SOCCER: EUROPEAN UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALPAUL DOOLIN was full of praise for his weary troops after they were dismantled by Spain in last night's semi-final.
They had batted away the challenges, however stern, thrown at them by some of Europe’s stellar underage nations during the season, but this encounter in Chiajna was completely one-sided.
Two goals down at the break, Ireland were unable to stem the tide and conceded three more.
“They scored (the first goal) at a period in the game when we looked okay,” said Doolin. “But, you see the difference in their players. Physically and technically, they were much better than us.
“The team didn’t perform on the night, but there is no shame in defeat to such a quality Spain side. We have eight members of the squad eligible for this campaign next season and they’ll have learned a lot from this.”
For all the pre-match talk about bringing the game to the Spaniards, Ireland were never allowed operate the pressing game they’ve became known for.
Once the four-time champions over the past nine years forged ahead on 20 minutes, they never looked back. Doolin even criticised Spain captain Pablo Sarabia for “show-boating” in the second half.
Derrick Williams had got the nod over Declan Walker to replace the suspended Matt Doherty in defence. Anthony O’Connor moved from left back to the other side to enable the Aston Villa man take up his favoured position.
The Spanish masterclass was on show from early while Ireland failed to show any cohesion in a midfield that has proved so effective in the group stage.
From the fifth minute, when O’Connor produced a block on a shot by Juanmi inside the box, it was backs to the wall. Skipper John Egan did well to foil a surge by top scorer Álvaro Morata along the end-line into the box. Though the Real Madrid ace sustained an injury that required a head bandage, he recovered to lead the line for Spain’s purple patch.
In a brief respite to the Spanish domination, Samir Carruthers conjured a half-chance at the other end on 12 minutes after Seán Murray’s cross from the right was only half-cleared. The Villa midfielder’s hurried shot skied high and over.
The Spanish gave Aaron McCarey his first real scare on 20 minutes when Barcelona defender Sergi Gómez struck a long free-kick from 30 yards which flew through a broken wall and clipped the outside of the post.
Ireland were still holding their own, but when Spain switched Gerard Deulofeu from the right to the opposite wing, the Barcelona maestro made an instant impact with 27 minutes gone. Playmaker Sarabia sprayed a pass out wide to Deulofeu and he skipped past O’Connor before cracking a powerful shot from 20 yards that rose and swerved into the top corner.
There could have been another straight from the tip-off as Sarabia dispossessed Anthony Forde on the right and once more found Deulofeu in space with the cut-back. This time he wasted the chance by smashing the ball over.
Arsenal defender Ignasi Miquel provided the Irish with another let-off by glancing his close-range header wide but the incessant pressure yielded another Spain goal five minutes before the break.
There appeared little danger when Sarabia exchanged passes with Rubén Pardo midway inside the Ireland half. However, with no opposing player closing him down, Sarabia looked up and found the net from the edge of the D.
Spain’s freight-train resumed straight from the second-half kickoff when they netted a third within 38 seconds. Deulofeu made the running down the left before picking out Juanmi in the box whose shot hit the net off the crossbar. The odds-on favourites showed no mercy to an Irish side running out of ideas.
Morata, always a threat, punished slack marking by making it 4-0 on 79 minutes by rounding McCarey and tapping home.
A harsh penalty decision in the last minute for handball by O’Connor enabled Morata to grab his second and Spain’s fifth. They face Czech Republic in Monday’s final.
IRELAND: McCarey (Wolves); O'Connor (Blackburn Rovers), Egan (Sunderland), Shaughnessy (Aberdeen), Williams (Aston Villa); Murray (Watford), Carruthers (Aston Villa), O'Sullivan (Blackburn Rovers), Hendrick (Derby County), Forde (Wolves); Murphy (Bray Wanderers) Subs: Smith (Watford) for Murphy (46 mins), Wearen (West Ham United) for Carruthers (62 mins), Knight (unattached) for Murray (71 mins).
SPAIN: Badia (Espanyol); Carvajal (Real Madrid), Gómez (FC Barcelona), Miquel (Arsenal), Aurtenetxe (Athletico Bilbao); Sarabia (Getafe CF), Álex (Real Madrid), Pardo (Real Sociedad); Deulofeu (FC Barcelona); Álvaro Morata (Real Madrid), Juanmi (Malaga). Subs: Gallego (Sporting Gijon) for Sarabia (67 mins), González (Athletico Madrid) for Deulofeu (80 mins), Blázquez (Espanyol) for Carvajal (83 mins).
Referee: Clément Turpin (Fra).
