Ireland vs Croatia, Euro 2012: Open Thread

Ireland vs Croatia: 2:45pm ET
TV schedule
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It’s been a long time since Ireland was last seen in a European Championship. Amazingly, it was 1988. For those of you who live in the United States, many of you may have fond memories of the Irish national team who played in the United States in 1994. It’s no wonder therefore that people in the United States have a soft spot for the Republic of Ireland team, for a number of reasons.

This could be the first match of Euro 2012 that becomes a boring, defensive-minded game if Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni gets his way. Depending on your allegiances, this could be a pleasing scenario for you, or not. Some Irishmen may ask, where has my Ireland gone? The free-flowing, route one football side of the ’80s and ’90s. No matter how you look at it, though, it should be an intriguing match to watch against a Croatian side that plays beautiful football.

Before, during or after the match, post your rants, raves, questions or observations in the comments section below.