WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE?
International friendly: Republic of Ireland v Hungary, Tuesday 7.45pm, Aviva Stadium
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Sunshine and a few showers in Dublin in the afternoon. Highest temperatures 14 to 16 degrees, and feeling a good bit cooler as the winds veer northwest and increase moderate to fresh gusty with the clearance of rain. See more on met.ie
IRELAND THE MAJOR TOURNAMENT BRIDESMAIDS ONCE AGAIN
For some nations, the upcoming June friendlies bring opportunities to fine-tune approaches ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany.
Personnel and tactics will be put to the test, as managers plot their paths towards a glorious summer in Bavaria, with the aim of creating life-long memories for expectant nations back home.
For others, like the Republic of Ireland, the early-June window simply means playing the role of dummy opposition.
This is nothing new. Over the past decade, Ireland has helped France, Hungary and Portugal prepare for bigger tasks ahead, and it's the latter two who have decided once again that we have enough to offer in terms of learnings before the serious business begins on 14 June.
Marco Rossi’s Hungary travel to the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday hoping that John O’Shea’s side provide them with a good runout before they enter into a group in Germany that contains the hosts, Scotland and Switzerland.
Portugal, who Ireland face in Aveiro on 11 June, are preparing to negotiate games against Czech Republic and Turkey, as well as Ireland’s friends from multiple qualifying campaigns, Georgia.
It’s an all too familiar feeling for Ireland fans at this time of year, as we sit on the outside looking at those who have reached a major tournament, staring enviously at the likes of Georgia, who have qualified for the first time.
Without a major competition to look forward to, welcoming Hungary to the Aviva is unlikely to stir much excitement among home supporters.
From an FAI point of view, the game provides another opportunity to boost the coffers but don’t be surprised if you see a few empty green spaces around the ground when watching on TV.
JOHN O’SHEA GETS ANOTHER AUDITION
While some will dismiss the game as a meaningless friendly, for interim manager John O’Shea, there remains an outside chance that a strong result and performance could earn him the biggest job in Irish football on a permanent basis.
Four months after Stephen Kenny departed the role, O’Shea graciously took the reins for the March double-header against Belgium and Switzerland
A creditable 0-0 draw against the Belgians could have been a win if not for a missed Evan Ferguson penalty, while Switzerland needed a Xherdan Shaqiri free-kick to earn narrow 1-0 victory against O’Shea’s side.
Since then, FAI’s self-imposed early-April deadline has passed without a resolution to the management fiasco, so O’Shea has been asked to fill the role again.
Some, including the Waterford man’s former international team-mate Damien Duff, feel that he should have told those at Abbotstown where to go, if they weren’t going to offer him the permanent gig.
However, FAI interim CEO David Courell said last month that O’Shea is still under consideration for the role. If he wants it, and he has not been shy about hinting that he does, he would be best-advised to knuckle down and try and get some decent results on the board over the next 10 days.
Players such as Dara O’Shea, Enda Stevens and Jason Knight have all spoken positively about the prospect of the former Manchester United defender getting the job, indicating that he has the backing of the squad.
A strong display against Hungary, and even a goal or two, would be a good way to help get their man over the line.
HUNGARY LOOKING TO BUILD TOWARD EUROS
Like Ireland in days gone by, Hungary are in the midst of a golden era of qualification.
The Magyars are about to enter into their third successive European Championship, hoping to better decent performances at the previous two.
At Euro 2016 in France, Hungary topped a group containing eventual winners Portugal, albeit with only five points and a sole victory over Austria. They were quickly brought back to earth with a 4-0 trouncing at the hands of Belgium in the last-16.
Five years later, at the delayed Euro 2020, they were in the mix right until the end in a strong group, in which they picked up draws against both France and Germany, although a 3-0 defeat in their opening game against Portugal proved costly.
Rossi, who was appointed in 2018, is preparing to manage the team at the Euros for a second time, and will at least be hoping to reach the knockout stage.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai is the talisman that could help him do that, but there is talent alongside him with the likes of Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez in midfield and Roland Sallai up front.
Their ranks could have been bolstered further had Ireland’s Sammie Szmodics followed his Hungarian roots rather than his Irish ones, although while Rossi has claimed that he approached the Blackburn striker, Szmodics said back in March that no conversation had taken place.
"It was all nonsense really," he said. "My grandad was Hungarian, that's where the surname comes from. It is just something that never interested me.
"Their manager said I used that as a ploy to get in this squad which is not what happened at all. I am not really sure where it came from as I have never spoken to anyone from that country. I am not really sure where it has come from because I am fully focused on playing for Ireland."
Szmodics was rewarded for his decision with his first two international caps back in March, and if selected on Tuesday, he will have the chance to break his international goal-scoring duck against the country of his grandfather.
HOW IS IT GOING TO GO?
Just as in 2021, the countries are meeting as Hungary prepare for a European Championship, while the Ireland players' minds may be cast towards holidays in sunnier climes.
Three years ago, the teams played out a 0-0 draw in Budapest, just days after Kenny’s first win in charge, a 3-1 victory over Andorra that was over a year in the making for the ex-Ireland boss.
The match was notable for Caoimhín Kelleher making his senior debut, coming on for Gavin Bazunu at half-time, and with Bazunu absent through injury this time around, the Liverpool man has the chance to wrestle the number shirt away from the Southampton stopper.
Whether Kelleher starts or if Mark Travers gets the nod, they could be protected by Jake O’Brien at centre-half. The former Cork City man enjoyed a stellar campaign playing for Lyon, culminating in the scoring of a consolation goal in a French Cup final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
O’Brien was with the squad back in March without getting on the pitch but O’Shea is likely to have seen enough to hand him his international debut against either Hungary or Portugal.
There could also be a debut for Leicester City striker Tom Cannon, after he put to bed any lingering doubts over his commitment to the Irish cause, amid reports that he was considering declaring for England.
"It is just that you newspapers like to create stories and headlines about England," he defiantly told reporters over the weekend.
"I have always been committed to Ireland, hence why I am here.
"England got in touch with my agent and I was keeping out of it, I didn’t want to get involved. I had enough to focus on at club football, I wanted to focus on that."
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