Ireland (National Football)

Giovanni Trapattoni and the Republic of Ireland national football team announced they had reached an agreement Wednesday to end the veteran manager's reign as head coach by "mutual consent." Although he was a stabilizing force for the Boys in Green, his exit comes at a favorable time for the team.

The announcement about the departure included comments from the 74-year-old Italian. Assistant coach Marco Tardelli also stepped aside as part of the process, and Trapattoni thanked the fans for supporting them in recent years.

I want to thank everyone in Ireland who has given us their support during our time here, which has always meant a lot to us.

We leave this country with emotion because we understand the Irish supporters who have a well-deserved international reputation and they have our utmost respect.

The mutual decision comes one day after Ireland suffered a 1-0 loss against Austria in World Cup qualifying. The defeat virtually eliminated the team from next summer's marquee event, with only a true miracle reversing its fate.

Ireland trail Sweden by six points with two matches left to play. As if that wasn't enough, Austria is wedged in between the two sides, providing another hurdle.

Everything would have to fall perfectly for Ireland to jump both teams. Factor in an upcoming road clash with Germany and it's easy to see why the Football Association of Ireland was prepared to start looking to the future.

Trapattoni did well to lead the Boys in Green to Euro 2012 after narrowly missing out on the last World Cup. Yet there was a growing feeling as the squad stumbled its way through Group C of UEFA qualifying that the team had already peaked under his guidance.

Longtime Ireland international Robbie Keane said unrealistic expectations also played a role as Trapattoni started to lose support, according to a BBC report:

Keane added that there needed to be a "realism" about the Republic's capability at international level.

"We're a small nation and I think people get carried away sometimes and expect us to qualify all the time," he said.

While those remarks do contain some truth, it ultimately comes down to the fanbase wanting to see progress. It had slowed during World Cup qualifying, which meant a managerial change was the best option on the table.

The timing is important. Since the switch happens with a couple of matches left in qualifying, the new boss will get to evaluate talent in what will still be high-pressure situations as opposed to friendlies, where the intensity isn't nearly on the same level.

From there, the process will shift focus to Euro 2016. In a perfect world, the Boys in Green will start getting things back on track while showing those signs of progress that became too infrequent under Trapattoni.

Regardless of who takes over the reins—The Independent names former Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill as the favorite—they have a difficult task. Not only must they fill Trapattoni's shoes, but they must also take Ireland to the next level during the next few tournament cycles.

Trapattoni did well during his stint in charge, but it was time for a change. Time to see if another manager can spark Ireland to greater heights.

Ireland looked fantastic for the first 45 minutes of their 2-1 defeat to Sweden on Friday night. They were vibrant, passionate and incisive and received just reward through Robbie Keane's opening goal.

But hope faded just as the side's standard of play did, and Sweden eventually took hold of the game and secured a crucial victory that all but ends Ireland's chances of qualifying for the Brazil World Cup in 2014.

Questions will be asked of manager Giovanni Trapattoni, but in amongst the obvious disappointment, there were glimpses of a bright future on display at the Aviva stadium.

Here are three players the Irish should look to build their team around going forward:

Seamus Coleman

The Everton man has really started to establish himself as one of the best right-backs around. 

Having finally nailed down a permanent place in the Toffees first XI in his preferred role at full-back, Coleman is beginning to do the same at international level.

His man-of-the-match performance against England earlier this year made a lot of people realize the strides he has taken as a player, and since then he has remained Ireland’s most consistent performer.

With concerns regarding his defensive frailties having finally been alleviated, Ireland must make the most of a player who seems to be getting better and better as the games tick by.

Coleman is a bundle of energy capable of making a real impact on the international scene. He is tireless in his vertical forays on the flank and a menace on the overlap.

Having finally struck up the right blend between attack and defense, Coleman could emerge as Ireland’s most important player over the course of the next few qualifying campaigns.

James McCarthy

The former Wigan man has joined Coleman at Everton, and he is another young player who will be a key figure for the Irish for many years to come.

Everton’s new £13 million signing is perfectly suited to the demands of international football. He is a technically gifted midfielder capable of taking the ball in tight situations and recycling possession for his team.

McCarthy's energy and ball-winning skills are  a crucial part of his game and something that would perhaps be better utilized as part of a three-man midfield; the current Ireland boss Giovanni Trapatonni is particularly stubborn in utilizing his preferred 4-4-2 system.

Giving McCarthy a role as a withdrawn playmaker would see Ireland keep the ball significantly better than they currently do. This would be a massive benefit when trying to preserve leads in crucial games.

Ireland's inability to maintain possession for extended periods against the Swedish is what ultimately cost them victory. 

Ciaran Clark

The Aston Villa central defender has blossomed under the stewardship of Paul Lambert. 

Clark once looked timid in the challenge and overwhelmed by the big occasion, but he has emerged as a key figure at Villa Park. He finished last season in impressive fashion and started this one with an excellent performance away at Arsenal.

But Trapattoni decided to go for the experience of Richard Dunne against Sweden, even though he has not played much football over the past year due to fitness issues. Whilst Dunne has been a great servant to Ireland and has invaluable experience, it is time for Clark to be given a chance to cement a place at the heart of the Irish back-four.

At 24, Clark is most definitely the future and playing in big qualifying games is a must for his development as an international player.

With Dunne looking cumbersome and somewhat off the pace against Sweden, it would be a big surprise if the Ireland manager doesn’t draft in the Villa man for the team’s next game with Austria.

Sweden took a huge step towards securing second place in Group C by beating a poor Ireland team in Dublin on Friday night. 

The 2-1 victory for Sweden came after they went down to a Robbie Keane goal after little over 20 minutes.  The Irish relied on a defensive mistake for their goal, despite starting well.

Ireland have been notoriously defensive during Giovanni Trapattoni’s reign as manager, but it was the boys in green who came out all guns blazing ready to attack at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.  James McClean, James McCarthy, Shane Long, Robbie Keane and John Walters all started the game, and the five attacking players took control of the game from the very first minute.

The Swedish defence withstood the pressure initially, restricting Ireland to long range efforts, with McClean coming closest after a powerful cross drifted in the wind to leave goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson stranded as the ball struck the crossbar after 20 minutes.

Moments later, Ireland were gifted a goal when Mikael Lustig failed to deal with a simple long ball forward from Ireland.  His header landed in no-man’s land between defence and goalkeeper, giving Keane the chance to latch onto the ball just before the advancing Isaksson.  Keane seemed to have missed the opportunity when the ball bounced back off the post, but he was able to get up after colliding with the goalkeeper and smash the rebound into the top of the net.

With the teams level on points in Group C, Sweden needed to respond, and they clearly stepped it up a level, Johan Elmander forcing a save from David Forde barely a minute after the opening goal.

Ireland continued to play positively but were still unable to break through, with Sweden looking increasingly dangerous when countering.  It was from a counter attack that Sweden should have been level, but Sebastian Larsson sent a free header wide from six yards out after a perfect cross from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The opportunity gave Sweden a boost in confidence and after 33 minutes, they were level.  Lustig seemed eager to make up for his mistake and found space on the right wing.  His low cross was met by Elmander, who managed to get in front of Richard Dunne and power his diving header past Forde.

Going into half time, Sweden were the most confident, knowing they were able to create chances against the ageing Irish centre halves. 

In the second half, Sweden started brightest with Ibrahimovic finally showing his class.  The big striker came back out playing a little deeper and had no problems finding space. 

A through ball for Larsson was beaten away by a frantic Forde on the edge of his box just seconds before Ibrahimovic found space yet again between defence and midfield.  His perfectly weighted ball released Anders Svensson on the right hand side of the box.  The veteran had time to take a touch before smashing his shot into the back of the net.

Sweden never looked back and were happy to spend the last half hour of the game comfortably running down the clock, knowing that Ireland weren’t likely to break down their strong defence.

The main talking point for Ireland fans will be the reluctance of Trapattoni to bring on Norwich playmaker Wes Hoolahan despite his side struggling to even make a half chance in the second half.

With the victory in Dublin, Sweden are now heavy favourites to take second place, with Ireland and Austria now unlikely to catch the Scandinavians.  

Behind goals from Richard Keogh, Simon Cox and Robbie Keane—along with a man advantage after Georgian keeper George Loria was sent off in the 20th minute—Ireland cruised to a 4-0 victory against Georgia in an international friendly. 

Shane Long had the real golden scoring chance in the game, breaking free from the Georgia defense on a long run and finding himself one-on-one with the keeper in the box. But his wrong-footed chip didn't fool Loria and the keeper made the save.

Loria's day would end in the 20th minute, however, as he was given a red card for taking out Long outside the area. Omar Migineishvili would be brought on and defender Zhano Ananidze was sacrificed. The keeper was instantly tested, as he had to knock clear James McClean's on-target free kick attempt.

A man up, Ireland would score the game's first goal in the 42nd minute. After Long earned a free kick down the right side, McClean swung in a beautiful cross and Keogh lept above the Georgia defense on the back post and headed home the go-ahead score. 

Two minutes into the second half, Ireland would double the lead. 

McLean was played down the left side on a through ball and his low cross wasn't met by Long but instead found its way to Simon Cox, who had a wide open net to shoot at and didn't disappoint, playing the ball into the net off a Georgia defender. 

Long had another breakaway chance in the 58th minute after Keane played him between two defenders with a brilliant through ball. But once again, Long was denied on the break.

Cox nearly doubled his goal tally in the 64th minute after he settled a nice cross in the box from Marc Wilson and had plenty of room in the box to shoot, but his effort skittered across the face of goal and past his Irish teammates, who would have easily tapped the shot home if they were close enough to get a touch.

Not to be outdone, Keane would join the scoring in the 77th minute.

Aiden McGeady harassed a Georgia defender and deflected a clearance attempt back into the box, where it fell to Conor Sammon. The forward unselfishly slid a pass across the six-yard box to Keane, who tapped home Ireland's third goal. 

Of course, Keane wasn't done. 

Jeff Hendrick battled for the ball in the midfield and won it back before making a sprint toward the box. He played Keane into the clear with a simple pass and the LA Galaxy slammed home his second goal of the game. 

It was an emphatic win for Ireland and a nice tune-up for upcoming World Cup qualifiers. 

Grades

James McClean, Ireland: A

Without question, James McClean was the first-half Man of the Match. His two assists into the box were true beauties and he posed a constant threat on the ball down the flank. It was a very, very solid performance.

Robbie Keane, Ireland: A

And here's your second-half Man of the Match. The opportunistic Keane played the role of poacher perfectly in his 45 minutes of play, putting himself in dangerous positions and finishing them to perfection when found by his teammates. 

Shane Long, Ireland: B+

The captain was active and intelligent, making incisive runs and finding himself on two different breakaways. Really, the only thing he didn't do in this match was score, a disappointment given his role as a forward. Still, he was more than the Georgia defense could handle and it was a bright performance overall.

Georgia: D

I'm not even going to pretend as though this was anything other than a miserable performance by Georgia. I know they were down a man. I know they are a defensive team, which doesn't exactly lend itself to an exciting game to watch. But Georgia rarely threatened and made way too many mistakes in their own half.

The only players who at all looked positive at times were the two goalies, an odd occurrence in a game that saw the opposition score four goals.

What's Next?

Ireland will face the Faroe Islands in a key World Cup qualifier, while Georgia will face Denmark in a friendly before their World Cup qualifiers resume in September. 

Ireland hopes to build off an impressive showing in a 1-1 draw with England on Wednesday during a friendly against Georgia. It's the first match for Georgia since a 3-1 World Cup qualifying defeat at the hands of France back in March.

The Boys in Green are gearing up for a key qualifier against the Faroe Islands next week. They are currently tied for second place in UEFA Group C, but trail Austria and Sweden due to tiebreakers. It leaves very little margin for error over the final five matches.

Georgia sits third in its qualifying group. Unfortunately for the Jvarosnebi, they are in the same group as both Spain and France, which have already pulled away from the Group I pack. They have another friendly, against Denmark, next week.

Let's take a look at all the important information for the friendly, followed by some players to watch and a match prediction.

Where: Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland

When: Sunday, June 2, at 12:30 p.m. ET

Watch: Sky Sports 2

Live Stream: Sky Go

Ireland Player to Watch: Shane Long

After a solid Premier League campaign, which saw Long tally eight goals and six assists, he began international duty with a bang. He provided Ireland's goal in the draw with England, a terrific header just inside the post on a pass from Seamus Coleman.

The West Bromwich Albion striker doesn't possess elite physical ability, but he makes up for it with an often extraordinary work rate. That was on full display against the Three Lions. He outworked multiple England defenders to get open for the goal.

Ireland will be looking for a similar showing from him against Georgia. Given the confidence they built up by hanging tough with the talented English side, it would be a serious setback if they aren't able to secure a positive home result.

Georgia Player to Watch: Aleksandr Kobakhidze

Kobakhidze has scored three goals in 11 appearances for Georgia. He was the only one to find the net against France in their last qualifier. It was the latest sign of progress for the 26-year-old winger, who plays for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.

The biggest problem Georgia faces is the lack of attacking talent. The Jvarosnebi have an experienced defense but lack the firepower to keep pace with sides like France. It's not an uncommon problem for smaller countries, of course.

Kobakhidze probably won't find much space to work against an Ireland back line that was able to slow down the England attack. The chances he does create, likely on the counterattack, must be converted for Georgia to earn at least a draw.

Matchup to Watch: Ireland Attack vs. Georgia Defense

Long isn't the only dangerous member of the Ireland attack. Veteran striker Robbie Keane, who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS, has scored 54 international goals, and Jon Walters was a rare offensive bright spot for Stoke City this past season.

The trio gives Ireland an underrated attacking group. The Boys in Green should be able to control possession and dictate the pace of the match. It will put a lot of pressure on the Georgia back line, but that's not uncommon.

Since the Jvarosnebi don't possess much talent in the midfield, they often lose the possession battle. It puts the onus on the Georgia defense, usually led by Zurab Khizanishvili, to make sure the scoring chances come from the outside.

While it should be a good matchup, ultimately Ireland should produce enough opportunities to score the home victory.

Prediction

Ireland 2, Georgia 0

Coach Joachim Löw and the German national team are set to take on legendary Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni and the Republic of Ireland this week.

World Cup qualifying for 2014 is underway as these two teams look to pick up an early win in the Group 3 table.

Next to Group 9, the Group 3 table stands as one of the more talented groups in qualifying this year. Germany and Sweden are always hard-hitting squads, while Ireland and Austria look to pull some upsets and qualify for the Cup.

Germany is coming off convincing and not-so-convincing wins last month in World Cup qualifying against Faroe Island and Austria, respectively.

Ireland is looking to prove they’re good enough to compete with the best, as they try their luck at this skillful German team.

Where: Aviva Stadium, Dublin 4, Dublin, Ireland

When: Friday, October 12, 2:45 p.m. EST

Germany: Is this team as good as years past?

This year’s German national team is well coached and talented, but do they have the desire?

Led by midfielder Mesut Özil and veteran forward Miroslav Klose, Germany looks to repeat their UEFA Euro 2012 performance and sweep the group stage.

Star midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger is finally back on the team after a lengthy injured suffered in Bayern Munich’s Champions League final, where they lost to Chelsea.

Schweinsteiger says this team has been underrated going into qualifying. "I think the respect is missing a bit," Schweinsteiger said. "It is nowhere written down that we are going to win every game.

Certainly this German team is good, but their age is beginning to show in their first two World Cup qualifiers.

The 23-year-old Mesut Özil has played brilliantly in the qualifiers, scoring two goals against the Faroe Islands on September 7.

The veterans, on the other hand, have been quiet.

Philipp Lahm has looked uncomfortable on defense, collecting two yellow cards in two games, and 34-year-old Miroslav Klose has failed to score an international goal this season.

The Germans shouldn’t have too much of a problem knocking off Ireland on Friday, but Germany are going to have to lean on their young guns and distribute up the field to Özil, who has been their best player in two games.

In Germany’s game versus Austria on September 11, the Austrian attack exposed the German defense.

While the Germans were able to pull off a 2-1 victory, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had to make six saves, as the Germans were outshot 14-to-7 by the Austrians.

Austrian forward Zlatko Junuzovic was able to beat Neuer in the 57th minute—the first goal against the Germans in the group stage.

14 shots from a team like Austria is unacceptable for this German defense. Not to knock Austria, but they aren't Spain, the U.S. or even Sweden.

This is a German team that went on a historic run in UEFA Euro 2012, winning 15-straight matches.

While Ireland failed to win a match in the European Championship, they’re well coached by Giovanni Trapattoni and have a great keeper in Kieren Westwood.

The German defense can’t be asleep in Friday’s game vs. Ireland.

Ireland: Will they be competitive against Germany?

Ireland has a legitimate chance of knocking off the Germans if they can expose the German defense.

Ireland’s hopes rest upon their veteran forward Robbie Keane.

Keane, who plays his club ball for the Los Angeles Galaxy, has been a force in the MLS this season. In 26 games, Keane has 15 goals and 7 assists with a ridiculous 81 shots. His 15 goals are good enough for fourth in the MLS in scoring.

Impressive stats, but Friday’s game for Ireland isn’t against an MLS squad.

Robbie Keane is going to have to single-handedly weave his way through this struggling German defense, as well as keep pace with Özil’s scoring.

Ireland looked shaky in their first World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan September 7. They avoided a one in the loss column with two late goals by Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle in the 89th and 90th minutes.

Trapattoni is going to have to rally his squad and motivate his defense to stop the German frontal attack to have any chance of being competitive.

Prediction

This game between Germany and Ireland is going to be a lot closer than people think.

Expect a goal from Robbie Keane.

In the end, the Irish defense won’t be able to shut down Özil and Germany’s young guns.

Germany wins 3-1.