Republic of Ireland v Sweden

:00:09. > :00:11.# Je revois la ville en fete et en delire

:00:12. > :00:14.# Suffoquant sous le soleil et sous la joie

:00:15. > :00:18.# Et j'entends dans la musique les cris, les rires

:00:19. > :00:22.# Qui eclatent et rebondissent autour de moi

:00:23. > :00:26.# Emportes par la foule qui nous traine

:00:27. > :00:33.# Emportes par la foule qui nous traine

:00:34. > :00:42.# Emportes par la foule qui nous traine

:00:43. > :01:09.It really was a topsy-turvy qualifying campaign and for a while

:01:10. > :01:13.it looked quite dodgy, prospect of popping the champagne. We sort of

:01:14. > :01:18.protest against Scotland but we rose majestically against Germany. A

:01:19. > :01:24.place in the play-off, we would take one of those. The away draw and the

:01:25. > :01:28.infamous fog they with a fantastic chance and the bigotry in the Aviva,

:01:29. > :01:38.we couldn't believe it, we were heading to France. -- victory. It

:01:39. > :01:44.was always going to be tough, the Italians, the Belgium, Sweden,

:01:45. > :01:50.visualising a gorgeous Parisian pitch, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, our

:01:51. > :02:00.midfield busting a gut passing from box to box, our strikers...

:02:01. > :02:04.Come on come Ireland, come on come you boys in green, here we go, here

:02:05. > :02:18.we grow. John Cummins with the word on how

:02:19. > :02:21.the Republic of Ireland qualified for Euro 2016 and it might have been

:02:22. > :02:26.through the play-offs but they are here and ready to go. They lost all

:02:27. > :02:30.three games four years ago so we'll be looking to get a better account

:02:31. > :02:37.this time around. Martin O'Neill's team are in a tough group alongside

:02:38. > :02:42.Belgium, Italy and today's opponents, Sweden. And their main

:02:43. > :02:48.man is once again slap an Ibrahimovic and all eyes will be on

:02:49. > :02:52.the charismatic striker. -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He will carry the hopes

:02:53. > :03:02.of his country on his broad shoulders. Hello and welcome to

:03:03. > :03:07.Paris. A warm welcome to Kevin Kilbane, 110 caps for Ireland, Alan

:03:08. > :03:13.Shearer and Danny Murphy who I guess must have some Irish in you with

:03:14. > :03:19.that maim! You're right, my dad and his family came over from Cork. I

:03:20. > :03:28.have a soft spot for the boys in green. I will have a pint of

:03:29. > :03:34.Guinness! Kerrin, let's start with you, for years ago they lost all

:03:35. > :03:40.three games -- Kevin. It should be different. I expect so. It was a

:03:41. > :03:44.poor showing. The standard was very poor and we never got going

:03:45. > :03:48.throughout. That first game against Croatia killed the tournament off

:03:49. > :03:53.but we are all looking for a better performance. A good start is vital

:03:54. > :03:59.and what a partnership between Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane, Martin

:04:00. > :04:03.O'Neill described it as bad cop and bad bad cop. They say that opposites

:04:04. > :04:08.attract and they are as opposite as they come. We know about Martyn

:04:09. > :04:16.Bernard Roy's bark is worse than his bite!

:04:17. > :04:22.Ibrahimovic is always the start for Sweden but there is more to them

:04:23. > :04:26.than that. They have pace and flair on the left with Martin Olsson who

:04:27. > :04:36.loves to go forward and Forsberg comes in off the left and leaves him

:04:37. > :04:38.space. It is not just about Zlatan but we are looking forward to seeing

:04:39. > :04:48.him. This is how the teams line up. Darren Randolph has been a regular

:04:49. > :04:56.for them in the last six months and he will win his 10th cap. We can

:04:57. > :05:04.expect plenty of attacking runs from Coleman and Brady.

:05:05. > :05:12.Wes Hoolahan will be at the tip of what we think will be a diamond.

:05:13. > :05:20.Walters is fit despite a recent groin problem and he partners Shane

:05:21. > :05:23.Long. For Sweden, the former Manchester City keeper Isaksson is

:05:24. > :05:26.taking part in the sixth major tournament for his country and he

:05:27. > :05:38.will retire from international duty this summer. Lindelof starts despite

:05:39. > :05:42.only winning his first cap in March. Kallstrom provides experience in

:05:43. > :05:49.midfield. Forsberg scored in the play-off against Denmark. Interim

:05:50. > :05:53.image as failed to score in his last three games against the Republic of

:05:54. > :05:57.Ireland while Berg has been in good form in Greek football. We can get

:05:58. > :06:05.the thought of Martin O'Neill. How big a bonus to have Jonathan Walters

:06:06. > :06:10.available? It is a big bonus. It was looking touch and go a few days ago

:06:11. > :06:15.but he has come through and he is naturally fit anyway. The bit of

:06:16. > :06:21.training that he has lost in the last few days, I hope it will not

:06:22. > :06:25.bother him. How important is it to not just focus on Zlatan Ibrahimovic

:06:26. > :06:29.but on the Swedish side collectively? I think collectively

:06:30. > :06:36.the Swedish team have been big players, you know what they are all

:06:37. > :06:42.about, they seem to qualify for competitions. I accept the fact that

:06:43. > :06:50.Ibrahimovic is their talisman but they do have players, it is not a

:06:51. > :06:54.one-man show. This match takes place at the Stade de France which posted

:06:55. > :06:58.the opening game of the tournament on Friday night. It is in the north

:06:59. > :07:09.of Paris and a full house of 80,000 is expected the -- for the game.

:07:10. > :07:13.Another noisy night expected here and Mark Lawrenson, we have seen the

:07:14. > :07:20.teams and how Ireland will set up. What do you make of it? They will be

:07:21. > :07:24.very competitive and if you look at them, no real outstanding players,

:07:25. > :07:30.it is the sum of their parts. And the games we have watched so far,

:07:31. > :07:34.the referees have let it go on and made it quite physical and that will

:07:35. > :07:40.suit Ireland. There have been some injury problems in the build-up,

:07:41. > :07:43.concerns over the likes of Jonathan Walters and James McCarthy. Do you

:07:44. > :07:48.envisage that being a problem tonight or further in the tournament

:07:49. > :07:52.if you look that far ahead? I don't think you can look that far ahead

:07:53. > :07:57.and you can make three substitutions but Walters is crucial Ulster to

:07:58. > :08:00.play alongside Shane Long and take off some pressure, it is an

:08:01. > :08:05.adventurous team from Martin O'Neill so that is very positive. The last

:08:06. > :08:11.time here in the Stade de France, I'm not sure any Irish person wants

:08:12. > :08:16.to remember! Hopefully not heartache this time around. It is a massive

:08:17. > :08:19.game, the last time they were undone by the Thierry Henry and ball but we

:08:20. > :08:24.like him now because he is working for us! But I'm looking at the

:08:25. > :08:31.group, it is imperative Ireland get something from the game today. All

:08:32. > :08:35.very noisy here with the Irish fans in good voice and this should be a

:08:36. > :08:42.cracker. They have been in good voice for the last few days in Paris

:08:43. > :08:47.and good form. What is the key to Martin's line? You mentioned the

:08:48. > :08:52.attacking full-backs. When we have worked with that diamond, we are

:08:53. > :08:57.looking to Coleman and Brady, they are the key players and it could be

:08:58. > :09:02.a set piece. Robbie Brady is outstanding with his delivery. We

:09:03. > :09:07.had Shane Long and what is up front but you think Walters will drop in?

:09:08. > :09:13.He plays at times like a false forward. He works back so there is

:09:14. > :09:18.flexibility in the system to play with a diamond going forward but out

:09:19. > :09:25.of position it goes into a five. What are they like in the dressing

:09:26. > :09:30.room, those two together? The lads have taken what Roy has served on

:09:31. > :09:36.board. You would, wouldn't you! I think Martin O'Neill, about a year

:09:37. > :09:44.ago, we saw him suited and booted, he had a different demeanour. Then

:09:45. > :09:49.he put the tracksuit on and I think that galvanised the side, he became

:09:50. > :09:54.the Martin O'Neill at old. The team seem to draw off that and the recent

:09:55. > :09:58.results have been outstanding. They will need team spirit and

:09:59. > :10:02.togetherness. Absolutely. We said that Ireland will look to this to

:10:03. > :10:08.make a great start because of the other teams in the group, Belgium

:10:09. > :10:14.and Italy. Sweden will be thinking the exact same thing. Mark Lawrenson

:10:15. > :10:17.touched on it, no real superstar names but they rely on the team

:10:18. > :10:23.spirit that got them there in the first place. A few strong words from

:10:24. > :10:29.Roy Keane before the tournament, will that fire them up? Most of them

:10:30. > :10:34.expect that type of thing from him so I don't envisage it causing too

:10:35. > :10:38.many problems. You have your own job to do, it is your own self pride and

:10:39. > :10:42.self worth that makes you perform to the top of your game, not the

:10:43. > :10:46.assistant manager. I hope the date they don't worry about how pretty

:10:47. > :10:52.they look, if you are playing those two upfront, picked it up there and

:10:53. > :10:55.play to your strengths. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Sweden's record

:10:56. > :10:59.goal-scorer and could be the first man to score at four different

:11:00. > :11:03.European Championships. There is talk he might grace the Premier

:11:04. > :11:08.League next season and if he does, this is what we will be getting.

:11:09. > :11:15.When they saw me, they saw the player that was different from the

:11:16. > :11:35.others. Why we like everybody else? That is brilliant! Zlatan

:11:36. > :11:57.He had to change his style but I saw from the start very talented

:11:58. > :12:04.football player. He can do everything. He is really good in the

:12:05. > :12:10.air, he can score goals, one of the best players I believe in the last

:12:11. > :12:16.20 years. You look at everybody who he has played for, Inter Milan, AC

:12:17. > :12:22.Milan, Barcelona, Paris, he has done many amazing things. I have been

:12:23. > :12:26.dominating wherever I go. You can compare him to Ronaldo, the same

:12:27. > :12:30.winning mentality. I have to have that confidence, my football talks

:12:31. > :12:36.for me. Ibrahimovic with the sweetest strike. His self belief is

:12:37. > :12:42.unbelievable. He is a strong character and when it is not going

:12:43. > :12:48.well, not what he likes, he can make it difficult for the rest of the

:12:49. > :12:52.people, even for himself. You should never judge a person if you don't

:12:53. > :12:57.know him. I have a big heart. Sometimes he can seem arrogant but

:12:58. > :13:03.it is not the case. The legend can still deliver. I had a lot of fun

:13:04. > :13:08.with him. He said, I arrive at the King and I leave at a legend! It is

:13:09. > :13:14.the star artist of Swedish football... For the Swedish national

:13:15. > :13:18.team he is the best player ever. He is the biggest star we have but it's

:13:19. > :13:23.important for us do have a good team spirit and the team needs to work

:13:24. > :13:27.and be but maybe don't get the credit and the hard work to create

:13:28. > :13:32.the space. It is important the whole squad works together. If he is doing

:13:33. > :13:34.well then we have a chance, if he's not doing well, it will be tough for

:13:35. > :13:46.us. What he achieved in football is

:13:47. > :13:51.outstanding. There will not come second Zlatan. I feel very

:13:52. > :13:57.confident, I go in this tournament I feel mentally very strong and I come

:13:58. > :14:06.here to enjoy. When I quit football I will understand what I have done.

:14:07. > :14:13.Zlatan Ibrahimovic, if he'd just had a bit more confidence! I don't mind

:14:14. > :14:18.it, the arrogance. If you have the ability and you have achieved what

:14:19. > :14:21.he has, you can talk like that. The problem is when people talk and they

:14:22. > :14:25.don't have his ability or his achievements and he said you should

:14:26. > :14:29.never judge a person if you don't know him. I'm going to judge him,

:14:30. > :14:36.he's fantastic. The career he has had and the goals he has scored, 34

:14:37. > :14:40.years of age now. Here's a better than one in two record at

:14:41. > :14:46.international level will stop 50 goals this season so he is not

:14:47. > :14:50.slowing down. He can do everything. He has won trophies wherever he has

:14:51. > :14:55.been so he can talk himself up as much as he wants. A lot of talk

:14:56. > :14:57.about him possibly going to Treve, would that be good for him and the

:14:58. > :15:06.Premier League and Manchester United? -- going to Treve. It would

:15:07. > :15:13.be good all round -- to Manchester United. You can only look at

:15:14. > :15:15.somebody's form with injuries but 50 goals last season, his best season

:15:16. > :15:25.ever so he's not slowing up. The onus will be on Glenn Whelan. He

:15:26. > :15:29.will take the responsibility, he does that well, he shields the ball

:15:30. > :15:37.well. People try to cut off the supply line. Like him? I do. One

:15:38. > :15:42.thing he deserves credit for is how he looks after himself, because to

:15:43. > :15:47.perform at that level at 34, he is doing something right. That is

:15:48. > :15:53.tremendous. He has all of the money and trophies, to keep going,

:15:54. > :15:57.fantastic. Like Cristiano Ronaldo can tomorrow, to be able to have

:15:58. > :16:03.scored in four European Championships is remarkable.

:16:04. > :16:13.Some decent names on there, and Alan Shearer! Maybe he will not score! I

:16:14. > :16:21.don't know if you remember... Where is your name? I only scored one! Ten

:16:22. > :16:25.years ago we were working with Martin O'Neill, he would not have

:16:26. > :16:32.him. He said he was the most overrated player he had seen. They

:16:33. > :16:40.are not a one-man team. They will be organised, disciplined. It is a

:16:41. > :16:45.rigid 4-4- two. He made the difference in the play-off, he is

:16:46. > :16:49.top class. If he is crucial to Sweden, the Republic of Ireland are

:16:50. > :16:54.going through a change up front. Robbie Keane was first choice, but

:16:55. > :16:58.recently the spot has been taken by Southampton's Shane Long.

:16:59. > :17:10.Shane Long. Looks very promising. The kind of goal you dream of,

:17:11. > :17:16.against the world champions. Everybody talks about the goal. It

:17:17. > :17:20.was amazing to be part of that night, hopefully I can get a few

:17:21. > :17:26.more. Why are you in the form of your life? It is playing 90 minutes

:17:27. > :17:31.each week. Ronald Koeman has given me the chance to keep weighing. I

:17:32. > :17:36.feel better and confident, and hopefully I can continue. He is

:17:37. > :17:41.playing with a lot of confidence, scoring a lot of goals, playing each

:17:42. > :17:45.week at club level, and here at international level. It described

:17:46. > :17:52.for us to have a confident Shane Long. I will make sure I am in the

:17:53. > :17:58.best condition possible to do a job. You may have to try and share the

:17:59. > :18:03.goals around a little bit. A 27-year-old Robbie Keane would do

:18:04. > :18:08.nicely, but unfortunately he is in his mid-30s, but is still useful. I

:18:09. > :18:14.remember Robbie Keane scoring 14 years ago. I would have been 13. He

:18:15. > :18:19.is still here, he is such a big influence. There are goals left in

:18:20. > :18:27.me, I have been doing it since I was 17, and I have continued to do it

:18:28. > :18:30.and been consistent. I am fairly confident in my ability, when given

:18:31. > :18:35.the opportunity, to do the best for the team, but if there is a chance,

:18:36. > :18:41.hopefully I will take it. The first game is a big game for how we do in

:18:42. > :18:46.the group stages. I am sure Sweden are thinking the same thing. We will

:18:47. > :18:50.approach it right, we will have our homework done, it is a great chance

:18:51. > :18:56.for us to put a stamp on the tournament, and we can get out of

:18:57. > :19:03.the group stages. You a fan of Zlatan Ibrahimovic? Not any more!

:19:04. > :19:10.He has had a good season at Southampton. He offers a threat.

:19:11. > :19:15.Yes. Martin did not trust him to begin with, a lot of his work was

:19:16. > :19:20.coming off the bench. He has not been prolific in his career. He has

:19:21. > :19:24.had a good season, the only scored 13 this season, ten in the league,

:19:25. > :19:30.the first time he has been in double figures. He has only started two

:19:31. > :19:37.qualifying games, but Martin Knight trusts him, he offers them threat

:19:38. > :19:42.and pace, they can do that. If they are going to progress, he is going

:19:43. > :19:46.to have to do this. He has definitely got better as the season

:19:47. > :19:52.has gone on, he seems to be getting more mature. He is in form, and he

:19:53. > :19:56.will have confidence, that is what they will need. He will also rely on

:19:57. > :20:02.service, and much of that is from the full-backs, getting into the

:20:03. > :20:08.wide areas. Yes, especially Robbie Brady. He was generally a winger at

:20:09. > :20:14.Manchester United, and he played number ten, very creative. Now he is

:20:15. > :20:20.playing full-back. A lot of the stuff we see here is him going

:20:21. > :20:24.forward. I am a lover of end product, he always puts the ball in

:20:25. > :20:28.good areas, he can shoot with both feet, and so many of their chances

:20:29. > :20:35.come from his left foot, whether he is crossing in, or his set plays. I

:20:36. > :20:41.did a report on them last season, he was the star man on the night. He

:20:42. > :20:46.has got the extra bit of quality that you need. His performance today

:20:47. > :20:49.will be crucial, especially from set pieces, because they have some big

:20:50. > :20:53.lads and he gives them a real threat. On the other side they have

:20:54. > :21:00.Seamus Coleman, who goes up and down. A big admirer. He had a few

:21:01. > :21:07.problems with his hamstring last season, we did not see the best of

:21:08. > :21:11.him, in a poor Everton side. Martin O'Neill relies on him to get

:21:12. > :21:18.forward, get into wide areas, and he has an eye for goal. He generally

:21:19. > :21:23.finishes quite well. Martin O'Neill recognises his strength and he wants

:21:24. > :21:27.him to get into positions. Invariably he will drive at you, he

:21:28. > :21:34.can win penalties and free kicks, and perhaps that is when Robbie

:21:35. > :21:40.Brady comes in. He have to provide the assists. That is what he gives

:21:41. > :21:46.you time and time again. When you have Wes Hoolahan, he can pick

:21:47. > :21:52.Seamus Coleman out. It is a big threat that Ireland possess. There

:21:53. > :21:59.he is, the Irish players on the pitch, warming up, not long to wait.

:22:00. > :22:03.We talked about Wes Hoolahan in terms of creativity, that is

:22:04. > :22:09.important for Ireland,... He can do both. Bernie mentioned playing to

:22:10. > :22:14.their strengths, I agree, that he will be able to create. There is no

:22:15. > :22:21.harm in getting people and knocking it long, because when you have his

:22:22. > :22:29.pace and his creativity, get it into him, why not? He can turn and play

:22:30. > :22:33.and use Shane Long's pace. Wes Hoolahan is prepared to have five,

:22:34. > :22:40.six, seven touches, when they have been under pressure, he is prepared

:22:41. > :22:44.to take it. Between him and Robbie Brady for Norwich last season, over

:22:45. > :22:49.100 chances were created. That is where their supply line came from.

:22:50. > :22:56.They provide so much for Ireland as well. He is a very creative player,

:22:57. > :23:00.I am pleased to see him in the line-up, I am sure most Irish fans

:23:01. > :23:05.will be. Have they got what it takes to get through the group stage? It

:23:06. > :23:12.is a tough group. Today is crucial. The result today will come if they

:23:13. > :23:19.have a good performance, but I have a good feeling. It is a positive

:23:20. > :23:22.line-up, creativity, power, pace. If they get three points today, I would

:23:23. > :23:26.say that they will get through, because I can see them getting a

:23:27. > :23:30.point, you know their spirit, they can get a point from one of their

:23:31. > :23:36.next games. Is it good to play the weaker side on paper first? We spoke

:23:37. > :23:42.about the Group 4 years ago, playing against Croatia, they would get

:23:43. > :23:48.three points, but they dominated. This is the big chance, don't lose,

:23:49. > :23:52.but a chance to win. If you can keep that man quiet, you have a chance.

:23:53. > :23:59.It is the Republic of Ireland against Sweden. The commentators,

:24:00. > :24:06.Mark Lawrenson and Jonathan Pearce. I was there in struck Gartner, 1988,

:24:07. > :24:09.when they opened the finals with the victory over England, wild

:24:10. > :24:13.celebrations that night, and what a party there will be in Paris if they

:24:14. > :24:18.can get the winning start to night. You have been to the Irish bars,

:24:19. > :24:23.lots of you out there around the world, from Shannon to Shanghai in

:24:24. > :24:32.those bars now, absolutely packed. Roy Keane hates the booze mentality

:24:33. > :24:36.of yesteryear. The Irish coach and the wily old fan of crime fiction

:24:37. > :24:43.Martin O'Neill will have their own plot lines drawn up to starch the

:24:44. > :24:49.arch villain Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ireland's task to usurp a monarch. I

:24:50. > :24:54.came as a king and left as a legend, he said of his time at Paris St

:24:55. > :24:59.Germain, which ended three weeks ago after he came out from that tunnel

:25:00. > :25:02.here and scored two goals in the French cup final. You cannot

:25:03. > :25:13.criticise a God, screamed the headline. It is ego against team

:25:14. > :25:19.ethic, it is footballing mobility against the game's working classes.

:25:20. > :25:29.Paris has always loved the rich perfume of revolution. The Irish

:25:30. > :25:33.fans believe. They have turned part of the stadium into the Emerald

:25:34. > :25:41.city. The Swedes have their own yellow Brick Road. Terrific

:25:42. > :25:42.atmosphere. Even better than it was for the opening game the other

:25:43. > :25:49.night. # Du gamla, Du fria,

:25:50. > :25:51.Du fjallhoga nord # Jag halsar Dig,

:25:52. > :26:01.vanaste land uppa jord # Din sol, Din himmel,

:26:02. > :26:14.Dina angder grona # Du tronar pa minnen

:26:15. > :26:20.fran fornstora dar # Da arat Ditt namn

:26:21. > :26:26.flog over jorden # Jag vet att Du ar

:26:27. > :26:33.och Du blir vad du var # Ja, jag vill leva

:26:34. > :27:00.jag vill do i Norden #. Sunk with gusto, we have heard the

:27:01. > :27:04.Swedish anthem over many years. The Irish fans were treated to the field

:27:05. > :27:08.of them right, they gave it a great rendition. Here is their anthem.

:27:09. > :27:15.# Sinne Fianna Fail ata fao gheall ag Eirinn

:27:16. > :27:26.# Buion dar slua thar toinn do rainig chughainn

:27:27. > :27:35.# Faoi mhoid bheith saor Seantir ar sinsear feasta

:27:36. > :27:45.# Ni fhagfar faoin tioran na faoin traill

:27:46. > :27:54.# Le gean ar Ghaeil chun bais no saoil

:27:55. > :28:00.# Le gunna screach faoi lamhach na bpilear

:28:01. > :28:10.# Seo libh canaidh amhran na bhfiann. #

:28:11. > :28:21.The great, the good, the bearded, the bellicose, all giving a great

:28:22. > :28:28.rendition. The soldier's song, what a privilege it is to be here, it is

:28:29. > :28:34.very special. The Irish fans around the world have always made their

:28:35. > :28:41.games a celebration. Their captain, what a proud night for him. They are

:28:42. > :28:46.all fit, which is so important. Talking all the week of getting a

:28:47. > :28:49.crucial good start, James McCarthy and Jonathan Walters in the line-up,

:28:50. > :29:03.Ciaran Clark alongside John O'Shea. Jonathan Walters will to work along

:29:04. > :29:08.the right-hand side. A 20 month wait for an international goal could end.

:29:09. > :29:15.The hard running front pair, Shane Long is in the form of his life,

:29:16. > :29:25.says Martin O'Neill. The referee took the Irish defeat to Scotland

:29:26. > :29:31.during qualifying. The Serbian. John O'Shea and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the

:29:32. > :29:37.captains. Talking about the Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 50 goals this season,

:29:38. > :29:46.55 in 57 for club and country, and in his career A764, 421 goals.

:29:47. > :29:51.Astounding, really. It is so difficult not to attack Sweden as a

:29:52. > :29:55.one-man team, since 2012 they have not won a competitive match when he

:29:56. > :30:04.has not scored or created a goal. Marcus Berg is alongside him. Martin

:30:05. > :30:11.Olsson and Sebastian Larsson will know the Irish players well. It is

:30:12. > :30:19.only Victor Lindelof's fourth International. Shane Long could

:30:20. > :30:26.intimidate him. Off the bench, will Ireland see Robbie Keane?

:30:27. > :30:35.The talismanic record goal-scorer and crucially, fit. Here we go, Mark

:30:36. > :30:39.Lawrenson, what are you feeling right now as Sweden in the yellow

:30:40. > :30:44.and blue prepared to get as underweight? I think Ireland will

:30:45. > :30:48.leave nothing on this pitch. They may lack a bit of quality in certain

:30:49. > :30:54.positions but they will work so hard to stop Sweden playing. They are up

:30:55. > :31:03.against a team of giants, Sweden have so many players six foot two or

:31:04. > :31:07.three or more and they will look for those big diagonals to get the

:31:08. > :31:13.full-backs up. Lustig down the right-hand side straightaway. Bright

:31:14. > :31:16.sunshine in Paris, it has been a bit cold in the last 24 hours. Sweden

:31:17. > :31:51.kicking from right to left. The big fella has shifted. Ireland

:31:52. > :31:59.looking for Long but Lindelof is with him. He almost joined

:32:00. > :32:08.Middlesbrough in January. Clark was a bit late according to the Swedish

:32:09. > :32:17.fans. In all the games, the referees have let it roll, I thought that was

:32:18. > :32:25.a foul. Back to Hoolahan, Whelan. You know what you will get with

:32:26. > :32:34.Glenn Whelan, 100% every game. They have got a free kick now. Robbie

:32:35. > :32:45.Brady drew the challenge. That was a foul. Absolutely. Larson macro was

:32:46. > :33:01.the defender. Preparing to take this free kick.

:33:02. > :33:11.This is one of the reasons he is in the team. They have a big presence

:33:12. > :33:27.inside the penalty area. A decent header away. We learn. -- Whelan.

:33:28. > :33:30.Just too far for Walters to stretch, does not want to stretch that

:33:31. > :33:40.Achilles too early. He has been in great form. Hoolahan was in a great

:33:41. > :33:49.position. He just didn't spot him. Remarkable character, Martin

:33:50. > :33:56.O'Neill. Incredibly intelligent man and just so vibrant. He will have

:33:57. > :34:03.ants in his pants down in that dugout, that is for sure. That is

:34:04. > :34:19.easy for Seamus Coleman. He was beaten in the semifinals

:34:20. > :34:24.domestic league last season. The three goal-scorers against Wales in

:34:25. > :34:30.the warm up, that is Kallstrom who had that spell at Arsenal. Granqvist

:34:31. > :34:41.and Lindelof are giants, aren't they? Granqvist is six foot three.

:34:42. > :34:49.He had a little spell in English football with Wigan. Ibrahimovic,

:34:50. > :35:02.shortly to come to England, they say. Forsberg, he is a good player.

:35:03. > :35:08.Skipping Ibrahimovic. We saw him play many times for PSG in the last

:35:09. > :35:14.two or three years, he disappears out of games and suddenly strikes.

:35:15. > :35:28.That is out playing. -- out of play. Erik Hamren has not been the

:35:29. > :35:35.brightest in the Europe, he said he still dreams of winning a medal with

:35:36. > :35:41.Sweden. He says they won't make it to the round of 16! Fighting talk

:35:42. > :35:49.from the manager! I think he is part. He says that reality and

:35:50. > :35:58.dreams are separate things. They are developing some good young talent on

:35:59. > :36:08.the European U21 team. One of their players was in the best XI for the

:36:09. > :36:12.tournament. Out by Lustig. Title win in Scotland again. This is Olsson,

:36:13. > :36:40.suffered relegation again. Forsberg. Kallstrom. Olsson has time

:36:41. > :36:51.to measure the cross, Ivanovic far post could not get up enough.

:36:52. > :36:59.Sweden are quick to take a throw in that has been a feature of the

:37:00. > :37:05.championship so far, the ball goes out and teams are restarting very

:37:06. > :37:12.quickly. They are going to have to hurry and Harry, especially around

:37:13. > :37:18.Ibrahimovic. Footballer of the Year ten times, winning 14 titles in 16

:37:19. > :37:23.years at six clubs. His manager describes him as one of the best

:37:24. > :37:30.three footballers on the planet. Shane Long, he will challenge all

:37:31. > :37:53.day long for things like this. I think he could trouble Lindelof.

:37:54. > :38:10.Free kick. The abrasive James McCarthy whips in with those

:38:11. > :38:14.challenges but he slipped actually. He has been struggling with a

:38:15. > :38:22.hamstring injury since the end of the domestic season, missed the warm

:38:23. > :38:30.up internationals. Tight to the line, beyond McCarthy and a good run

:38:31. > :38:34.as he goes beyond O'Shea but straight into the hands of Darren

:38:35. > :38:41.Randolph. He had a good end to the season with West Ham. They just need

:38:42. > :38:52.a little spell on the ball, Ireland, they haven't really settled. Walters

:38:53. > :38:58.attacking the ball and get it back, crashed away by Lindelof. That move

:38:59. > :39:07.to Middlesbrough apparently died in the end when Lisandro Lopez was

:39:08. > :39:13.injured back in Portuguese football. Wes Hoolahan, so important to how

:39:14. > :39:21.Ireland play. And because of the position, they have to get him on

:39:22. > :39:27.the ball. Ireland are the oldest squad at these finals with the

:39:28. > :39:38.average age just under 30. Ciaran Clark, born in Harrow but Irish.

:39:39. > :39:42.This is one of the most colourful stages we have seen in these

:39:43. > :39:47.championships so far with the yellow and green.

:39:48. > :40:01.Jeff Hendrick, consistent at the end of qualifying. He gets that shot and

:40:02. > :40:06.that is what he is capable of. That is something that Ireland will have

:40:07. > :40:16.worked on the long throw, knocked down to Hendrick and a decent

:40:17. > :40:21.strike. Relatively fresh, he missed the tail end of the season with

:40:22. > :40:31.Derby. Here he is again, works so hard. McCarthy, stumbled over his

:40:32. > :40:37.first touch. That is a bit of a waste from the corner. All the way

:40:38. > :40:41.back in their own half and gave it away to Sweden. When you consider

:40:42. > :40:50.that Ireland are really good at set pieces.

:40:51. > :41:01.The referee blowing again. This was the referee that sent off Pepe at

:41:02. > :41:10.the last World Cup finals. Surely not! Was he not feigning injury at

:41:11. > :41:23.the same time? He has seen a fair amount of red cards over the years.

:41:24. > :41:28.Larsson going in close. One of the features of the display in the

:41:29. > :41:32.play-off against Denmark was the amount Ibrahimovic worked off the

:41:33. > :41:41.ball. That is a lovely ball, another big diagonal looking for Marcus

:41:42. > :41:45.Berg. Seamus Coleman was caught a little bit underneath it but Darren

:41:46. > :41:55.Randolph came out quickly and was alert to the danger. Berg scored 14

:41:56. > :42:01.in his last 12 games for Panathanaikos. Ireland will be wary.

:42:02. > :42:05.He is in ahead of Guidetti, apparently there was a bit of a bust

:42:06. > :42:09.up at the training ground last week with one of the squad members and as

:42:10. > :42:16.a result Sweden have trained behind closed doors. There was a bump in

:42:17. > :42:23.the middle, it was Long and Lindelof and he has stayed down. I don't

:42:24. > :42:37.think the referee has seen it. He has no idea who it was. Offside was

:42:38. > :42:39.given. This was the chance at the other end with Berg but quick

:42:40. > :42:52.thinking from Darren Randolph. There is no doubt that Shane Long

:42:53. > :42:58.will look to physically impose himself on the 21-year-old rookie

:42:59. > :43:03.centre-back. Double winner with Benfica this season but

:43:04. > :43:11.inexperienced at this level. That is away by Coleman. He didn't play much

:43:12. > :43:27.football at the end of the season, had a hamstring injury.

:43:28. > :43:34.Martin O'Neill signed a new deal with his coaching staff through to

:43:35. > :43:47.the next couple of years, or agreed it, I think he still has to put his

:43:48. > :43:56.name to it. Brady. Space in front of him but denied by Larsson and he

:43:57. > :44:02.goes back to Hendrick. Good combination on the left, Hendrick

:44:03. > :44:09.and Brady, they have been friends since schoolboy days. They were at a

:44:10. > :44:15.very good club in Dublin, Saint Kevin 's boys club. I think they are

:44:16. > :44:31.offering trials. They have been together all of those

:44:32. > :44:40.years, firm friends and playing for Ireland today. This Walters.

:44:41. > :44:45.Hoolahan. Larsson goes across but he has allowed Brady too much room.

:44:46. > :44:52.Going through the gears. Across stepped Lustig. He will commit

:44:53. > :45:05.people down the left, Brady, as everybody knows. Hoolahan. This time

:45:06. > :45:12.the cover cross was by junk lower key. This time they have to put this

:45:13. > :45:18.into the box. -- Lewicki. It was so crucial for Walters to be fit and

:45:19. > :45:26.also Lewicki who had a groin strain in the week. O'Shea is trying to run

:45:27. > :45:30.away from his marker. It nearly came to him, Ibrahimovic brings him down

:45:31. > :45:36.and O'Shea might have been rolled to the ground but play on.

:45:37. > :45:47.It is quite a clever foul, although he will have to be careful with the

:45:48. > :45:56.totting up process. There was no shout or appeal for handball. God

:45:57. > :46:03.would not need to use his hands! Calling him God and legend and so

:46:04. > :46:08.forth. A bit untidy there. Kim Kallstrom has left a foot in, it is

:46:09. > :46:14.a free kick. It was good pressure from Jonathan Walters initially to

:46:15. > :46:26.earn himself the free kick. He stood on his knee. Roy Keane looking on.

:46:27. > :46:34.Accidental? Yes. Are you sure? No. You would never know, though. Big

:46:35. > :46:39.Andreas Isaacson, the six foot five goalkeeper, he played 20 games for

:46:40. > :46:49.Manchester City in his two years there. He steps down after this, his

:46:50. > :46:57.sixth major finals. 130 internationals for Sweden.

:46:58. > :47:10.He has lined up a two-man wall. Headed away well by Victor Lindelof.

:47:11. > :47:19.At least this time they are making Sweden defend. Really good young

:47:20. > :47:24.defender, Victor Lindelof, he played right back in the U21 finals last

:47:25. > :47:25.year and scored the decisive penalty in the final against Portugal, who

:47:26. > :47:43.were expected to win. Very nearly came to John O'Shea. I

:47:44. > :47:50.think it did. He was falling back. Defender in penalty area. It is a

:47:51. > :47:59.chance. Ciaran Clark with the header. He has completely missed it.

:48:00. > :48:07.Shane Long was right behind him as well. Oh, dear. You cannot leave it.

:48:08. > :48:11.He has scored three goals for his country, but famously away in

:48:12. > :48:18.Germany in qualification. When given this draw in December, Martin

:48:19. > :48:23.O'Neill said, yes, but hang on, we have come out of a group that

:48:24. > :48:42.contained the world champions. A good challenge by Jeff Hendrick.

:48:43. > :49:01.The 24-year-old Dubliner just put his toe on it.

:49:02. > :49:08.If Ireland are to make the diamond formation work, they need to get the

:49:09. > :49:14.full-backs high. At the moment, Marcus Berg is keeping Seamus

:49:15. > :49:22.Coleman in check. He has had no possession at all. They are in the

:49:23. > :49:28.game now, though. Ireland spent the build-up for this back at home, they

:49:29. > :49:34.spent a lot of the last championships in Italy, the training

:49:35. > :49:41.camp there. They had a terrible start four years ago, when they were

:49:42. > :49:44.beaten by Croatia in's and thumped by Spain, and Italy rounded off a

:49:45. > :50:01.miserable championships. This is a big stadium. A big

:50:02. > :50:08.occasion. Remember Stuttgart and New York? I certainly do, I was there.

:50:09. > :50:14.What a party there was that night. Maybe! I remember having a

:50:15. > :50:18.conversation with somebody in a bar for an hour and a half, and I

:50:19. > :50:19.discovered the next year that it was a mirror and I had been talking to

:50:20. > :50:50.myself. Was it a big mirror? That is what he is in the team for,

:50:51. > :50:56.that kind of ball and run, and the run a bit. A decent ball from Glenn

:50:57. > :50:57.Whelan. Double figures in Premier League football for the first time

:50:58. > :51:22.this season, Shane Long. It is a foul. A couple of goals in

:51:23. > :51:29.qualifying for Marcus Berg. He shot to fame in the U21 championships of

:51:30. > :51:43.2009, he was the golden Boot winner. Might Zlatan Ibrahimovic shoot here?

:51:44. > :51:52.He said this morning it is his city, his stadium, his tournament. We will

:51:53. > :52:03.wait and see. He drilled it into the wall. It was his mistake! Even the

:52:04. > :52:25.great con big right at all times. That is out of play. He has been in

:52:26. > :52:30.charge a long while, Erik Hamren. He has been the Swedish manager for 83

:52:31. > :52:40.games now, he took over in November 2000 nine. He said he likes his

:52:41. > :52:45.players to sit at breakfast and generate positive energy. His

:52:46. > :52:55.pretournament notes were not too positive!

:52:56. > :53:10.Great pressure from Ireland. Really working hard.

:53:11. > :53:21.A free kick for the challenge on Andreas Granqvist. The slightest of

:53:22. > :53:22.nudges. How tall is Andreas Granqvist? Six foot three and a

:53:23. > :53:35.half. Down like custard. Kim Kallstrom only played four games

:53:36. > :53:41.for Arsenal. I think he picked up an FA Cup winner's medal. He signed and

:53:42. > :53:43.then said he had a back injury from picking up a chair. It was his

:53:44. > :54:07.wages! Good claim, well done, Darren

:54:08. > :54:16.Randolph. A really good starting position with reading the play. This

:54:17. > :54:24.is his sixth start in their last eight games now. Jeff Hendrick

:54:25. > :54:32.played every minute of their last seven qualifying matches.

:54:33. > :54:54.Consistency from him. 15 years now a regular, John O'Shea.

:54:55. > :54:57.Ireland have done well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, because he has got his

:54:58. > :55:23.back to the play. Kim Kallstrom now 31, he was based

:55:24. > :55:53.in France for a long time. Again, offside flag against Zlatan

:55:54. > :56:13.Ibrahimovic. The pattern of the game is there is

:56:14. > :56:21.no pattern. Scruffy. You don't want to lose the opening game. The

:56:22. > :56:25.strengths and we hisses of the Irish side will have been pointed out by

:56:26. > :56:31.one of the backroom members of the Swedish staff, he has been Leicester

:56:32. > :56:38.City's performance director, momentous time for them. That was

:56:39. > :57:49.very risky. Great passion inside the stadium. It

:57:50. > :57:55.is a bit of a sterile game so far. The importance is massive. They know

:57:56. > :58:02.it is their best realistic chance of getting a victory in the group. The

:58:03. > :58:18.big guns to come, Belgium and Italy. More on that in a moment.

:58:19. > :58:27.The ball is going to get carried off! It is often now. You can see

:58:28. > :58:33.Belgium against Italy live on BBC One at 7:35pm, the other open it in

:58:34. > :58:41.this group, and then Cristiano Ronaldo takes his bow, tomorrow on

:58:42. > :58:43.BBC One at 7:30pm. The big one coming up later in this week,

:58:44. > :58:59.England against Wales. Should Shay Given be called upon

:59:00. > :59:09.today, and Ireland will hope he isn't in many ways, he will be the

:59:10. > :59:11.oldest player in the championships. But the Hungarian goalkeeper is

:59:12. > :59:13.expected to break the record when they play Hungary -- Austria

:59:14. > :59:34.tomorrow in Bordeaux. The first time we have seen Seamus

:59:35. > :59:44.Coleman get forward in this area. Jeff Hendrick did well. Exploded the

:59:45. > :59:48.shop, but over. He went for a swinger, it is a good strike. Jeff

:59:49. > :59:58.Hendrick did well, it was difficult to knock him off the ball, a nice

:59:59. > :00:03.ball to Robbie Brady. The interchange between the pair from

:00:04. > :00:17.the boys' club. He thought it was in.

:00:18. > :00:25.O'Shea with the header. People always ask me, what is Martin like

:00:26. > :00:37.in real life and he is exactly the same as on the telly. He is mad! The

:00:38. > :00:40.most unorganised person ever. He and Roy Keane, an unlikely pair, you

:00:41. > :00:52.would never have seen it. It is the odd couple. Was it Jack Lemmon...

:00:53. > :01:07.Walter Matthau. Didn't he play for Germany?

:01:08. > :01:22.The Irish fans starting to stir again. Ibrahimovic was waiting to

:01:23. > :01:31.pounce on the slightest error. O'Shea out to Coleman. He was a

:01:32. > :01:40.decent Gaelic footballer in Ireland, Seamus Coleman. What a bonus he has

:01:41. > :01:45.been in terms of service for Everton. ?70,000 was it? Cork city?

:01:46. > :02:03.Yes. Just over half an hour played.

:02:04. > :02:11.Sweden alleging possession, 52% so far but very tight. Grope and

:02:12. > :02:29.grapple. The noise is absolutely deafening.

:02:30. > :02:32.Granqvist challenged by Walters, always likely to win that one.

:02:33. > :02:50.Forsberg. Clark. Brady. Hendrick. Two ahead of

:02:51. > :02:52.him, he takes the written and goes for gold! It rocked the bar! The

:02:53. > :03:12.best move of the game by a mile. A real touch of class. That will

:03:13. > :03:23.have worried Sweden as well. Here is Larsson. Lewicki. Looking to get

:03:24. > :03:29.Lustig high up on the far side. Hoolahan with the touch away,

:03:30. > :03:35.Ibrahimovic challenges and surely that is a free kick but the referee

:03:36. > :03:44.says no. He will did it now for the challenge on Clark. -- give it.

:03:45. > :03:54.Great piece of play. It was loaded for him to hit it straightaway and

:03:55. > :04:04.he has caressed it rather than smash it. Very unlucky. He hasn't scored

:04:05. > :04:10.for Ireland, a couple this season for Derby. Missed out on the

:04:11. > :04:16.play-offs. Hoolahan chasing that, he'd tried to get around the outside

:04:17. > :04:26.of Granqvist. Just hanging on a little bit here, Sweden. It was like

:04:27. > :04:38.Atom Ant against the Incredible Hulk. Do you remember him? No.

:04:39. > :04:53.Forsberg trying to do the organisation. Larsson.

:04:54. > :05:01.You just feel Ireland need to score the opening goal. And they are

:05:02. > :05:12.playing well and are but a good spell and opportunities. Lustig.

:05:13. > :05:21.They are getting deeper and deeper. Granqvist of Krasnodar in Russia.

:05:22. > :05:29.Sweden thought that was a foul on Forsberg. He stayed down after the

:05:30. > :05:40.challenge, the man just promoted to Bundesliga football with Leipzig.

:05:41. > :05:48.They are definitely letting more challengers go, the referees. It

:05:49. > :05:59.must be Colina's influence. I think it is. Olsson takes the throw.

:06:00. > :06:10.Forsberg. Whelan gives that somewhere leak, up towards Shane

:06:11. > :06:18.Long. Hoolahan. Torres clubmate, Brady. -- to his clubmate. Hendrick

:06:19. > :06:26.is there again, his old pal and Hoolahan has made a run into the box

:06:27. > :06:30.but that is short. One over the top looking for Berg. O'Shea's

:06:31. > :06:51.experience told. Ireland have only won three out of

:06:52. > :07:00.19 games at major finals. They have lost their last four games at the

:07:01. > :07:12.Euros. Coleman hits the Norwich full-back. Hoolahan. It bounced

:07:13. > :07:33.awkwardly. He had to soften it off his foot. Ibrahimovic.

:07:34. > :07:40.Six goals in European finals football, one behind Alan Shearer.

:07:41. > :08:09.O'Shea eases that away. Martin Olsson. Corner ball, off

:08:10. > :08:14.McCarthy. Their first corner. We said at the start they are a very

:08:15. > :08:26.big side so it will be a testing time for Ireland. Ibrahimovic is six

:08:27. > :08:32.foot five. There is a percussive banking of seats from the Swedish

:08:33. > :08:46.supporters -- banging. Like a drum beat. A word here for Anders

:08:47. > :08:51.Granqvist. He was sent off in one of the qualifiers, against Moldova. He

:08:52. > :09:00.has one goal for Sweden in six years. Away from the near post. Back

:09:01. > :09:07.in, just touched on by the centre-back. And well wide by the

:09:08. > :09:12.maestro. And under pressure from one of the Irish players. Decent header

:09:13. > :09:25.back in. Working so hard to deny him a

:09:26. > :09:35.chance, two Irish shirts around him. Hoolahan did well. Not known for his

:09:36. > :09:39.defensive duties. Ibn Rivage scored 11 in qualifying, the second highest

:09:40. > :09:47.scorer en route to the finals -- Ibrahimovic. But he has barely had a

:09:48. > :09:50.sniff. At the other end, Sweden conceded 12 goals in qualifying,

:09:51. > :10:01.only the Czech Republic conceded more in getting here. Ireland have

:10:02. > :10:09.gone a little bit flat. Just at the moment, you get your chances and you

:10:10. > :10:17.need to score. 19 Premier League players, nine from the Championship

:10:18. > :10:22.and one from the MLS. Lindelof was pressurised and he is annoyed with

:10:23. > :10:27.himself. It was his mistake when he was not pressurised at first when he

:10:28. > :10:33.lashed it up into the air and Shane Long did the rest. Can Ireland deal

:10:34. > :10:40.a knockout blow here? Brady will take it, and Lindelof looked a bit

:10:41. > :10:47.hot under the collar there. The corner is whipped in. Ibrahimovic

:10:48. > :11:00.back out wide, Brady settled and if it comes and Clark was in there.

:11:01. > :11:12.Away by Larsson. Hendrick. We learn, Hoolahan. Five minutes to go in the

:11:13. > :11:18.half. McCarthy on hand. Robbie Brady has seen a lot of the ball and a

:11:19. > :11:22.decent ball in! It was just edged away by Larsson and Shane Long is

:11:23. > :11:27.looking at the assistant, claiming he was fouled. It is a great ball,

:11:28. > :11:41.away from the goalkeeper. This will tell us. No. Nothing in that,

:11:42. > :11:50.really. He put the striker under pressure, good defending. It is a

:11:51. > :11:58.Serbian assistant behind the line and he had a good view of it.

:11:59. > :12:06.Forsberg, the first time he has got into that sort of position. He

:12:07. > :12:11.scored against Wales coming in off the left, right on the edge of the

:12:12. > :12:21.box. A crucial time in the game here. Lovely pressure, tenacious

:12:22. > :12:30.from McCarthy. Kallstrom, who he challenged, looks slow. Slow and

:12:31. > :12:39.ponderous. McCarthy is Lars go born but his grandad was from Donegal. --

:12:40. > :12:48.Glasgow. Kallstrom is 31 now, in his fifth tournament finals. Perhaps his

:12:49. > :13:06.best days are behind him. He looks heavy. They tell me he is 83 kilos.

:13:07. > :13:11.What about the other leg? Hoolahan. He did well and held off the

:13:12. > :13:20.challenge of the hefty Kallstrom. Away by Lindelof. That is a foul and

:13:21. > :13:25.I don't think McCarthy will get away without a yellow card. He can't

:13:26. > :13:28.complain about that. One of the Swedish players has gone down

:13:29. > :13:37.holding his head, not sure what that's all about. He pulled him

:13:38. > :13:53.back. Yes. Steve Walford, he has been with

:13:54. > :14:05.Martin O'Neill through thick and thin.

:14:06. > :14:14.Your overall thoughts? Very much Ireland in the ascendancy and have

:14:15. > :14:19.had good opportunities and they could be in front. They have to make

:14:20. > :14:26.sure they get in at half-time at 0-0 and start again second half. They

:14:27. > :14:35.have been the better team, Randolph has not made a save.

:14:36. > :14:45.It looks like they are going to have to make a change. Lustig is not

:14:46. > :14:52.going to be able to continue. That is a big blow for them. They have

:14:53. > :14:59.alternatives on the bench. But not too many experts in that position.

:15:00. > :15:04.Granqvist has gone across and played there in the past and they are

:15:05. > :15:08.already missing a couple of big defenders, Miller pitch with a need

:15:09. > :15:18.injury and Anne Thomson as well -- Milos

:15:19. > :15:32.Erik Johansson is going to come on, a very good game against Wales. He

:15:33. > :15:43.is a centre-half. He is mainly left footed. But young Victor Lindelof

:15:44. > :15:54.played well at right back in the U21 Championships last summer and has

:15:55. > :16:15.gone out there. That is the switch. Into the hands of Darren Randolph.

:16:16. > :16:20.All of that thinking and passion has been replaced by a nervous energy

:16:21. > :16:55.now and pension around the stand to France.

:16:56. > :17:04.Jeff Hendrick was quickly onto it. He has been Ireland's best player.

:17:05. > :17:08.No time to take the throw. The closest we have come to a goal, a

:17:09. > :17:11.terrific effort by Jeff Hendrick after a lovely interchange with

:17:12. > :17:16.Robbie Brady, it crashed against the bar. Flatter the Britain with which

:17:17. > :17:27.sent one wind, would Ireland have dealt with him well. No goals.

:17:28. > :17:31.The Republic of Ireland have been pretty dominant in the first half,

:17:32. > :17:37.the only thing missing apart from the goal is a bit of Irish luck.

:17:38. > :17:43.They have been brilliant, first half. They can be pleased, intense,

:17:44. > :17:47.they got at them from the start, they have created chances, they have

:17:48. > :17:52.not put them away, which I hope they don't regret, we have seen nothing

:17:53. > :17:57.from Sweden. Very dominant, really. They will be more than happy. Yes,

:17:58. > :18:02.that'll be the message from Martin O'Neill. That is the disappointing

:18:03. > :18:07.thing, we have not got the goal from the chances. John O'Shea, we have

:18:08. > :18:13.had chances, and you have to take them. Fractions away and good

:18:14. > :18:19.efforts, they have not been bad misses. They have mixed their game

:18:20. > :18:23.up really well, that has been a feature, going long and intricate

:18:24. > :18:26.passing as well. They have been unlucky. If they play like that in

:18:27. > :18:32.the second half they will win the game. They played direct at times,

:18:33. > :18:36.but mixed it up. They have shown great variation.

:18:37. > :18:42.For the first 20, 25 minutes, that is deliberate, in the hope that

:18:43. > :18:48.Sweden get further and further back, and they did that. Two examples of

:18:49. > :18:54.knocking it long. Sweden sat further back. It creates a bit of space in

:18:55. > :19:00.front, because Sweden have dropped further back, for your players to

:19:01. > :19:04.get on the ball. That happens there, you now have space, you can plate.

:19:05. > :19:09.You can get on the ball, and things like that happen. Just curse you

:19:10. > :19:16.have had great variation in your play, it is a magnificent effort

:19:17. > :19:21.from Jeff Hendrick. Because of that, you get players on the ball, you now

:19:22. > :19:26.have the space. The players are not closing due down, they are camped on

:19:27. > :19:30.the edge of the box, but that creates space in front for you to

:19:31. > :19:36.put balls in. That is the one disappointing thing, brilliant in

:19:37. > :19:40.every aspect apart from putting the ball in the back of the net, the

:19:41. > :19:45.most difficult thing. When you are freeing up Robbie Brady, he delivers

:19:46. > :19:49.with quality, that is what he gives the side. He has caused problems

:19:50. > :19:55.from set plays. Jeff Hendrick has been terrific, he is inches away

:19:56. > :20:01.from immortality hammer and he went close early on. He has been good

:20:02. > :20:04.both ways, he and Robbie Brady have been the most creative. That is a

:20:05. > :20:10.hell of a strike, he seems to be grasping the chance to stay in the

:20:11. > :20:16.team. We need more of that from him, keep trying to get forward and

:20:17. > :20:21.support the front two. Other examples, John O'Shea, so close.

:20:22. > :20:27.What a chance. You know the Robbie Brady he puts it in such difficult

:20:28. > :20:32.areas for the opposition to defend against, John O'Shea knows it, he

:20:33. > :20:36.has peeled away well, it is a well worked routine, it just needs the

:20:37. > :20:42.faintest of touches, he does not adjust his feet quickly enough. He

:20:43. > :20:46.is not a striker. One of the others have been very good efforts, that is

:20:47. > :20:52.a big miss. They have got to put those chances in. They will be in

:20:53. > :20:56.courage by the overall display. It is one of those, when you miss

:20:57. > :21:00.chances, but it gives you confidence when you are creating them. Danny

:21:01. > :21:05.spoke about playing to your strengths, we have got two good

:21:06. > :21:10.headers of the ball up front, willing runners, and that is how

:21:11. > :21:15.they have gone into the game, and they continue that, the tempo is

:21:16. > :21:18.right, players who can play, but everything is right. Sweden cannot

:21:19. > :21:23.be that bad again. How often do we see a first half and it is totally

:21:24. > :21:33.different in the second? Robbie Brady has been impressive. A good

:21:34. > :21:39.effort. Seamus Coleman has been into decent positions, not a bad ball.

:21:40. > :21:43.Robbie Brady, a lot of players have come down the left-hand side, as you

:21:44. > :21:50.would expect, and they have dominated. Not a bad effort. It is

:21:51. > :21:55.harsh to quality a chance, but it is a good effort. He has a really good

:21:56. > :22:03.right foot, for a lefty. His is very good. Kevin never, anyway! A bit

:22:04. > :22:09.harsh! They have kept Zlatan Ibrahimovic quiet. Glenn Whelan has

:22:10. > :22:13.played the role well, he has gone about his job effectively, stop him

:22:14. > :22:18.getting on the ball, and he has given the ball away a lot, he has

:22:19. > :22:22.not produced too much movement. I don't think he has broken into a

:22:23. > :22:30.sweat yet. Maybe Martin O'Neill was right ten years ago! Don't write him

:22:31. > :22:33.off yet! Spain got their defence underweight earlier against the

:22:34. > :22:50.Czech Republic, he is the best of the action from Toulouse.

:22:51. > :22:56.They could save by Petr Cech, straight into his midriff. David

:22:57. > :23:10.Silva with the delivery. He could not turn it past Petr Cech.

:23:11. > :23:18.Inches wide. It is a case of nearly but not quite. Aim on what on one

:23:19. > :23:40.occasion in the first half. Just off the outside of the post. He

:23:41. > :23:50.was diving in at the last moment, as Alvaro Morata laid the ball back. A

:23:51. > :23:54.save by David de Gea. The ball curled in. He could not quite get it

:23:55. > :24:10.past the Spanish goalkeeper. It is hoped away. Last ditch

:24:11. > :24:26.defending from Spain, job well done, Cesc Fabregas.

:24:27. > :24:33.A great chance, and a goal, Gerard Pique! Finally, the defending

:24:34. > :24:39.champions are up and running, with three and a half minutes remaining.

:24:40. > :24:48.Gerard Pique nods at home. Spanish patience pays off. Can they just

:24:49. > :24:55.create an opening? Late in the day, to maybe snatch a draw? A good save

:24:56. > :25:00.by David de Gea. Beaten away by David de Gea. The Czech Republic so

:25:01. > :25:07.close to an equaliser in added time. It might not be their day.

:25:08. > :25:24.Three points for the Spaniards. If the top two win, they will go

:25:25. > :25:27.through to the last 16. The highest ranked team at the tournament take

:25:28. > :25:37.on Italy this evening, that is Belgium. Don't forget to download

:25:38. > :25:42.and setup the BBC Sport at 40 16. If you miss anything, every morning

:25:43. > :25:49.there is a special catch up available to download from 6am. What

:25:50. > :25:54.did you make of the Spaniards? Very much as I expected, they dominated

:25:55. > :25:57.possession, created chances, I was disappointed in Alvaro Morata, he

:25:58. > :26:01.did not put the chances away, but they kept going, the manager made

:26:02. > :26:08.changes, what a ball in for the goal. The same quality players

:26:09. > :26:11.starring, Andres Iniesta. He is top-class, he has started on the

:26:12. > :26:17.right foot here. He looked really sharp. The good sides do not always

:26:18. > :26:22.play brilliantly in the first game but they get over the line, we have

:26:23. > :26:27.seen it with Germany and Spain. They have won three of the last four

:26:28. > :26:30.major tournaments. 48 hours since England's opening game, they have

:26:31. > :26:40.since I arrived back and been training at their camp, Gabby Logan

:26:41. > :26:45.can bring us the latest. England 1- -- England, into another

:26:46. > :26:52.tournament, the usual mix of hope and hype. It is too early to say

:26:53. > :26:59.they might rue missed opportunities. Eric Dier right in the Miss. He

:27:00. > :27:02.smashes it. England find a way, it is a dynamic strike from Eric Dier.

:27:03. > :27:19.1-0. It is a game of fine margins. A good header, Russia level it at

:27:20. > :27:21.the last. Russia's captain climbed highest of all to break English

:27:22. > :27:29.hearts. At the draw that felt like the feet,

:27:30. > :27:36.England have returned to the peace and tranquillity of drizzly

:27:37. > :27:39.Chantilly. You have had a bit of time to reflect and consider what

:27:40. > :27:43.happened against Russia, are the players now looking at the positives

:27:44. > :27:48.and feeling that the first half performance was as good as it has

:27:49. > :27:52.been for a while? I think so, it was only natural after the game that

:27:53. > :27:58.people were down, the manager spoke, he was proud of us, we put in a good

:27:59. > :28:02.performance, but as footballers and men if you lose two points like that

:28:03. > :28:07.you will be disappointed, so we are proud of our performance, we wanted

:28:08. > :28:12.to win, it is always nice to win the first game, but we had a good

:28:13. > :28:16.performance, so we are happy. Wales are top of the group, an incredible

:28:17. > :28:22.victory, how much will that affect your mindset? I don't think it will

:28:23. > :28:26.affect us, we did not win but we were by far the better side

:28:27. > :28:30.all-round. We are a better team with better players, and we are confident

:28:31. > :28:35.we can win. If we can produce the performance and stop Gareth Bale we

:28:36. > :28:38.can win. No time to dwell on what might have been, England have to get

:28:39. > :28:47.their heads into gear. Operations continue.

:28:48. > :29:02.It is on Thursday, much coverage across the BBC. We switched to BBC

:29:03. > :29:04.One at 1:30pm. All eyes on the fans of England and Russia following the

:29:05. > :29:09.threat of tournament expulsion issued by Uefa yesterday, Roy

:29:10. > :29:12.Hodgson hopes the England supporters take heed.

:29:13. > :29:16.As England manager I am very concerned about the threat which is

:29:17. > :29:20.now hanging over us, the sanctions that could be imposed upon the

:29:21. > :29:26.England team. We work very hard to get here, we want to stay in the

:29:27. > :29:32.competition, and I am appealing to all of our fans, and we appreciate

:29:33. > :29:36.your support and the matches, but I am appealing to you to stay out of

:29:37. > :29:41.trouble and to try and make certain that these threats that are being

:29:42. > :29:45.issued never carried out, and we will be able to attempt to do the

:29:46. > :29:49.best we can to stay in this competition by football means. I

:29:50. > :29:53.would like to thank the England fans for the great support in the stadium

:29:54. > :29:58.against Russia. Now we have a big game against Wales. I would like to

:29:59. > :30:03.ask the fans, if you don't have a ticket, don't travel, and for the

:30:04. > :30:06.fans with tickets, be safe and sensible and continue with your

:30:07. > :30:10.great support for the players. It comes to something when you have

:30:11. > :30:13.got the manager and captain having to appeal to supporters, or people

:30:14. > :30:22.that travel, perhaps we should say. The scenes that we have witnessed in

:30:23. > :30:27.the last few days have been horrendous, a black mark against the

:30:28. > :30:31.game and against our people but it is a small minority spoiling it for

:30:32. > :30:39.the rest. Let's hope we don't see any more or any expulsions, let's

:30:40. > :30:42.just enjoy the football. Coming back to the game, the Republic of

:30:43. > :30:47.Ireland, there is a danger if you dominate that you can't keep it

:30:48. > :30:51.going. And the lads have touched on it, Sweden have to be better.

:30:52. > :30:56.Incredibly poor in the first half so you are looking for the same again

:30:57. > :31:02.and take your chances. Would you do anything different tactically?

:31:03. > :31:08.Sweden might! I would ask them to run around a bit more! The crucial

:31:09. > :31:11.thing for Ireland is the lads in the diamond, McCarthy and Hendrick, if

:31:12. > :31:15.they can't maintain that energy because it is tough. They were

:31:16. > :31:21.brilliant in the first half and that is what Martin will be saying, show

:31:22. > :31:28.me the same commitment and effort and somebody stick a chance away!

:31:29. > :31:34.Sweden not running around yet! I stand being organised and courses in

:31:35. > :31:39.the first game but there is a time when somebody needs to put in a

:31:40. > :31:44.tackle and set the tone. They are there for the taking. It is a big

:31:45. > :31:46.chance for Ireland to win this. Three points are vital, let's rejoin

:31:47. > :31:57.Jonathan and Mark. You could see every Mitic coming

:31:58. > :32:03.out, -- Ibrahimovic coming out, they have been like PSG in many games

:32:04. > :32:12.this year, Dell and uninspired and suddenly he does something and they

:32:13. > :32:18.are in the game. -- dull and uninspired. But he is a brilliant

:32:19. > :32:23.players like Cavani and Lucas Moura around him there and Sweden don't

:32:24. > :32:26.have those players. And you have watched a lot of the French league

:32:27. > :32:33.and the rest of the league are rubbish, not wanting to put too fine

:32:34. > :32:37.a point on it. That is a point you have made. I'm thinking of

:32:38. > :32:45.safeguarding my future employment prospects so I can't really comment!

:32:46. > :32:58.Whelan is an inspiration in his own right, his nickname used to be the

:32:59. > :33:04.Irish Gattuso. Ireland kicking from right to left in this second half.

:33:05. > :33:10.It has been great to see fans of both teams mingling around Paris

:33:11. > :33:15.today. There is very little segregation in this stadium and it

:33:16. > :33:20.is just a joint to be here. You look at the rubbish happening in

:33:21. > :33:24.Marseille, it is Neanderthal. It takes me back to the first

:33:25. > :33:29.tournament I covered which was the Euros in 88 and again, the threat of

:33:30. > :33:38.expulsion for England. Terrible to see those days back. I hate to see

:33:39. > :33:46.this threat of expulsion like England did have in 88. Hendrick has

:33:47. > :33:49.had such a bright game and he might get a shot here! He makes the

:33:50. > :33:55.goalkeeper make the save. What a good game he is happening. And well

:33:56. > :34:02.done to the referee because there was a foul on Walters and he let it

:34:03. > :34:14.go on. Lindelof is now at right back after the injury to Lustig. That was

:34:15. > :34:18.the foul. And the shops, decent save. Decent strike. -- and the

:34:19. > :34:45.shot. This is Walters. Hoolahan with the

:34:46. > :35:04.cross. Now Coleman. He checks back and goes again. To the edge of the

:35:05. > :35:12.area and OES! -- oh yes! Hoolahan! It doesn't matter where it came off.

:35:13. > :35:16.How good was that? Great play by Coleman because he had the

:35:17. > :35:21.opportunity to cross but kept his nerve and went past the defender and

:35:22. > :35:30.got his head up and had a look and a fantastic finish. Right foot. He

:35:31. > :35:37.could have gone left foot but waited and there was the ball and fantastic

:35:38. > :35:45.technique. He caught it beautifully. What a lovely strike. Perfect

:35:46. > :35:54.contact. With his right foot. Look at that. Unbridled joy. He will be

:35:55. > :36:01.told about that moment for generations to come.

:36:02. > :36:12.It will only be worthy if they can hold on to the lead. Larsson.

:36:13. > :36:22.The talented Forsberg, back in and dangerously over his own bar by

:36:23. > :36:25.Clark. They say that the first five or ten minutes after you score are

:36:26. > :36:49.the most dangerous time to concede. Here is the danger. Kallstrom. Has

:36:50. > :36:58.always been a good deliverer of a free kick. Brilliant save and a

:36:59. > :37:05.deflection and hammered over by Forsberg! He should have scored.

:37:06. > :37:13.Outstanding chance, really good save by Randolph because he saw it very

:37:14. > :37:20.late and got a good hand to it. An opportunity, nowhere near it. Very

:37:21. > :37:31.good goalkeeping. Hoolahan was there anyway. Randolph Hearst to take his

:37:32. > :37:36.time a bit here, just slow down. He has been around a long time since

:37:37. > :37:44.starting back at Charlton. He is here as the Irish number one. Spent

:37:45. > :37:46.time at Accrington and Gillingham, Bury and Hereford, all an

:37:47. > :37:56.apprenticeship for these moments. Free kick. McCarthy again, he has to

:37:57. > :37:57.be careful. Ireland might have to make a change quicker than they

:37:58. > :38:21.would have wanted to. Kallstrom over it. He sweeps it in,

:38:22. > :38:29.back in the middle looking for Ibrahimovic and away by Coleman. All

:38:30. > :38:37.of southern Sweden look a real danger. A free header -- all of a

:38:38. > :38:42.sudden. It was a good header from Lewicki, only five foot nine.

:38:43. > :38:49.Coleman was in a good position in the middle of the box.

:38:50. > :39:03.Kallstrom again, once more it flies through. It nearly came to Granqvist

:39:04. > :39:13.but away by Whelan. You can feel the nerves in that penalty area.

:39:14. > :39:23.Sweden's fourth corner. Kallstrom again and this time it came off

:39:24. > :39:24.Walters. These arcing corners are causing problems. It is Groundhog

:39:25. > :39:41.Day. Clark has a look at big Johansson.

:39:42. > :39:53.Powerful header away. Olsson back in. Brady running clear. Good Kerry

:39:54. > :40:04.and sensibly checking back. Hoolahan. -- good carry. He has won

:40:05. > :40:09.the free kick. Many people might have wanted him to keep going but it

:40:10. > :40:14.was sensibly done. Absolutely, he went so fast that nobody was up

:40:15. > :40:24.there so he had to stop and recycle the ball and now they have a free

:40:25. > :40:27.kick. Two Norwich boys are much desperate disappointment around

:40:28. > :40:39.Carrow Road at the end of the season. They all worked so hard to

:40:40. > :40:44.get back into the top flight. Brady am like so many players, started at

:40:45. > :40:54.Manchester United, he was taught the right way. Brady with the free kick.

:40:55. > :41:01.Hendrick awaits but it goes back to Whelan who looks for the diagonal.

:41:02. > :41:09.Hoolahan was behind him but it was well seen and cleared by Larsson.

:41:10. > :41:23.Berg, he has not been in the game. Free kick. Berg fouled his man.

:41:24. > :41:35.They are going to need something from him to get back into the game,

:41:36. > :41:38.Sweden. His fourth Euros. 62 goals for his country, Ibrahimovic. His

:41:39. > :42:08.team are behind. Goalkick. Larsson isn't happy. Not

:42:09. > :42:15.even grumpy. What a good game Brady has had. It is his best position at

:42:16. > :42:21.left-back, I know he can play left side but there are acres of space to

:42:22. > :42:28.run into and everybody knows he has such a cultured left foot and he can

:42:29. > :42:34.run all day. He just played one game before Manchester United, coming on

:42:35. > :42:40.in a League Cup tie away to Hull. Here he is again. Good all round the

:42:41. > :42:50.corner to Hoolahan, well played by Ireland again. Whelan was fouled but

:42:51. > :42:53.play on says the referee. The official statistics say that Sweden

:42:54. > :43:08.are still dominating possession which seems strange. There is not

:43:09. > :43:12.much in it, 52% against 48%. Olsson switches on to his right foot and

:43:13. > :43:22.this is dangerous, Ibrahimovic could not turn, O'Shea and Clark did their

:43:23. > :43:27.jobs. The problem for Ireland, the game is starting to get stretched.

:43:28. > :43:34.Coleman was stretched just there. Forsberg.

:43:35. > :43:44.Kallstrom trying to get it in the box. Sweden might have to make a

:43:45. > :43:51.change and it could be Kallstrom going off. Great chase from Long and

:43:52. > :43:59.Hendrick drew the foul. He knew he was going to get hit and he did. If

:44:00. > :44:06.you are John O'Shea or one of the midfielders, it is let's just settle

:44:07. > :44:17.down and slow down the game. The rhythmic noises we could hear were

:44:18. > :44:20.the Irish fans. They were banging the boards around the front of the

:44:21. > :44:36.stands at the Stade de France. Brady. It was wayward and tired.

:44:37. > :44:45.John Guidetti is going to come on for Sweden. Martin O'Neill unhappy

:44:46. > :44:51.that Ireland have given Sweden this opportunity now. Forsberg.

:44:52. > :45:01.Kallstrom. Beyond the goalkeeper, back across the goal, Coleman has

:45:02. > :45:04.misjudged it, Hoolahan was cool. Looking for Shane Long. Johansson,

:45:05. > :45:23.Kallstrom. Lewicki. The midway point of the second half.

:45:24. > :45:27.Darren Randolph needs to get hold of the ball, push people up, everybody

:45:28. > :45:33.back in position for the next ten minutes, do nothing to impress --

:45:34. > :45:37.encourage Sweden. Marcus Berg has been awful. John Guidetti will

:45:38. > :45:53.replace him in a minute. Here he comes, the man once at

:45:54. > :45:59.Manchester City, he had a terrible time there, on his 20th birthday

:46:00. > :46:02.they he had a piece of bad chicken which caused a virus that led to the

:46:03. > :46:10.nerves in his right leg being totally paralysed. He replaces

:46:11. > :46:19.Marcus Berg. He now plays his football at Celta Vigo. He had a

:46:20. > :46:25.decent season, 12 goals, in the Europa League next season. He was

:46:26. > :46:34.asked in an interview to translate his name in Spanish, his translation

:46:35. > :46:43.was that it means fiesta in the dressing room.

:46:44. > :46:54.They don't need the brightest, they just need to get a goal. The island

:46:55. > :47:04.fans in full voice. Very nearly got that goal. He scores out of nothing.

:47:05. > :47:13.Ireland are backing off. All the time.

:47:14. > :47:24.I wonder if you might drop Jonathan Walters in midfield and make it a

:47:25. > :47:26.five to ten minutes. Leaning back, he did well to keep the ball heading

:47:27. > :47:42.towards the goal, but wide. He has had a staggering career, the

:47:43. > :47:48.Swedish icon, 29 trophies, the major clubs in Europe, Ajax, Juventus,

:47:49. > :48:20.Inter Milan, Barcelona, the domestic title in Sweden with Malmo.

:48:21. > :48:30.That is going to be a card for Victor Lindelof. Has he had a whack

:48:31. > :48:39.Jonathan Walters? Where did he make contact? Why or where? This is the

:48:40. > :48:44.new law, striking the head or face when not challenging for the ball is

:48:45. > :49:04.a red card, unless the force was negligible. It is the latter, then.

:49:05. > :49:17.That is offside, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Sweden will say, how come James

:49:18. > :49:34.McCarthy is still on the pitch? I hope they say, how come we lost 1-0?

:49:35. > :49:39.Ireland are going to make a substitution, James McClean will

:49:40. > :49:46.come on, the West Bromwich Albion player. He came on for one game four

:49:47. > :49:50.years ago, under a quarter of an hour against Spain. He scored a

:49:51. > :50:08.couple of goals in qualifying in the victories against Gibraltar.

:50:09. > :50:17.Martin O'Neill is going mad, the fourth official is trying to get

:50:18. > :50:18.James Maclean on. The fourth official is having none of it, and

:50:19. > :50:34.the assistant. Jonathan Walters takes the standing

:50:35. > :50:43.ovation of the masses in green. He has had an Achilles problem. He has

:50:44. > :50:51.fought as he normally does. He has done well alongside Shane Long. Just

:50:52. > :51:01.hope James McClean keeps his head. He is a feisty character.

:51:02. > :51:09.He has been an international for four years now, James McClean. I

:51:10. > :51:18.would just leave Shane Long up now. Five in midfield. James McCarthy

:51:19. > :51:28.also needs to keep his head. The worst thing for Ireland would to go

:51:29. > :51:30.to ten. He has had a super game. Now he sits in, goes towards the middle,

:51:31. > :52:11.Jeff Hendrick. Offside. A great ball. A great ball.

:52:12. > :52:21.The last two have been very good. I shout by the assistant referee. The

:52:22. > :52:32.signs are worrying. Time is running short for that man.

:52:33. > :52:35.Victor Lindelof only made 40 appearances in his homeland before

:52:36. > :52:58.he moved to Benfica. They have not created enough for

:52:59. > :53:03.Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Big tasks like a head for Sweden. They always knew

:53:04. > :53:14.they were outsiders to qualify. Offside again. Three in three. After

:53:15. > :53:45.this it is to lose and Italy, and then Belgium in Nice.

:53:46. > :54:12.Sweden have virtually pushed three up. John Guidetti, is not an Ibrahim

:54:13. > :55:12.of rich and Emil Forsberg. They sat in shape a bit, I learned,

:55:13. > :55:23.they look a bit more secure. Their next game is Belgium, and then Italy

:55:24. > :55:29.in Lille. Just could not get it out of his knee and midriff, because the

:55:30. > :55:30.defender would have had to have fouled him, because Shane Long this

:55:31. > :56:00.quick. Those stats mean nothing if they end

:56:01. > :56:09.up with this scoreline in 22 minutes.

:56:10. > :56:46.The ball was rolling, he has to take it again. Kim Kallstrom could have

:56:47. > :56:51.been a golfer. It is not exactly a putting surface. A bit heavy again.

:56:52. > :57:13.A laboured passing movement there. 1-0 to the boys in green, is the

:57:14. > :57:21.song. That is a file. It certainly is, a stupid foul from Sweden's

:57:22. > :57:30.point of view. He has done well, Wes Hoolahan.

:57:31. > :57:46.He was not a favourite under Giovanni Trapattoni.

:57:47. > :58:18.I remember James McClean scoring against the USA back in November

:58:19. > :58:28.2014. A good display that day, a 4-1 victory. But that would be next to

:58:29. > :58:44.nothing compared to this, if they can pull it off. A good block.

:58:45. > :58:52.Sebastian Larsson is in there. It may have been an own goal. The

:58:53. > :58:57.movement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic took it to the dead-ball line. As the

:58:58. > :59:10.cross came in, it may have gone in clear and Clark. Swedish delight.

:59:11. > :59:13.Irish despair. There has been a range of crosses into Ireland's

:59:14. > :59:19.penalty area in the last ten minutes, they always looked

:59:20. > :59:25.extremely dangerous. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, great area. It is an

:59:26. > :59:37.own goal, there is nothing worse. It was Ciaran Clark. He knew that

:59:38. > :59:48.Sebastian Larsson was behind him. He has got to deal with it, obviously.

:59:49. > :59:53.He has got it spectacularly wrong. A crucial five minutes now for

:59:54. > :59:56.Ireland. It was a crucial time after they had scored else well. It was

:59:57. > :00:11.coming. Sebastian Larsson gets it away. I

:00:12. > :00:17.wonder if he had a look alongside him. It is some angle to score from.

:00:18. > :00:23.James McClean was in there. Shane Long was in there as well.

:00:24. > :00:33.Ciaran Clark had a miserable season with Aston Villa. But that the most

:00:34. > :00:38.miserable moment of his football career so far I would bet. That is a

:00:39. > :00:42.good position by the referee and Ireland have a free kick, against

:00:43. > :00:50.Kallstrom -- decision. He caught him with the trailing leg

:00:51. > :01:14.as well. O'Shea has gone forward. Hendrick is

:01:15. > :01:22.just outside the box. Away by Ibrahimovic. It was a zippy cross

:01:23. > :01:31.back into the six yard area from him. Well taken by Hoolahan. The

:01:32. > :01:42.cross was a big impacts the rest -- investors. Looking for Shane Long --

:01:43. > :01:49.impetuous. The referee was right on that. Just to remind you, Belgium

:01:50. > :01:55.against Italy is live on BBC One tonight, the other game in this

:01:56. > :02:06.group and you can see Ronaldo in our live game tomorrow, against Iceland.

:02:07. > :02:11.-- Portugal against Iceland and we have England against Wales on

:02:12. > :02:22.Thursday. Every which way you want to watch on the BBC. Coleman with

:02:23. > :02:23.the run. McCarthy into Hendrick. The clearance could have gone anywhere

:02:24. > :02:58.and it is an Irish corner. Brady with the corner, O'Shea was

:02:59. > :03:08.forward, lose on the edge of the area, James McClean, took a bit of a

:03:09. > :03:14.bump. The cross to the far post. It has come loose and the free kick has

:03:15. > :03:29.been given. I think it was Clark. It was a big push. Nice ball in. He has

:03:30. > :03:35.just pushed his man. We have got a game on here, 15 minutes to go.

:03:36. > :03:44.Ireland are making another change I think. And it is time for the

:03:45. > :03:50.record-breaker. But Robbie Keane will have to wait a little while.

:03:51. > :03:55.Ireland look for Long and the goalkeeper thought about coming and

:03:56. > :04:03.went back. Long. He brings in McCarthy but he has to chase out

:04:04. > :04:09.wide. Coleman in support. The Swedish band thought that was out.

:04:10. > :04:21.Hoolahan, trying to give and go. -- Swedish fans. Brady tried to poke it

:04:22. > :04:27.to McClean. Guidetti, the challenge from Whelan and the referee let that

:04:28. > :04:35.go as well. Ibrahimovic had clattered into him and things are

:04:36. > :04:42.getting a bit hot under the collar. Whelan has caught the Swedish player

:04:43. > :04:46.as well. They are making a big fuss. I'm not sure the referee was looking

:04:47. > :04:51.at the Whelan incident, the assistant would have told him. I

:04:52. > :04:54.hope people cannot lip-read as well from Larsson. It is not a good

:04:55. > :05:20.tackle. Leading up to that, Ivanovic fouled

:05:21. > :05:22.him. -- Ibrahimovic. Here comes the Irish substitution, Hoolahan is

:05:23. > :05:40.going off and Robbie Keane comes on. He had a calf problem and a knee

:05:41. > :05:45.operation in March but came back for LA Galaxy. It is a very positive

:05:46. > :05:48.substitution. He scored four goals in eight games at the beginning of

:05:49. > :05:54.the American season after that injury. Shane Long looks for the

:05:55. > :06:12.foul but it doesn't come. It seems only a blink ago that

:06:13. > :06:21.Robbie Keane was making his name in the World Cup finals in Japan and

:06:22. > :06:22.Korea in 2002. He scored an important goal, was it against

:06:23. > :06:41.Germany? It was, in the 1-1 and he scored

:06:42. > :06:46.against Saudi Arabia. Olsson, Ibrahimovic weights and goes for it

:06:47. > :06:52.and he fouls his man. Big header from Clark this time. The arm across

:06:53. > :07:12.the shoulder. The final championships for

:07:13. > :07:19.Ibrahimovic, probably, and probably for some of the other Swedish

:07:20. > :07:26.players. 13 players were at the Euros four years ago and have not

:07:27. > :07:34.returned. Olsson. He has been a problem for Ireland in the second

:07:35. > :07:44.half. Ibrahimovic has gone down in the box. He picks himself up, away

:07:45. > :07:49.by Clark. Ireland look tired. They have just struggled with all of the

:07:50. > :07:54.crosses from the Swedish left hand side. A bit too much time and space.

:07:55. > :08:09.Ten minutes to go. He went down in the box in the lead

:08:10. > :08:22.up to that and looked to the referee. Kallstrom. Olsson. Sweden

:08:23. > :08:27.have dominated most of the second half. And they know that McCarthy

:08:28. > :08:29.cannot really make a challenge out there. If he missed times it, he is

:08:30. > :08:42.off. -- missed Robbie Keane is trying to cover the

:08:43. > :08:52.right-hand side from Ireland's point of view.

:08:53. > :09:06.Granqvist has had a long career, almost 400 club games. Ibrahimovic.

:09:07. > :09:19.Whelan makes the tackle. He looked tired then, Whelan. Out wide for

:09:20. > :09:25.Lindelof, danger signs for the Republic of Ireland with eight and a

:09:26. > :09:32.half minutes to go. Olsson, it goes in and it went all the way through.

:09:33. > :09:38.The danger keeps coming down that side. Ireland have not done anything

:09:39. > :09:44.about it. He has got the freedom of the park down the left-hand side,

:09:45. > :09:48.Olsson. They might just have too park somebody on him. Just so you

:09:49. > :10:19.don't allow Sweden to play him in. Larsson, good battling by McClean

:10:20. > :10:22.and it is a Swedish throw. Sweden have never lost a competitive

:10:23. > :10:26.international against the Republic of Ireland. I think Ireland are

:10:27. > :10:37.doing something about the right-hand side. They are going to send on

:10:38. > :10:43.Aiden McGeady as a right-sided midfield player. I wonder if Roy

:10:44. > :10:52.Keane has given him a pat on the back!

:10:53. > :11:05.Hendrick is over there covering at the moment. Whelan looks tired.

:11:06. > :11:14.There are a few. Ibrahimovic. Sweden sensing their moment is coming but

:11:15. > :11:25.not like that. Larsson expansively waving at Guidetti but it was not a

:11:26. > :11:41.good ball. They need to get McGeady on. What are they waiting for?

:11:42. > :11:58.Hesitation and a mix-up between Granqvist and little Lewicki. Foul.

:11:59. > :12:02.We live again. Tired as you say, a lack of concentration and heavy

:12:03. > :12:18.legs. McCarthy is coming off for McGeady.

:12:19. > :12:26.Straight on the right-hand side. Just block up that hole. Albin Ekdal

:12:27. > :12:31.is going to come on for Sweden. He was included in the squad even

:12:32. > :12:36.though there was a nightclub incident not long ago when he fell

:12:37. > :12:41.over and gashed his back. He said he had not been drinking and they were

:12:42. > :12:46.OK with it. It raised a few eyebrows when he came back to the squad, I

:12:47. > :12:58.can tell you. McGeady under pressure from Larsson. Here comes the Swedish

:12:59. > :13:02.substitution. Off goes Oscar Lewicki, 23 years of age and he is a

:13:03. > :13:24.tidy player I think. Ekdal plays at Hamburg. A suspicion

:13:25. > :13:34.of push. Swedish protests as down went Granqvist. Randolph has it.

:13:35. > :13:44.Larsson with the challenge to stop Brady. It is a silly throw, just

:13:45. > :13:51.push everybody up. Lack of experience from Randolph. He went

:13:52. > :13:58.down too easily, did admit he -- didn't he?

:13:59. > :14:10.Forsberg. Can Ireland hold on? Four minutes to go. Sweden very much look

:14:11. > :14:22.like a winner if there is one. Olsson. Long was first to it.

:14:23. > :14:30.McClean just got tagged. He just caught him, accidentally or not, it

:14:31. > :14:41.is still a foul. There you are. Twice.

:14:42. > :14:57.A frustrating year at Sunderland for Larsson, only four start since

:14:58. > :15:03.August. There he is. Ekdal. It is scrappy now. Ireland will not want

:15:04. > :15:20.the game to flow. No. The second half has gone on, they

:15:21. > :15:43.look like the oldest squad in town. Robbie Brady has been excellent.

:15:44. > :16:14.Robbie Brady was caught there. The referee was content to let Ireland

:16:15. > :17:12.have possession. Like Superman. Shane Long was

:17:13. > :17:16.fouled. Relief for Ireland. Well done, Shane Long, he knew he would

:17:17. > :17:18.get clattered and he was prepared to take one for the team make sure he

:17:19. > :17:37.got in front of his man. I just wonder if they can create a

:17:38. > :17:55.last gasp chance for Robbie Keane in the box.

:17:56. > :18:10.Three minutes of stoppage time to play.

:18:11. > :18:16.Aiden McGeady going back to Goodison Park after his loan spell at

:18:17. > :18:21.Sheffield Wednesday, he has not caught fire there. Nothing wrong

:18:22. > :18:27.with going back, you take what you have got. Avoid defeat in the

:18:28. > :18:42.opening game at all costs. A roar from the Irish fans. Martin

:18:43. > :18:55.O'Neill will not want them to be too expensive.

:18:56. > :19:07.Steadily done. Ciaran Clark fouled by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A good file

:19:08. > :19:13.for Ireland. No need for him to file like that at this late stage. I

:19:14. > :19:27.don't really think he is concerned about convention. I believe his wife

:19:28. > :19:33.is a lawyer. A brilliant mind, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Glenn Whelan has

:19:34. > :19:59.given his all. Ireland need to keep possession. A

:20:00. > :20:05.man down. Aiden McGeady. Oh, yes, he has stored all over him. On the top

:20:06. > :20:11.of his foot, towards his ankle. He is up now, though. Sweden will have

:20:12. > :20:17.to give possession back to the Republic of Ireland. Your overall

:20:18. > :20:22.thoughts? Probably just about right. Ireland dominated the first half, up

:20:23. > :20:27.the early goal in the second half, and started to sit back and invited

:20:28. > :20:42.Sweden on. In the end, they will take a point.

:20:43. > :21:07.Ireland in no hurry. Not the heavyweights in the group, but they

:21:08. > :21:12.have slugged it out against each other. The Republic of Ireland's

:21:13. > :21:15.victory hopes dashed by the own goal by Ciaran Clark 19 minutes from time

:21:16. > :21:21.after Wes Hoolahan gave them the lead early in the second-half. He

:21:22. > :21:25.was one of the players substituted. Ireland could not get the victory,

:21:26. > :21:29.but it is a better start than four years ago. Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a

:21:30. > :21:34.hand in the goal, that it is a nightmare that denies Ireland the

:21:35. > :21:40.victory. They have an opening point at the Stade de France. 1-1.

:21:41. > :21:51.It promised so much for so long for Ireland. A terrific performance in

:21:52. > :21:55.many ways. Ciaran Clark, we just saw him, desperately sad moment for him,

:21:56. > :22:00.putting into his own net, after being dominant for much of the game.

:22:01. > :22:04.They got the vital lead, we thought it might give them the three points

:22:05. > :22:10.that is so necessary, would overrule, a terrific effort from the

:22:11. > :22:14.Irish. It certainly was. Totally dominated the first half, they

:22:15. > :22:21.should have been leading. But then the goal, a brilliant goal from Wes

:22:22. > :22:24.Hoolahan. Ireland went on the back foot, sat too deep, and there was

:22:25. > :22:29.more urgency from Sweden, they came back in, and Ireland deserved to

:22:30. > :22:34.win, was appointed in the stadium this evening. That man involved in

:22:35. > :22:45.the only goal that Sweden scored, albeit an own goal. It was amazing.

:22:46. > :22:51.Ireland's goal sparked Sweden into playing. They came more and more

:22:52. > :22:55.into the game. A great piece of skill by Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get

:22:56. > :23:01.the goal. They will regret not winning this game, Ireland, they had

:23:02. > :23:05.enough chances. I agree. They had the better chances. We expected a

:23:06. > :23:10.reaction from Sweden. When they get higher up the pitch, Zlatan

:23:11. > :23:13.Ibrahimovic comes into the game all, and he stopped being a nuisance, he

:23:14. > :23:18.nearly scored with a chance just before the goal. Some positives for

:23:19. > :23:23.Ireland, some terrific performances from Wes Hoolahan, Robbie Brady and

:23:24. > :23:28.Jeff Hendrick, and no reason why they cannot go into the next game

:23:29. > :23:34.with the same... It is a much better start than four years ago. The

:23:35. > :23:38.longer the game was going on, I was thinking, we will just take the

:23:39. > :23:43.point, don't get beat. There were chances, you'll jump will be

:23:44. > :23:47.difficult, but you would fancy your chance against Italy. Defensively,

:23:48. > :23:53.they are organised, but there is a chance we can beat them. All is not

:23:54. > :23:58.lost. It feels like a negative vibe after you have gone a goal ahead.

:23:59. > :24:02.They are bound to be feeling that way tonight, but when they get home

:24:03. > :24:06.and they look at the DVD, they will take plenty of positives out of that

:24:07. > :24:12.game. It is a shame, after the brilliant goal, such a difficult

:24:13. > :24:16.week to put the ball in, to sit back and retreat instead of going on the

:24:17. > :24:21.front foot and trying to get another one and attack them... It was a

:24:22. > :24:26.fabulous goal, we might even give Martin O'Neill and assist.

:24:27. > :24:34.He got involved, getting the players up and at it. He recognised the

:24:35. > :24:39.situation. A well taken from him. An excellent move from Jonathan

:24:40. > :24:43.Walters. That is the one thing that was lacking in the first half, the

:24:44. > :24:51.Finnish. Seamus Coleman does superbly well. Wes Hoolahan drifts

:24:52. > :24:55.into a difficult area. This is a brilliant finish, such a difficult

:24:56. > :24:59.skill to keep it down. It is an outstanding finish. We praised

:25:00. > :25:06.Bastian Schweinsteiger for the half volley, this is even harder, further

:25:07. > :25:12.out, more difficult technique. To get it on target is one thing, to

:25:13. > :25:16.get it into the corner, into the goal, it was brilliant, great

:25:17. > :25:20.technique. Great reactions from Martin O'Neill. I believe we can

:25:21. > :25:24.hear from the goal-scorer, Wes Hoolahan.

:25:25. > :25:30.Congratulations on what is one of the great goals for Ireland.

:25:31. > :25:36.Fantastic set up by Seamus, it came to me, on the half volley, I was

:25:37. > :25:40.delighted to see it into the back of the net. It must be one of the

:25:41. > :25:46.greatest moments of your career. Yes, it is a great achievement. Fair

:25:47. > :25:49.play to the boys, they were magnificent, unlucky not to get the

:25:50. > :25:55.three points, but we will take the point. In the first half we were

:25:56. > :25:58.good, created a lot of chances. We created a lot of chances, Jeff

:25:59. > :26:05.Hendrick off the crossbar, Shane Long, and John O'Shea, we were

:26:06. > :26:09.excellent. The start of the second half we were excellent as well, but

:26:10. > :26:15.in the last 20 minutes it got away from us, but we should be proud.

:26:16. > :26:20.Were you feeling the pace? My calf tied up a bit, but I should be fine.

:26:21. > :26:26.It was end to end stuff, it was a great game to watch. A point is not

:26:27. > :26:29.so bad. It is a great point in the end, we look forward to Belgium

:26:30. > :26:36.next. We will look at night and see how it goes. Was it a tactical

:26:37. > :26:42.substitution? Yes, and a bit of fatigue. A great moment.

:26:43. > :26:46.They put in a shift, you would expect the Irish players to be

:26:47. > :26:53.tired. It is a shame for Ciaran Clark. He scored an own goal in a

:26:54. > :26:58.game where they were leading. Yes, but he had to get something on it.

:26:59. > :27:01.It was not an horrendous own goal, some are worse than others.

:27:02. > :27:09.There were a couple of instances where they could have come out and

:27:10. > :27:14.won the ball. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is strong, he keeps possession. When he

:27:15. > :27:19.gets it back, you are thinking, block the cross. John O'Shea is a

:27:20. > :27:27.bit slow. Well played, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It is a good bit of

:27:28. > :27:30.football. It is a decent cross. Ciaran Clark could not let the ball

:27:31. > :27:36.go across the goal, he has to get something on it. It is a good cross.

:27:37. > :27:40.He cannot adjust himself. The momentum was with Sweden at that

:27:41. > :27:44.time, putting Ireland under pressure, hitting crosses into the

:27:45. > :27:50.area. It had to come from him, because they were poor in the first

:27:51. > :27:56.half, they needed a spark. Sweden hardly had a chance, so this and the

:27:57. > :28:00.halves should not be disappointed. Really good performances around the

:28:01. > :28:06.pitch. Jeff Hendrick in particular, some great efforts, so close. He was

:28:07. > :28:12.the one that was trying to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. His

:28:13. > :28:16.performance was excellent. He can be very proud of himself. He was trying

:28:17. > :28:23.to get it forward, link up with the front man. A super strike with a

:28:24. > :28:27.right foot. He was the one that was the driving force. It is tough to

:28:28. > :28:34.play on the edge of the diamond, a heavy workload. You are constantly

:28:35. > :28:38.working, having to do donkey work, that is brilliant. I played with him

:28:39. > :28:44.at Derby County, he had the attributes as a youngster, ready to

:28:45. > :28:50.kick on. He is a real talent. He can do this, he can score goals. He has

:28:51. > :28:57.started on the big stage now. A clever performance, I thought. It is

:28:58. > :29:02.difficult at this level to find pockets of space, people the one guy

:29:03. > :29:06.that was finding them. It is interesting, the mentality of

:29:07. > :29:10.football, how things shift. Ireland very dominant, and then they get a

:29:11. > :29:15.goal, and something happens. They pull back, and Sweden are dominant,

:29:16. > :29:21.then they get a goal, and Ireland come back out. It is madness in many

:29:22. > :29:27.ways, how the mind can play games. You are protecting something, so you

:29:28. > :29:33.then take a step back, not forward. That is what Ireland did. It sparks

:29:34. > :29:40.the other team into action. Why they did not stop the game... That is

:29:41. > :29:44.what I am saying. The enormity of the game sometimes takes you back,

:29:45. > :29:49.we have had not had a victory in the opening game forever, that played on

:29:50. > :29:55.their minds a bit, it is understandable. They had a major

:29:56. > :30:01.part in Sweden's goal, what do you make of Zlatan Ibrahimovic? He was

:30:02. > :30:06.quiet largely. In the second half it was more like him, I was expecting

:30:07. > :30:11.things to happen. It did not happen in the first half, he did not put

:30:12. > :30:15.himself about. He needs the ball, but he did not play with any

:30:16. > :30:17.intensity or hunger. He gave the ball away sloppily. In the second

:30:18. > :30:27.half, he was a lot better. Glenn Whelan locked onto him at

:30:28. > :30:32.times and prevented his supply and that was why he was quiet. He was

:30:33. > :30:38.dropping deeper because he was not involved but he made an impact in

:30:39. > :30:43.the box with a couple of chances. I thought that was a decent chance. He

:30:44. > :30:48.didn't get enough contact on it as he wanted. That was another one. He

:30:49. > :30:57.got into better positioned and created chances. He started getting

:30:58. > :31:04.where you want your striker to be instead of 20 yard outside the box.

:31:05. > :31:08.As a striker, you rely on your team for service but his bit of magic got

:31:09. > :31:11.them back into it. Later on, the highest ranked team at the

:31:12. > :31:19.tournament take on Italy, that is Belgium. Tomorrow night when other

:31:20. > :31:22.starters quest for major tournament success at international level as

:31:23. > :31:28.Portugal take on Iceland and if you miss anything we have eight special

:31:29. > :31:33.catch up every morning to download from 6am. The other teams in this

:31:34. > :31:38.group, Belgium and Italy are strong so there will be a sense of the

:31:39. > :31:44.Republic thinking... You have got to go and chase the game at some stage

:31:45. > :31:49.because you need to win. You fancy it against Italy but defensively

:31:50. > :31:53.they are hard. And we have said about Belgium, they now have some

:31:54. > :31:58.players but they have to do it, you can't just keep saying they have got

:31:59. > :32:01.good players. A lot of good individuals and in Italy there is a

:32:02. > :32:07.feeling that they are not that strong at the moment but the

:32:08. > :32:12.Italians... Like the Germans, it would not surprise me if they'd got

:32:13. > :32:19.the result needed, they have done it before. Overall thoughts of how

:32:20. > :32:23.Ireland performed? Positive overall, they are good at getting a draw and

:32:24. > :32:28.they can shut up shop and against Belgium that might be the way to go.

:32:29. > :32:35.Three drawers would probably get them through. It got us out of

:32:36. > :32:44.Italia 90. I remember that! Hopefully. They showed some maturity

:32:45. > :32:52.at the end, when they conceded, OK, if we can't win this, we're not

:32:53. > :32:55.going to get beaten. Will Martin O'Neill be content? Overall,

:32:56. > :33:03.probably not because when you go in front you should see it through and

:33:04. > :33:11.that was disappointing. Roy Keane? Quietly disappointed! Can they do

:33:12. > :33:15.it? They will not be too downhearted but it is an uphill task, they

:33:16. > :33:22.needed three points from this game. Anybody doing the next game? Just

:33:23. > :33:27.you! Thank you very much. We will be back with Belgium and Italy shortly

:33:28. > :33:29.but the Irish have drawn 1-1 against a team who never had a shot on

:33:30. > :33:44.target. Goodbye. A little flick towards the far post.

:33:45. > :33:57.He completely missed it. Hendrick goes for gold! Hoolahan! Oh yes!

:33:58. > :34:00.Ibrahimovic put it back and it might have been an own goal. Ireland could

:34:01. > :34:07.not get the win. It's home to a million people

:34:08. > :34:10.at any one time...