Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni pleased with 1-1 draw with England
Posted Thursday, May 30, 2013 by skysports.com
Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni felt his players heeded his advice after holding England to a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
Shane Long's 13th minute header gave Ireland a deserved early lead before Frank Lampard equalised 10 minutes later with a flicked finish.
Trapattoni was pleased with the experience gained from the match, with Ireland due to play world and European champions Spain next month.
Before that game in the United States, Ireland face Georgia in another friendly and the Faroe Islands in a 2014 World Cup qualifier.
"England are one of the strongest three, four or five countries in the world," said Trapattoni.
"I look at my group, and three or four are young. They need experience. Only against a great team and great players can they grow.
"I am happy from what I saw: James McCarthy, Seamus Coleman. Shane Long was clearly the best on the pitch.
"I asked the players to show we can play without fear. I know what this result meant because I saw they were a bit tense in the dressing room.
"I didn't want to put more pressure on them. I wanted to give them trust and confidence. They took my advice and accepted my message.
"The next friendly game against Spain will be another great opportunity."
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