade is easily one of the greatest GAA teams. The only team to never win the holy grail that is the All-Ireland, but nonetheless, their quality and level of consistency was the main reason why the GAA was as popular given Dublin’s dominance.
There are many factors as to why this group of players could never get over the line:
1. They are the perfect example of the right team, at the wrong time.
Dublin had Kerry and Tyrone to deal with in the 2000s, Dublin had Kerry in the 1970s and 1980s and Mayo had Dublin in the 2010s. Not one team could say they gave Dublin the level of problems that Mayo did. Facing off against the Dub eight times (replays included) and only winning one.
This was before Dublin really hit their stride and Mayo were just coming into theirs. Dublin simply knew how to win. Many of classic games between the pair, Mayo should have come out victorious on more than one occasion, with 2017 being a standout.
2. Politics, game-management, bad decisions and lack of killer mentality.
No one can question Mayo’s fight throughout the years, but what can be seen as an Achilles heel is the self-sabotage that comes with Mayo. The 2016 and 2017 finals in particular are when bad decisions came into the fray.
For the 2016 final replay, the baffling decision to drop David Clarke for Robbie Hennelly backfired when the Breffy man fumbled a ball into the square, leading to a Dublin penalty which subsequently made the difference in Mayo’s defeat. Reports of outside influence from certain players to include Hennelly put pressure on the management team were denied throughout.
In 2017 Donal Vaughan needlessly got sent off at the start of the second half for violent conduct when he struck John Small (who was on the verge of being sent of himself). A player of his experience should have known better and with Mayo a man up.
3. Conceding goals
What separates the good teams from the great teams is knowing how to win.
What separates the great teams from the greatest team is knowing how not to lose.
To put it simply, Mayo lost on big occasions because of conceding unnecessary goals. Conceding two goals in the early stages of 2012 gave Donegal a gap that was too tough to close. 2013 saw Bernard Brogan flatten Mayo’s mental fragility with two goals.
While two own goals in 2016 and a goal in the first minute of the 2017 final sealed Mayo’s fate before it really begun.
What Next?
James Horan returned in 2020 and managed to get a faltering Mayo side to the All-Ireland final, in another loss to Dublin. This time, however, the disappointment was minimal. With many young players joining.
2021 saw many retirements from the established group of players. Andy Moran, Keith Higgins, David Clarke, Tom Parsons, Chris Barrett and Donal Vaughan all hung up their boots after years of incredible service.
The squad still has influential players such as Aidan O’Shea, the O’Connor brothers, Lee Keegan, and Kevin McLoughlin. Along with new additions such as Matthew Ruane, Tommy Conroy, Oisín Mullin and Ryan O’Donoghue bring a much needed youthful outlook and will be challenging Dublin in years to come.
Conclusion
This Mayo team will be looked upon as a nearly team and rightfully so. However, the grit, determination and pure entertainment this group of players brought year in, year out cannot be disputed
“Every sport has its challenges, of course, if you step into a boxing ring, the physical toll and the mental toll of knowing I’m going to really hurt here and I have to hurt someone and I have to stay strong and stay focused even when someone is trying to punch me in the face.”
In the last decade, the psychological side of sport has been recognized as an important part of what makes a winner. Team Ireland is thinking the same way with this year’s journey to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
This will be a very different Olympics to any previous year. No overseas supporters are allowed to sporting venues meaning friends and family of the athletes will not be able to go.
Former Olympian Jessie Barr and Dr. Kate Kirby are part of the sports psychology support group for Team Ireland this year.
Speaking to Jessie Barr about minding an athlete’s headspace in this different Olympics, she said:
“Most athletes are used to competing in pretty quiet stadiums until they make it to major championships… what we might end up seeing are athletes who are distracted or find it quite nerve-racking having 80,000 people suddenly looking at me, that’s been taken away so that might benefit them in a positive way.”
Such a lovely gesture from @fbd_ie with some incredibly creative people putting this together for us. Thank you so much, your support is always appreciated https://t.co/UuM6EORC1R
Speaking to a psychologist is one of the many supports that Team Ireland provides for its athletes such as a physio and a nutritionist. None of these are mandatory for athletes but it is recommended that they use all services available to them.
Barr has experience of competing at the Games which help her understand what might be going through the mind of an Olympian. She was a 400m hurdler who competed at the London 2012 Games.
“You don’t need to have been an athlete to be a sports psychologist, but I definitely feel that I have the benefit of that experience.
“That feeling of empathy with the athletes and they’re describing a situation of standing on a start-line … and the gravity of it hits me,” added Barr.
Although we will not be able to see our athletes in person, Team Ireland is encouraging everyone to show their support to the Irish through social media.
Barr believes that making it to the start-line is the hardest part for an athlete. Even though there will be no supporters there, the Green Army will be pushing Team Ireland all the way in Tokyo.
“The first time where the athlete steps out into the performance … it’s the first time you realize ‘Oh my God, I’m competing at the Olympics.”
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Manage Cookie Consent
Cookies are used for ads personalisation on SportsNewsIreland.com. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
