ITALY v REPUBLIC OF IRELAND:AHEAD OF Reading's promotion to the Premier League not so long ago, Stephen Hunt made no secret of his eagerness to be a part of the English game's big time. While growing up, the 27-year-old observed, an appearance on Match of the Day had been his informal definition of football stardom and the prospect of becoming a regular on the programme clearly excited the midfielder.
At that stage Hunt had yet to have his first experience of international football and appearing on the BBC highlights show might just have played a part in earning him first cap the following February against San Marino. Two years on, he finds himself a key figure in Ireland’s bid for a place in game’s biggest stage of all.
Though Hunt’s inclusion in tonight’s starting line-up is down to the injury suffered last week by Damien Duff, the former Brentford and Crystal Palace winger has quickly established himself as something of a regular with 17 caps earned already, most of them from the bench.
Energy and enthusiasm are key aspects of his game and, more striking as they are when he enters a contest populated by tiring opponents, there has been a temptation to regard him as some sort of “super sub”. Giovanni Trapattoni will be hoping that against Italy in Bari tonight he might prove himself to be worthy of a good deal more regard than that.
The signs to date have been mixed and after his early impact on Saturday at Croke Park where he won then took the free kick that gave the Ireland team the lead after less than 40 seconds, Hunt wasted his fair share of possession while rarely posing too much of a threat to the Bulgarian defence down the left flank.
He clearly possesses the ability to produce occasional moments of brilliance, but there is a good deal of unpredictability too and sometimes his play suggests his thought processes are not quite keeping up with his feet.
Hunt will need to channel his considerable efforts a good deal more effectively against Gianluca Zambrotta and co this evening if he is to make anything like the impact the Irish require.
With not only Duff but now Aiden McGeady out, Trapattoni’s reliance on wingers to provide the attacking edge to his system means there will be a good deal of added responsibility on the Reading player who is again aiming to help is club win promotion to the top flight. But asked whether tonight will be the biggest game of his career, he calmly shrugs and suggests that we ask him afterwards.
Saturday’s draw was clearly a disappointment but Hunt is far from downcast, insisting the level of improvement required this evening is not beyond an Ireland side that knows the potential danger of losing again.
“They (the Bulgarians) always had a lot of possession and we had to work very hard,” he says. “It’s always harder to work without the ball in a game and when you do get the ball you do feel you have to do something. Maybe we could have kept it better as a team but, to be fair to Bulgaria, they pressed us quite well too so we take a point and move on to the next game.
“This time it’s important to make sure we don’t concede an early goal. Then, the longer the game goes on, the more nervous they’ll get, I think. Obviously they’re world champions and they won’t get that nervous but we have to try and stamp our authority on the game and come away with three points.”
The draw at Croke Park has severely dented the Ireland team’s hopes of claiming top spot and dispensed with some of the wriggle room in the battle for second, but Hunt is philosophical.
“We have two big games coming up and here, we’re looking to go and win the game. After that, Bulgaria will give us another tough game. They can pass the ball well, they showed that at the weekend, but we’re well capable of beating them. We probably didn’t do ourselves justice the other night but we move on.”
In a strange sort of way, he reckons, the disappointment of the weekend might help Ireland’s cause this time out for expectations have been dampened ahead of a game that might otherwise have been a meeting between two sides tied at the top of the table.
“I think we do perform better when we are underdogs,” he says. “Down the years, history has proven that. The last time we qualified for a World Cup we qualified via a play-off. So we’re no world champions. We are a good team, though, with good players playing in the top league in the world so we’re still confident we’re going to win the group.
“Their (Italy’s) performances are never spectacular,” he continues. “They don’t play like Brazil, they play like Italy. They’re hard to beat and they have some individuals who can hurt you. We have to be on our guard.
“But,” concludes the man who could have been forgiven three seasons ago for fearing he might never experience life beyond the Championship, “it’s a great game to be involved in”.
San Nicola stadium, Bari
More than 50,000 supporters will be at the San Nicola stadium in Bari this evening with those present paying between €10 and €60 to see the game. Tickets for the return match at Croke Park in October will be priced €50, €70 and €80.
Although the FAI returned 4,000 of the 9,000 tickets they received before the match, these have not been sold by the Italian Federation on security grounds, so the game is officially sold out. A number of other seats have been left vacant, also for safety reasons, but the attendance at the 58,000-capacity venue is still expected to be larger than the 51,000 than watched the 1991 European Cup final there between Red Star Belgrade and Marseille. The Italians have played seven international games in Bari over the years and have won all of them. England, the Soviet United and, most recently, Scotland are amongst those to have been beaten in the city, with games played at the San Nicola since it was constructed for the 1990 World Cup.
– Emmet Malone
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