Ireland to face Canada in U17 World Cup Round of 32 after stalemate with Paraguay
BATTLE: Jaden Umeh is tackled by Juan Miguel Ojeda during the FIFA Under-17 World Cup Group J match. Pic: Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile.
The Republic of Ireland will take on Canada in the Round of 32 of U17 World Cup after they were held to a scoreless draw by Paraguay on pitch five of the Aspire Zone in Doha, Qatar.
Following impressive wins over Panama and Uzbekistan and with passage to the knockout stages already assured, Ireland knew a draw would be enough to finish top of the standings and with it secure a potentially kinder tie in the Round of 32. And the scoreless draw with Paraguay ensured they will take on the Canadians in the knockout stages on Friday or Saturday.
Speaking after learning of their next opponents, manager Colin O'Brien said: "Canadian football would have a lot of influence from the United States.
In their federation, it'd be the USA, Mexico, those kinds of teams they'd be coming up against.Â
"Football there is well-resourced, it's well-structured.
"Since we've come here, it hasn't changed. You cannot underestimate any team. We've qualified out of the group stage.
"We're into a new competition now, basically. It's not group football, it's cup football. Everything's at stake now in the next round to try and stay here for as long as we can."
"What we'll do, like we've always done since we've come in, we'll just work day-by-day into that game, get back into that mindset and be prepared to take on the Canadians."
On the support his side have received from far and wide, O'Brien added: "The support in general we've had here has been fantastic. The families that have come over, the Irish community here in Qatar and Doha have really got behind the team.Â
"The support that we've been getting from home, all the messages, wishing the players well.
"It's been phenomenal. All I can say to everybody is keep supporting us. The boys are doing the country really, really proud.
"They're really flying the flag with distinction."
In a tight and cagey first half it was Paraguay who were the first to threaten but striker Mauricio De Carvalho failed to capitalise fully on a mistake from Victor Ozhianvuna as he dragged his shot wide of the far bottom left corner from good position inside the box.
Ireland finished the opening period strongly though and Jaden Umeh almost gave them the lead in the 42nd minute but his low drive after captain Rory Finneran’s surging run and exquisite through ball was stopped by the feet of the keeper.
Grady McDonnell soon blasted Ozhianvuna’s clever clipped pass wide from a tight angle before substitute Jose Buhring headed over the same goal for the South Americans at the beginning of the second half.
The young Boys in Green soon regained control of proceedings and they believed they ought to have been awarded a penalty in 80th minute for a handball, so much so head coach O’Brien handed a Football Video Support card – a new initiative being trialled at this tournament - to the fourth official so the referee could review the incident on the VAR monitor.
But after doing so, the Canadian official announced that the defender’s arm, under pressure as Umeh attempted to head home from a corner, was in a natural position and it wasn’t a deliberate handball.
Ireland piled forward in search of a late winner with Umeh, Ozhianvuna and Ramon Martos all going close but, in the end, they had to settle for the point they required to finish top of the group.
Noonan, Cullen (Ogbonna 62), Sherlock (McDonagh ht), Leonard, Butler, Finneran, McDonnell, McAteer (Martos 62), Noonan (McMahon-Brown 62), Umeh, Ozhianvuna.
Fernandez, Acosta (Tobias Ruiz 92), Cristaldo, Coronel, Aranda, Vera, Sanabria, Campss (Ojeda ht), Franco (Diego Ruiz 83), Villalba (Freyres 72), De Carvalho (Buhring ht).
Filip Dujic (Canada).
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