1. Wes Hoolahan in Ireland’s key man
What can be said that hasn't already been said? Wes Hoolahan is, quite simply, one of a kind in this current crop of Irish players. Since the days of Liam Brady and Johnny Giles Ireland haven't really had a player of such elegant creativity as Hoolahan. The 34-year-old is one of those players who, on receiving the ball, you expect to create some sort of a chance.
On Monday it took him a while to come into the game as most of the Ireland threat came out wide. However, when he dropped a little deeper and played more in between the lines of midfield and forwards he was instrumental.
His goal was obviously the best moment but his passing, little bits of skill and a general calmness on the ball were invaluable to Ireland, especially when Sweden were piling on the pressure.
The Norwich playmaker possesses that rare phenomenen that pundits call “a football brain”.
Put simply he knows exactly what’s going on around him at all times and has that awareness of where to drift to find space.
The absolutely criminal factor is that last night was just his 32nd cap for Ireland. Many a fan must still wake up in a cold sweat thinking why Hoolahan wasn’t even brought to Euro 2012.
But he’s in France. And, thankfully, his withdrawl after 78 minutes was only due to fatigue.
If Ireland are to pose any threats to Belgium on Saturday, Hoolahan quite simply has to be fit.
2. Jonathan Walters isn’t fully fit
The Stoke City striker has been struggling with an Achilles problem for over a week now and only returned to training on Saturday.
Despite being cleared as fit to start it was obvious yesterday evening that he wasn’t at his 100 per cent best.
The 32-year-old is a vital cog in the Ireland machine because of the muscle and goalscoring threat he brings but he was constantly on the fringes of the game before being substituted after 63 minutes in Paris.
Martin O’Neill’s comments afterwards also didn’t make for pleasant listening.
“Jon Walters – it’s not great – I would be concerned about him,” he said.
“He felt his Achilles but saw it through – we will check him in the morning, he is being checked now as we speak, but I would be concerned.”
Walters’ absence for the Belgium clash would be a big blow for Ireland against a physical side who will pose a lot of threat in the air.
Most of the danger from Sweden came down Ireland’s right and was mainly the result of Walters no being fully able to perform his defensive duties, meaning more pressure was placed on Coleman.
Walters himself also spoke after the match and little comfort can be drawn from what he said.
“I got through the first half but after a couple of runs in the second it just tightened up. I was sore, nowhere near as sore as what it was even a week ago, but after the first minute it was sore. I didn’t feel like I could sprint or jump but I was trying to get through it and hope it would settle down, but it didn’t really,” he said.
“I made a few runs in behind and if I’d been a hundred per cent I would have got on the end of a couple. I was trying to do my part in the second-half but the right thing was to come out. It is just a bit tight now and we’ll see how it settles down in the next couple of days.”
3. Ireland are the 1-1 draw specialists
The Soviet Union in 1988, England and Holland in 1990, Cameroon, Germany and Spain in 2002 – there’s no getting away from the fact that much of Ireland’s football history is based on famous 1-1 draws. And that’s not even mentioning those in qualifying campaigns.
While last night’s won’t go down in the annals alongside Ray Houghton in Stuttgart or Robbie Keane in Ibaraki, the fact remains that Ireland win very, very few games at major tournaments.
In fact there have only ever been three victories – England at Euro ’88, Italy at World Cup ’94 and Saudi Arabia at World Cup 2002.
Sweden in Euro 2016 should have been added to that list.
For 48 minutes Ireland were excellent. They dominated Sweden and should have been ahead before Hoolahan’s beautiful half volley after O’Shea had missed an opener and Hendrick crashed one off the bar.
Then the goal came. And then Ireland sat back. And then Sweden equalised.
It was striking how quickly Ireland’s play changed after going ahead. Whether it was nerves or a conscious decision to sit tight, an opportunity was missed.
Sweden were on the ropes after Hoolahan’s goal and the opportunity was there to make it two or three.
Even after Sweden scored it seemed like the shackles were lost and Ireland started to play again.
The game was there for the taking and two points were dropped. Those two points lost could prove to be vital.
4. Sweden pose very little threat with Ibrahimovic off form
It can safely be said that absolutely no one would have expected Sweden’s best player to be their left-back. But that was the case.
Norwich City’s Martin Olsson got down the left wing and delivered good crosses into the box on what must have been close to 15 occasions.
And yet, Sweden didn’t have one shot on target throughout the whole 90 minutes.
While John O’Shea and Ciarán Clark were very impressive in stifling Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish striker was also off-form.
An early free-kick from 40 yards that cannoned into the wall was the height of what he offered in terms of shots on goal.
The 34-year-old grew increasingly frustrated as he failed to get on the end of any of Olsson’s crosses and, when he dropped deeper, was easier to deal with.
Having said that it was an excellent run down the outside which allowed him to get to the byline and fizz across the ball that came off Clark’s head and nestled in the back of the Irish net.
Sweden looked shaky at the back and had nothing special in midfield. Italy and Belgium will be confident of picking them off.
5. Ireland have a lot to thank the national league for
Seámus Coleman beats three Swedish players, crosses to the back post and Wes Hoolahan hammers the ball into the back of the net. Sligo Rovers crosses to Shelbourne and Ireland take the lead in their opening game at the European Championships.
Who was it that said “in Ireland there is no league”? Mr Trapattoni, I’m looking at you.
With three of the starting 11 and a further four on the bench coming from League of Ireland backgrounds, there is a lot to be said for the impact of domestic football on the national team.
Those seven players continue to disprove the myth that schoolboy players must go to England at the age of 16 if they are to make it.
Just 12 years ago, at the age of 22, Hoolahan was running proceedings for Shels against Deportivo La Coruna in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.
He was turned down by three Premier League managers for being too small to make it. Yesterday he got the reward he deserved by becoming only the fourth Irish player ever to score at a European Championships.
