Olympics: Eire Legend O’Donoghue Nonetheless Believes Forward Of ‘do Or Die’ Pool B Clashes 

At present sitting backside of Pool B having suffered defeats in all of their opening three matches, Eire’s males actually have loads of work forward of them if they’re to attain the highest 4 end required to achieve the quarter-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey competitors. 

Nevertheless, with matches towards fourth-placed Argentina and fifth-placed New Zealand nonetheless to return, the Inexperienced Machine know that their Olympic marketing campaign is way from completed. 

The truth that Eire have zero factors is way from being a mirrored image of the standard of their performances. The staff have competed in each match they’ve performed to date, falling to slim defeats towards reigning Olympic champions Belgium (2-0) and Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallists Australia (2-1) earlier than eight instances Olympic champions India edged a detailed contest 2-0 in searing temperatures on the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium on Tuesday (30 July). 

Whereas the outcomes haven’t gone their manner, Eire legend Shane O’Donoghue retains a rock-solid perception that his staff can flip issues round of their two remaining pool matches.  

“It’s do or die now”, stated O’Donoghue, Eire’s file scorer with 119 targets in 240 matches, talking after the defeat to India. “We’re are going to push for 2 constructive outcomes as we’ll want not less than a win and a draw (to achieve the quarter finals). We’ll debrief as we speak, however I’m happy with the trouble of the blokes – it was a strong shift as we speak, however sadly got here up brief.”

“I’m upset to not be coming away with a outcome there, and even one level”, continued O’Donoghue, considered one of solely two Irish gamers – alongside goalkeeper David Harte – from the squad that competed at Rio 2016. “It was robust situations with the warmth and we battled by way of, however India have been simply medical with their set-pieces. At this time we truly created extra (probabilities) than we had within the earlier two matches, however we didn’t convert. In these form of video games, that’s what it comes right down to.”

Looking forward to these two large video games towards Los Leones and New Zealand, the respective Olympic champions of Rio 2016 and 1976 Montreal, O’Donoghue was fast to recognise the qualities of each groups however insisted that Eire can be as ready as doable. 

“Argentina and New Zealand are two robust groups with a special array of skills. We have now a time off now to do our homework and get better properly. We simply must be higher within the closing third, get some aim photographs away and attempt to convert penalty corners after we get them.” 

Regardless of the outcomes, O’Donoghue was loving being again on the Olympic stage, having fun with each single second of the Paris 2024 expertise.  

“Being again on the Olympics is incredible, it’s superb for each hockey participant, man or girl”, stated O’Donoghue. “We narrowly missed out (on qualification for Tokyo 2020) 4 years in the past, so to be right here once more representing Staff Eire, with our households and buddies watching on within the stands is big for us, the largest stage on the planet. We need to give them one thing to cheer about, as they’ve been incredible all week, spurring us on, particularly within the warmth as we speak which was robust on them as properly. We’ll positively give it one hundred pc within the final two video games to see the place we land.” 

Speaking about his members of the family, O’Donoghue stated that his spouse, dad and mom and sister-in-law have been watching within the motion on the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, with extra family members arriving in Paris forward of their closing pool matches. 

“It’s large for them, to have the ability to come to the Olympic Video games. It isn’t an yearly form of expertise, so we’ve an enormous fan base right here creating ambiance, and so they have been very good. Like I stated, hopefully we can provide them one thing to cheer about within the subsequent few days.”