Tim nasional Republik Irlandia menghadapi Qatar dalam laga persahabatan di Stadion Aviva, Dublin, pada Kamis, 28 Mei 2026 malam waktu setempat, sebagai persiapan penting menjelang kompetisi UEFA Nations League yang akan bergulir pada September mendatang.
Pelatih Irlandia, Heimir Hallgrimsson, memilih untuk menurunkan susunan pemain utama yang diisi oleh para pilar berpengalaman demi menghadapi kekuatan sang lawan yang berada di peringkat 55 FIFA.
"Given the time we have, more or less this is the only day we have a proper training with everybody ready and fit, so we will go for experience (tonight), and start with the ones that have been with us before," kata Heimir Hallgrimsson, Pelatih Republik Irlandia.
Keputusan tersebut diambil guna memberikan waktu tambahan bagi para pemain muda di dalam skuad untuk mempersiapkan diri sebelum melakoni laga uji coba berikutnya melawan Kanada di Montreal pada pekan depan.
"It gives us then another week to prepare the younger guys for the Canada match," tutur Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Irlandia harus melakukan perombakan skuad setelah sejumlah pemain tengah seperti Alan Browne, Alex Gilbert, dan Finn Azaz terpaksa absen akibat cedera serta komitmen pasca-play-off kompetisi domestik.
"Hopefully we can give some of them some time on the pitch (tonight), but given this is a strong opponent going for the World Cup, I know them quite well. I know we need experience when we play them, so we go for that," ujar Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Penyerang AZ Alkmaar, Troy Parrott, dipastikan dalam kondisi bugar untuk diturunkan meski sempat ditarik keluar lebih awal pada pertandingan terakhirnya di liga domestik.
"Troy was taken off early in his last game and sat out the final game of the season," kata Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Tim pelatih Irlandia menegaskan akan tetap berhati-hati dalam memantau kondisi fisik sang striker sepanjang rangkaian pertandingan di jendela internasional ini.
"But he is OK, he did some individual training (on Tuesday) and then he came and joined the training, just (for) assessment," jelas Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Evaluasi menyeluruh terus dilakukan oleh tim medis Irlandia untuk memastikan seluruh anggota tim berada dalam level kebugaran tertinggi.
"We'll take it carefully with him but he’s fit and everybody is fit," tegas Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Absennya sejumlah pemain utama membuka kesempatan bagi nama-nama baru seperti Jack Moylan, yang sebelumnya mencetak hat-trick pada laga debutnya melawan Grenada, untuk kembali menunjukkan performa terbaik.
"We're just happy with the players we have, we’re trying to focus on those that we are working with, not those who are not here," ungkap Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Hallgrimsson menambahkan bahwa situasi kehilangan pemain akibat cedera merupakan hal yang lumrah dalam sepak bola dan justru memicu persaingan sehat di dalam tim.
"It just gives opportunities for those who are in and it’s our job to work with those players. So we’re just focusing on them, we’re not thinking about those who couldn’t come for one reason or another," kata Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Staf kepelatihan Irlandia meminta para pemain cadangan dan debutan untuk selalu siap memaksimalkan setiap menit bermain yang diberikan di lapangan.
"That's the negative side of not coming, being injured, you give others an opportunity to play and shine and hopefully like (what) happened in Spain, the likes of Jack Moylan coming in, grabbing his opportunity now, and getting another chance to impress. That’s football, it’s about moments, being ready when the opportunity comes," jabar Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Persaingan memperebutkan posisi utama di tim nasional akan berdampak langsung pada penentuan skuad untuk turnamen resmi di masa mendatang.
"That’s what football is about, you can lose and win your opportunity in the future so just be ready," tutur Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Pemantauan terhadap talenta lokal juga terus berjalan, termasuk saat Hallgrimsson menyaksikan langsung pertandingan derbi Dublin antara Bohemians dan Shamrock Rovers yang berakhir dengan skor 2-1.
"It was an entertaining match. Competitive, physical, maybe aesthetically not the best football match we've seen. But it was good fun, a good atmosphere and then there’s chaos at the end just to top if off," cerita Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Dalam laga tersebut, dua pemain liga lokal yakni Dawson Devoy dan Ed McGinty mendapat perhatian khusus berkat performa impresif mereka sepanjang musim.
"No, it was lovely. Happy with the players that we picked. Both played well that game. (Devoy) has been one of the best players in the league and that’s why we picked him," pungkas Heimir Hallgrimsson.
Di kubu lawan, Qatar datang ke Dublin di bawah asuhan pelatih Julen Lopetegui dengan membawa modal berharga setelah berhasil lolos ke putaran final Piala Dunia 2026 melalui babak kualifikasi zona Asia.
Tim asuhan Lopetegui mengandalkan kombinasi pemain dari Aspire Academy serta penyerang andalan Akram Afif dan pencetak gol terbanyak sepanjang masa mereka, Almoez Ali, untuk meredam keunggulan fisik skuad Irlandia di Stadion Aviva.
