Latest news with #IrelandUnder-21s
Irish Daily Mirror
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Venues and ticket details confirmed for Ireland's first two Euro U21 qualifiers
Ireland's first two European Under-21 Championship qualifiers will take place in Dublin and Cork. Jim Crawford's side will host Andorra at Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday September 9, and Slovakia at Turner's Cross in Cork on Friday October 10, both with 7.30pm kick-offs. Tickets for the games - Ireland's final Under-21 home matches of 2025 - will go on sale the week of Monday, August 4. The Boys in Green have been drawn in Group D along with back-to-back European champions England, managed by former Ireland midfielder Lee Carsley, as well as Slovakia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Andorra. During their most recent campaign, which ended in heartache as Ireland missed out on the play-offs on goal-difference to Norway, the team played in front of 5,000-plus crowds on three occasions. Crawford is looking for similar support this time around. He said: 'After playing so many games away from home in the last year we're really excited to be back on Irish soil with a new generation of Ireland Under-21s internationals. 'The support we've had in the last few campaigns in Cork and Dublin has been immense. The stats show we're one of the best supported Under-21s international teams in Europe which only reaffirms how much our fans come out to support football in this country. 'I look at those special occasions in Tallaght against Sweden, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina and the games in Cork against Iceland, Türkiye and Italy and on each occasion the crowd has got us over the line. 'They're a young team, with many faces people will recognise from the League of Ireland. The league is seeing a huge surge in crowds and these games are an opportunity for those fans and the communities in both cities to come out and see our boys represent our country.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Cork and Dublin to host Republic of Ireland Under-21 Euro qualifiers
Cork and Dublin will each host one of the Republic of Ireland Under-21s's opening two UEFA European Championship qualifiers. The young Boys in Green will play their first home game in 11 months when they take on Andorra in Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday, September 9 before they will then host Slovakia a month later in Turner's Cross on Friday, October 10. Ireland have been drawn against back-to-back European champions England as well as Slovakia, Moldova, Kazakhstan and Andorra in Group D of qualification. Jim Crawford's side played in front of huge crowds of 5,000 plus on three occasions previously with fans getting the chance to see now senior internationals caps Festy Ebosele, Andrew Moran, Rocco Vata, Sinclair Armstrong and Killian Phillips in action. And Crawford admits he is hoping for similar attendances this time around. 'After playing so many games away from home in the last year we're really excited to be back on Irish soil with a new generation of Ireland Under-21s internationals," he said. 'The support we've had in the last few campaigns in Cork and Dublin has been immense. The stats show we're one of the best supported Under-21s international teams in Europe which only reaffirms how much our fans come out to support football in this country. 'I look at those special occasions in Tallaght against Sweden, Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina and the games in Cork against Iceland, Türkiye and Italy and on each occasion the crowd has got us over the line. "They're a young team, with many faces people will recognise from the League of Ireland. The league is seeing a huge surge in crowds and these games are an opportunity for those fans and the communities in both cities to come out and see our boys represent our country.' Ireland Under-21's home 2025 UEFA European U21 Championship Qualifiers Tuesday, September 9 Ireland v Andorra Tallaght Stadium, Dublin Kick-Off 7.30pm Friday, October 10 Ireland v Slovakia Turner's Cross Stadium, Cork Kick-Off 7.30pm.
The Irish Sun
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘We didn't have an answer' – Jim Crawford admits Ireland U21s ‘missing that magic moment' in friendly defeat to Croatia
JIM CRAWFORD bemoaned a lack of creative 'magic' as the Ireland Under-21s were beaten 1-0 by Croatia. Midfielder Fabijan Krivak scored with a deflected long-range effort early in the second half to give the hosts a victory against an experimental 2 The Ireland U21s lost to Croatia Credit: Gerry Scully/Sportsfile 2 Ireland U21 boss Jim Crawford, left, lamented the lack of creativity Credit: Gerry Scully/Sportsfile But boss Crawford felt his team lacked a spark in attack on a day when hot conditions went against them in Zagreb. Crawford said: 'The game is the game and we really didn't create very much after the first 20 minutes. 'That is the talking point among the staff and players. It was an extremely hot day and we knew what was in front of us in a Pot 1 team in 'I'm not making excuses but we knew what we were against. Read More on Ireland MNT 'I thought we created one or two chances in the first half and we could have been a goal or two to the good. 'But they took the sting out of the game after that. We tired quite quickly. 'Croatia moved the ball quite well and caused us a couple of problems without creating any clear-cut chances. 'We got so far up the pitch in the second half and we just needed that cutting edge to create something which we didn't. Most read in Football 'Croatia didn't create many chances either, so it was a game that probably deserved a 0-0. 'They took a shot from distance. It took a deflection and it went in. We didn't have an answer to that. The lads gave everything in trying circumstances. Heimir Hallgrimsson gives first call-up to four Ireland players in squad for friendlies vs Senegal and Luxembourg 'But it's about higher up the pitch when space is at a premium. 'We were missing that magic moment or something to unlock the door and give us a goal. But it was a great challenge. We knew it was going to be tough and we were happy after the first 20 minutes when we were the better team. 'Now we will debrief and look ahead to Tuesday which is a different challenge.' The Boys in Green face a Qatar Under-23 side on Tuesday in the final game of the international window ahead of their Euro 2027 qualification opener against Moldova in September. IRELAND U-21: A Maguire (N Jauny 46); Alex Murphy, D Okagbue, S Grehan; S Curtis (C O'Sullivan 89), J Mullins (J Devaney 82), D Lipsiuc (H Vaughan 66), J Slater; Adam Murphy (E McJannet 66); M O'Mahony (C Dillon 46), J Gardner (W Davis 46).
