Sammie Szmodics is desperate to make up for lost time as he hopes for a Republic of Ireland debut at the third time of asking.
The in-form Blackburn striker has been drafted in by interim head coach John O’Shea after twice having to pull out of squads under previous boss Stephen Kenny through injury and personal reasons, and could make his first senior appearance in Saturday’s friendly against Belgium in Dublin.
That would end a frustrating wait for the 28-year-old, who qualifies for Ireland through his paternal grandmother, after Kenny did not call him up for last November’s camp after he had pulled out the previous month because of a family issue.
Szmodics, who has scored 27 goals for his club so far this season – 21 of them in the Sky Bet Championship – told a press conference: “I was disappointed for the November camp that I didn’t get the call, but ultimately, it’s the manager’s decision.
“I thought I was doing enough at club level, but he chose to go with other people. The past is the past and I’ve got to focus on this camp and future camps and I’ve got to take the opportunity with both hands.
“With the form and amount of games I’ve played and seeing others make their debut, it’s made me hungry. I am excited to hopefully get it on the weekend.
“When I got the phone call from John (O’Shea), it was a no-brainer for me.”
Szmodics arrived at Ireland’s Abbotstown training base having unwittingly found himself the target of a verbal onslaught from Hungary boss Marco Rossi.
The striker is also eligible to represent Hungary through his grandfather and Rossi suggested his camp had leaked an offer of discussions over his international future in an effort to earn a Republic call-up.
A bemused Szmodics said: “It was all nonsense, really. My grandad was Hungarian – that’s where the surname comes from.
“It is just something that never interested me. Their manager has come out and said what he has said about me. 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. I sorted my passport for Ireland years ago and I’ve been fully focused on getting into the camps and getting into the squads and hopefully and luckily I’ll do it this weekend.”
Szmodics is not the only potential debutant in the squad with Lyon defender Jake O’Brien and Middlesbrough midfielder Finn Azaz having received first senior call-ups for games against the Belgians and Switzerland next Tuesday.
Ireland’s first fixture since Kenny left his role in November – with the process of appointing his successor currently ongoing – will see them go head-to-head with FIFA’s fourth-ranked team at a time when they have slipped to 62nd place in the list, having won just six of the 29 competitive games they played under his charge.
World Cup Girlz back in the fold? Gilbert hints at return of experienced players for Brazil friendlies
For the first time in almost nine months, it seems as if Jamaica’s interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert will have members of the World Cup squad at his disposal, when they visit Brazil for a two-match friendly international series in June.
The Girlz, who first locked horns with Brazil, and lost 0-3, at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, went one better at last year’s global showpiece in Australia, as they not only held the South American giants to a goalless stalemate, but also ensured their elimination at the group stage.
By all indications, that performance, and by extension, the fact that the Girlz made an historic appearance in the knockout stages of the World Cup, earned them even more respect from the number 10-ranked Brazilians, who are currently in preparation for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris.
The games, scheduled for June 1 and 4, are expected to assist Brazil in their preparation, while the now 42nd-ranked Jamaicans will get a much-needed test to regain their appetite for international competition, having last sported the nationals colours against Canada last September.
Since that Olympic qualifying fixture in Canada, members of the World Cup squad withdrew their services from national representation, citing lack of payment and mistreatment from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), among their reasons.
While it is yet to be confirmed how many, if any, of the World Cup players will make the trip, Gilbert gave the clearest indication yet that there might be a few, as he welcomed the games, after not utilizing the last FIFA window.
“It is always important to secure games during the international window. It not only assists in exposing players, but it also ensures the team is active, which helps our rankings, and also our quality of play. Because as you know, the more we play together, especially against quality opponents, the better the team becomes, and we also get to work on different things both offensively and defensively,” Gilbert told SportsMax.TV.
“The expectation is for us to give a good account of ourselves, it has been a while since these players have played together, but the good thing is that they are actively engaged in their respective leagues in Europe and United States. So, it is not like they were inactive, and obviously, it is not the first time they will be playing together.
“So, we just have to keep things as simple or as close to what we did prior to, and during the World Cup, to make sure we are competitive. It is going to be a little bit different, but it’s not far-fetched that we can get another positive result against Brazil,” he added.
Atletico Madrid 3-1 Athletic Bilbao: Hosts close in on top-four finish
Atletico Madrid beat newly crowned Copa del Rey winners Athletic Bilbao 3-1 at home in LaLiga on Saturday as Diego Simeone's side moved a step closer to a top-four finish.
Fourth-placed Atletico moved onto 64 points and have increased their advantage over Athletic, in fifth, to six points with five games to play.
Midfielder Rodrigo de Paul put Atletico in front in the 15th minute with a goal from outside the box. After controlling an attempted clearance from the visitors, his effort dipped just under the bar as his strike deflected off one of the Athletic defenders.
Athletic levelled just before half-time through Nico Williams after Antoine Griezmann lost the ball through a careless pass.
But Angel Correa restored the lead for Atletico in the 52nd minute and later came close to scoring again.
With 10 minutes to play, away goalkeeper Unai Simon inadvertently made it 3-1 with an own goal after Samuel Lino’s effort came back off the post, ending any Athletic hopes of a comeback.
Hull City 3-3 Ipswich Town: Tigers fight back three times to deny Tractor Boys
Ipswich Town missed the chance to move into an automatic promotion spot as play-off-chasing Hull City came from behind three times in a thrilling 3-3 Championship draw at The MKM Stadium.
Ipswich knew a victory would take them second after Leeds United were surprisingly beaten 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers on Friday, and they led on three separate occasions, George Hirst opening the scoring before Omari Hutchinson produced two brilliant strikes from the edge of the area.
However, buoyed by slip-ups from rivals Norwich City and West Brom earlier on Saturday, Hull dug deep to fight back on each occasion, Ozan Tufan and Liam Delap scoring their first two equalisers.
With Liam Rosenior's men 3-2 down with just four minutes to play, substitute Noah Ohio blasted his shot in off the crossbar to punish an error from Ipswich goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky.
The result keeps Ipswich behind second-placed Leeds on goal difference, though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand to come at Coventry City on Tuesday.
Hull, meanwhile, are two points adrift of the top six, with Norwich's goal difference advantage meaning their top-six spot is all but assured. The Tigers will, however, leapfrog West Brom if they beat Plymouth Argyle on the final day and Albion lose to Preston North End.
Data Debrief: Hutchinson's best not enough
Hutchinson was a man who deserved to be on the winning side on Saturday, giving Ryan Allsop no chance with two near-identical left-footed strikes from the right corner of the penalty area.
His goals came from an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.6, and he led all players on the pitch for shots (eight) and passes in the final third (21), also laying on three chances for his team-mates.
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