Almost a year to the day from the fixture that broke our hearts at Euro 2012, Ireland will get a chance to banish the demons with a glamour friendly in New York.
By Declan Whooley
The FAI announced today that the boys in green will take on the reigning European and World champions in New York on June 11th at the Yankee Stadium.
While we still recoil in horror at the 4-0 drubbing in Poznan that put paid to any misguided notions that we could have made it out of our group, Trap’s charges will get the opportunity to rub shoulders again with the finest modern-day exponents of the international game.
We can’t imagine that Xavi, Iniesta and co. will be too worried about taking on the Irish side, but for the FAI it represents a real coup, and supporters are being told that they can apply for tickets here from next Monday at 9am.
After that defeat in Poland, plus the hammering at the hands of the second best team in the world at the hands of the Germans, there will be no danger of too much optimism. Coming at the end of a potentially gruelling club season for most of the Spanish players, it could be a leggy Spain that take to the field.
The fixture comes at the end of a few busy weeks for the players. After a friendly against England at Wembley at the end of May, Ireland take on Georgia and the Faroe Islands in Dublin before flying out to New York to play Spain.
The Faroe Islands probably aren’t the best team to face when your following fixture is against such esteemed opponents, but the qualifiers are the bread and butter for Rio.
Maybe Joe Lapira might make another appearance in an Irish jersey. Stranger things have happened under Trap!