Cunningham fears Ronaldo out of his Liga

Kenny Cunningham banned himself from watching Spain's Primera Liga during the past fortnight for fear of seeing what Brazilian ace Ronaldo might do to him.

Republic of Ireland skipper Cunningham has the thankless task of marking the Real Madrid striker when Brazil visit Lansdowne Road for a friendly tonight, and the Birmingham defender has tried not to remind himself of the challenge too much in the last couple of weeks.

"I have barred myself from watching Spanish football for the last two weeks so that I don't think about it too much," said Cunningham.

"It is a big challenge but it is also a case of not becoming too intimidated by the opposition.

"I wouldn't say I relish playing against the best strikers in the world. It is a mixture of things and you look forward to it because you know how good they are and think that if you can play in that company and not look out of your depth then it is a pat on the back.

"But at the same time, if you are not on your game then these players can embarrass you, so there is a bit of trepidation there and there will be a few butterflies in the stomach.

"When Brazil come to town it is an extravaganza and everyone is looking forward to the spectacle, but we have to compete against them and try to get a result.

"Confidence and self-belief will go through the roof if we can compete against a team of that quality over 90 minutes and get a draw or a win. There is a dark cloud following us from the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign so it would give everyone a lift."

One man hoping to partner Cunningham and prove himself to manager Brian Kerr is Newcastle defender Andy O'Brien, and he reckons his club form is good enough to earn him that chance.

"I am playing for a club who have qualified for the Champions League two years on the trot and who are pushing for a third time," said O'Brien. "I have played close to 120 games for Newcastle in three years which is playing more than not, so I hope that stands me in good stead.

"We have the best home defensive record in the Premier League - which we had last year as well - so I think the statistics are on our side. If I am in the team tonight I'll do my best to stay in it, and if I am not then I'll work hard to get into it."