Ireland have got a date with Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, after the two sides were pitted together in yesterday's qualification draw for the 2022 World Cup. The Republic, who were third seeds in the draw, will also play Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan in Group A. Qualifying matches will - in theory - take place next year, with the full fixture list to be confirmed later today. In order to secure an automatic qualification for a first World Cup since 2002 Ireland will need to finish top of their five team group, with the runners-up earning a playoff place. And boss Stephen Kenny knows reaching the finals will be tough: "We haven't qualified for a World Cup since 2002, nearly 20 years, and it has to be our ambition to try and qualify, that's why we are here. It's difficult with 13 teams from Europe but that's our intention, to try and achieve that." And Kenny has also dismissed the fallout from his side's friendly defeat to England at Wembley (remember the video?) as a "non-story." He said: "It was a football video, basically of goals scored by the players in training, goals scored in Wembley the night before, also with some goals from previous Ireland matches against England, with some historical references and that was it. A lot was made of it but it was very light on content."
Elsewhere this morning Kevin McStay has reflected on last weekend's All-Ireland semi-finals, which saw Dublin and then Mayo bring a ruthless end to the fairytale campaigns of Cavan and Tipperary respectively. He writes: "Only the strongest teams make it to the final. Look at the last 10 finals. Just five counties have made it to the big day. Dublin, Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone and Donegal. Just five counties in a decade! So Tipp and Cavan reaching the final is a romantic idea. But it's not a romantic reality." And he suggests Mayo will be the team to give Dublin and Croke Park its first proper match of the Championship, when the two sides meet on December 19th. "Fortunately, Mayo-Dublin finals have been so riveting, they have glossed over so much of what went before. Time after time Mayo have stepped forward to make the All-Ireland final days unforgettable. They might do the same again. But can they come out the right side of this one? They coughed up 10 goal chances against Tipp and there is work to be done."
England edged out an inexperienced France side in extra-time to become Autumn Nations Cup champions on Sunday - but in his column this column this morning Gerry Thornley has suggested it is Les Bleus who are currently in the best place out of all the northern hemisphere nations. He writes: "The English celebrations were testimony to the extent such an inexperienced French side had pushed them for almost 100 minutes. The biggest takeaway from the Autumn Nations Cup was that France, undoubtedly, look the best bet of the eight competing nations to win the 2023 World Cup - the draw for which is being made next Monday - on home soil." Meanwhile Owen Doyle has suggested rugby could have a high price to pay if head-high tackles aren't properly clamped down upon: "If players' heads are not sacrosanct, the game is travelling along a very dangerous track."
The final round of games in the Champions League group stages take place tonight, with Manchester United facing a crunch trip to Germany. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side must avoid defeat against Leipzig (kick-off 8pm, RTE 2) in order to secure progression into the knockout stages. Solskjaer will be without Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani, while also having to deal with the distraction of Paul Pogba's agent saying yesterday that the French midfielder is set on leaving the club. In the Premier League last night, Southampton were 2-1 winners away to Brighton.
And Limerick's Tom Morrissey has paid tribute to performance coach and sports psychologist Caroline Currid, as his side prepare for this weekend's All-Ireland final clash with Waterford - their second final in three years. "Her being involved with the set-up, it's not a coincidence that we have been successful in the years she has been with us. She's a top, top woman. She does have a big influence."
