Irish men see off Japan, just one win away from Olympic qualification – Irish Times

Ireland’s men’s and women’s teams will qualify for the same Olympic Games for the first time after the men’s team won 1-0 against Japan in Valencia on Wednesday night, earning the men’s and women’s teams a place in the semi-finals of the qualifying tournament. Hope is on track.

The women’s team accomplished the same feat on Tuesday, with both teams finishing runners-up to Belgium in their pool matches and now preparing to face hosts Spain in the last four.

The women’s semi-final will take place on Thursday morning (live on the RTÉ News channel and RTÉ Player), with the men’s competition resuming on Friday. Both games begin at 11:30 a.m. A win in the semi-finals would secure a spot in Paris, but a loss would leave them with another chance to play in the third-place match, and they would need to finish in the top three in the tournament to qualify for Paris.

The men’s team needed a draw in their final pool match to advance to the tournament, but Luke Madeley sealed the win in the 21st minute with a goal from a penalty corner after being teed up by Shane O’Donoghue.

It was a game with very few clear chances. Japan used all their pace and energy but were unable to break through the Irish defence, which was superbly commanded by man of the match O’Donoghue.

“We just played with our inner dog. That’s the definition of an Irish performance. I’m extremely proud of the team and the effort they put in,” he said later.

It was the game’s most volatile game, with the closest they came to scoring in the first quarter when Johnny Lynch’s reverse shot just missed the right post. However, after Madeley’s goal, Japan increased the pressure and goalkeeper David Hart was called into action three times in quick succession just before half-time.

Ireland’s biggest concern came in the third quarter when Japan were awarded a penalty stroke, but video footage shows the decision was overturned. A shot on goal hit Lee Cole in the knee, but Cole’s intervention could not be prevented because his heart was directly behind him. A clear goal chance.

Still, Japan increased the pressure, desperately seeking the two goals they needed to advance to the tournament, but despite scoring six goals to Ireland’s two, they were unable to capitalize on any of them.

O’Donoghue produced an excellent performance throughout, with midfielders Madeley, Cole, Michael Robson and captain Sean Murray all contributing important blocks and tackles as Ireland faced increasingly desperate Japanese pressure. He also remained calm. But the closest Ireland, ranked 12th in the world, came in the final quarter when Ken Nagayoshi sent a reverse shot over the bar to ward off a challenge from the team three places below them.

These rankings aren’t always correct, but if that’s what they mean, Spain will be favorites to beat both Irish teams in the semi-finals. They are four ranks higher than men and five ranks higher than women.

If Ireland lose in the semi-finals, the women will face Belgium or Great Britain in the third-place match, while the men will face either Belgium or South Korea. And all of those opponents are ranked higher than them. It’s a tall order, but the dog inside them will give them a fighting chance.

Ireland: D. Hart, L. Madeley, T. Cross, S. O’Donoghue, L. Cole, S. Murray (captain), M. Robson, N. Page, J. McKee, D. Walsh, J. Duncan. Subs: K. Marshall, M. Nelson, P. McKibbin, J. Lynch, S. Hyland, B. Johnson.

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