Trapattoni keeps World Cup dream alive

Giovanni Trapattoni will send the Republic of Ireland into a do-or-die battle with France in Paris confident their World Cup dream is still alive.

The Irish will run out at the Stade de France on Wednesday evening trailing to Nicolas Anelka’s lone strike at Croke Park last night as the French drew first blood in the play-off tussle between the two sides.

But while the odds may be heavily stacked against Trapattoni’s men as the 1998 winners prepare to go for the kill on their own park, the wily Italian is refusing to concede defeat.

The bullish 70-year-old saw enough in last night’s encounter in Dublin, on top of the memories of what they did through 10 unbeaten qualifiers before it, to believe they still have a chance of making it to South Africa next summer.

Speaking from the Republic’s training headquarters in Malahide today, he said: “Football makes us suffer, but there is another great opportunity in Paris because France have conceded many goals away and also at home.

“We must think about this situation, this balance, our performance, our mentality and also what they have allowed opponents in the past.

“They concede goals and like us, they ended in second place in their group - and we think our group was stronger.

“We have to think about the positives situation and not the result because in the end, football can come down to a deflection, the crossbar, the referee - there are many situations which can change the result.

“I don’t wish to speak about luck, but one year, we won a championship with Juventus when an opponent hit the ball against my striker and we scored a goal.

“If you look at our performance last night, we played a good game. I have heard also opinion from Italy and other countries, and they said Ireland played a good game against this France team.”

Trapattoni’s confidence is based on a series of positive results away from home during their Group 8 campaign.

They won against Georgia at a neutral venue in Germany, drew in Montenegro, Italy and Bulgaria and beat Cyprus in Nicosia, and failed to score in only one game, the 0-0 draw with Montenegro in Podgorica.

However, it is eight years since they beat one of Europe’s biggest names, Holland, at Lansdowne Road in a World Cup qualifier, and 22 since they won away against a side of note when it mattered, defeating Scotland 1-0 at Hampden Park to reach the 1988 European Championship finals.

But that is exactly what they are going to have to do on Wednesday.

Brave as their performance last night was, they succumbed as the French opened up after the break, and they can expect more of the same in Paris.

However, while the famously cautious Trapattoni will not send out his side with all guns blazing, he knows there will be a time when they will have to force the pace.

He said: “I don’t want to concede five goals, three goals or two goals. One-nil is enough to take it to extra-time and maybe penalties.

“This is a game for calm heads. Okay, take risks in the last few minutes, but if we go forward and concede goals, it’s finished.”

Trapattoni has no new injury worries, although he admitted some of his players were feeling the after-effects of their efforts to close down France’s dangermen on a heavy pitch.

There was understandably a level of despondency in the dressing room after the game, but by this morning, that had already started to be replaced by a realisation that the first goal at the Stade de France, if it was to go Ireland’s way, could dramatically change the complexion of the tie.

Trapattoni said: “I am confident. The team was a little bit disappointed, sure, but I know my team.

“They have character, they are proud and we must get the same reaction we have had before.”