Yesterday, in Dublin, Ireland took on Qatar in an international friendly that ended in a 1-0 defeat for the Middle Eastern team. This result came amidst controversy surrounding Ireland's forthcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel, scheduled for October 4 in Dublin.
Protesters hurled tennis balls bearing the message "stop the game" onto the pitch on several occasions during the first half of the match. Seamus Coleman, a veteran defender, had expressed concern that the Ireland team has been left in a difficult situation by those above them. His teammate McGrath admitted that the situation is indeed difficult.
Heimir Hallgrimsson, Ireland's coach, commented on the controversy: "Seamus spoke really well about it the other day. We don't all agree with what's going on. Ideally, it's not in our hands. It's not a nice situation to be put into. Like I said, personally, none of us agrees with what's going on."
A late decision was made for the Sassuolo player, Francesco Volpato, who will make a shock switch of allegiance from Italy to Australia four years after turning down the opportunity to represent the country of his birth at the tournament in Qatar.
Football Australia is still waiting for confirmation from Fifa that the formalities surrounding Volpato's change of heart can be completed before Socceroos coach Tony Popovic names his 26-player World Cup squad by June 1.
The World Cup is less than two weeks away, and doubts begin to swirl. Ever since the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, there has been uncertainty surrounding this World Cup fixture in Los Angeles. Conflicting signals have been sent about whether the Islamic Republic of Iran would allow the national football team to travel to the home of its attacker, and whether the US would welcome Team Melli.
With kick-off now weeks away, it appears the game will go ahead as planned. However, there is still a possibility of protests by the large local Iranian population in Los Angeles, many of whom fled the 1979 revolution, and acts of defiance by players.
This situation is more than just a football story. Jonathan Wilson, true to form, used Agincourt in his tactical preview of the Champions League final. Paris Saint-Germain have scored more goals from non-penalty set plays than Arsenal in the Champions League this season (eight to five). However, it's reasonable to assume that corners and free-kicks offer Arsenal's best chance of a goal.
The biggest danger to Arsenal is probably a counterattack. Most opponents sit deep against Paris Saint-Germain, especially in Ligue 1. However, the evidence of Paris Saint-Germain's wins over Chelsea, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich shows that they are lethal in transition. Arsenal cannot let Desiré Doué or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia get a run on whoever they have at full-back.
Both Doué and Kvaratskhelia are rapid, supreme dribblers and terrifyingly direct. Full-back is an issue for Arsenal, especially on the right, where Ben White is out with a knee injury and Jurriën Timber is doubtful with a groin problem sustained against Everton in mid-March.
Luis Enrique has regularly rested his players from Ligue 1 games. So, even though Paris Saint-Germain have played a lot of matches, their most important players have been rotated heavily and should go into this weekend's final relatively fresh.
Many of Paris Saint-Germain's best players have played very little domestic football this season. Ballon d'Or winner Dembélé started just 11 of their 34 Ligue 1 games, while Neves, Mendes, and Fabián Ruiz made 13 starts each. Kvaratskhelia has played 18, Doué and Hakimi 16, and Marquinhos 11 games.
Good morning, football. The Champions League final is set for Saturday, and the capital cities of England and France will be heading to Budapest. We'll have plenty of buildup and news in the days to come, as well as the latest from the World Cup and transfer market. Join us.