Ireland has already put together one miraculous run to get into the World Cup playoffs, but the Boys in Green will need another if they’re going to make it to North America for this summer’s tournament.
Ireland will need to upset Czechia at Fortuna Arena in Prague on Thursday, and then defeat whoever wins the qualifier between Denmark and North Macedonia in the final round of qualifying next Tuesday.
The Irish are +150 to advance Thursday and +400 to make it to the World Cup in June.
The odds are, once again, stacked against the Boys in Green, but that’s nothing new for this group.
Ireland vs. Czechia odds, predictions
Ireland’s path to this match has been absurd.
The Irish needed three wins in their last three group games, including against Portugal, and then a do-or-die tilt with Hungary in Budapest back in November
The Irish fell behind Hungary twice and were trailing 2-1 in the 80th minute when Troy Parrott knotted the score.
Still tied, 2-2, in the 96th minute, it looked like all hope was lost for the Boys in Green, but then Parrott kicked his way into Irish folklore with his third goal of the night, sending the team into the playoffs and the Emerald Isle into a full-blown party.
It was such a momentous occasion that Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted it in a speech on St. Patrick’s Day.
But all of that hoopla is now in the rear-view mirror. All that matters now is Thursday’s tilt in Prague against an experienced Czech side.
There really isn’t any secret to how both of these teams want this game to play out.
The Czechs want to have the ball, keep it moving and force Ireland to exhaust itself by defending for 90 minutes.
The Irish will be fine with that script and will hope to pounce on any mistake the Czechs make in this high-stakes environment.
It is a classic battle between an aggressor and a counter-puncher.
That should suit Ireland just fine.
While some teams possess enough ball-moving talent to unfurl Ireland’s defense, the Czechs are not brimming with playmakers.
They’ve got a solid spine and a terrific center-forward in Patrik Schick, but they don’t have a maestro in the center of the field that can just unlock this dogged Irish defense.
Ireland’s backline, led by Nathan Collins, Jake O’Brien and Dara O’Shea, is quality, and they’re playing in front of one of the world’s best goalkeepers, Caoimhin Kelleher.
The Irish are built from the back to the front, but this current iteration also possesses the attacking quality that Ireland has been missing for generations.
Parrott is a rising star and will be brimming with confidence, but he’s just part of a trio that should put this Czech defense under considerable pressure when the Boys in Green are able to turn the ball over.
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Finn Azaz has emerged as a terrific support option for Parrott in the midfield, while Chiedozie Ogbene is a relentless hunter of the ball and able to force defenders into mistakes that Parrott can capitalize on.
Another advantage the Irish have is Kelleher’s ability to ping long passes, which will keep the Czechs on their toes even when Ireland has the ball in its own half.
Going on the road in these situations is never easy, but the Irish have already overcome a similar situation against Hungary and they’ve played with their backs against the wall for most of this qualifying period.
This is nothing new to the Boys in Green.
The Play: Ireland to advance (+150, DraftKings)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
