[Albion] Albion players on international duty - September 2023

[Gabbiano]

I don't watch a lot of youth football, but this Portugal U17 side are impressive, particularly in midfield. Clearly very well coached. Good, organised pressing and a lot of energy, quick in transition and then the forward players are making clever runs. The England kids get the ball back, run into traffic and then on the defensive again.

Simmonds still doing well.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I don't watch a lot of youth football, but this Portugal U17 side are impressive, particularly in midfield. Clearly very well coached. Good, organised pressing and a lot of energy, quick in transition and then the forward players are making clever runs. The England kids get the ball back, run into traffic and then on the defensive again.

Simmonds still doing well.

Yeah they look like they play with each other every week.

Guess they might do if they all come from Benfica/Porto.

 

[AZ Gull]

A summary of today's action:

Cam Peupion came on as a 65th minute substitute as the Australian U-23s beat Laos 7-1.
Jack Hinshelwood started for the England U-19s as they lost 1-0 to Germany.
Freddie Simmonds started for the England U-17s and scored in the 11th minute as they went down 3-2 to Portugal.

Later today I'll post a preview of Thursday's schedule, with eight Albion players potentially in action.

 

[AZ Gull]

Day two of this international break - Thursday - sees the following possible Albion involvement:-

Samy Chouchane, our U-21 squad central midfielder, has been called up to the full Tunisian squad for the first time. The Eagles of Carthage host Botswana in an Africa Cup of Nations Group J qualifier.

Joao Pedro is in the Brazilian U-23 squad for two friendly matches against Morocco in Fez. The second match is on Monday.

Bart Verbruggen is in the senior Netherlands squad. The first of their two EURO 2024 qualifiers in this break is at home to Greece (although the Dutch manager has confirmed Brentford's Mark Flekken will start this game).

Kacper Kozlowski is in the senior Poland squad for their EURO 2024 qualifier at home to the Faroe Islands. They will also travel to Albania on Sunday.

Our increasingly impressive U-21 striker Mark O'Mahony is in the Republic of Ireland U-19 squad for a friendly away against Bosnia & Herzegovina (with a second match being played on Saturday).

Our Northern Irish centre-back Ruairi McConville is in the Northern Ireland U-19 squad for a friendly in Italy.

Down in South America, two of our first-team squad could end up facing each other as Facundo Buonanotte's Argentina host Pervis Estupinan's Ecuador in Buenos Aires in a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier. Argentina also travel to Bolivia on Tuesday and Ecuador host Uruguay the same day.

 

[AZ Gull]

Mark O'Mahony (no. 9) started and scored the ROI goal today as the ROI U-19s drew 1-1 in Bosnia & Herzegovina:-

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Forgot that Gus Poyet is now managing Greece! Assume that Bart will be in the bench.

N. Ireland v Italy u-19 ended 3-2 in Italys favour, no idea what the lineup was.

Unfortunately the most interesting fixture Argentina v Ecuador is on at 1 am.

 

[AZ Gull]

Albion centre-back Ruairi McConville (no. 4, back row, right) started for the Northern Ireland U-19s in their 3-2 friendly defeat in Tuscany:-

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Mark O'Mahony (no. 9) started and scored the ROI goal today as the ROI U-19s drew 1-1 in Bosnia & Herzegovina:-

View attachment 166112

Albion centre-back Ruairi McConville (no. 4, back row, right) started for the Northern Ireland U-19s in their 3-2 friendly defeat in Tuscany:-

View attachment 166114

What the hell are we feeding these kids? We’ve got some absolute units coming through by the looks of things.

 

[The Fits]

Albion centre-back Ruairi McConville (no. 4, back row, right) started for the Northern Ireland U-19s in their 3-2 friendly defeat in Tuscany:-

View attachment 166114

And captain! What a unit.

 

[Bakero]

What the hell are we feeding these kids? We’ve got some absolute units coming through by the looks of things.

I was about to say the same thing. There must be a secret lab under Lancing.

 

[The Fits]

Was 18 in May. Goodness me.

 

[GT49er]

Albion centre-back Ruairi McConville (no. 4, back row, right) started for the Northern Ireland U-19s in their 3-2 friendly defeat in Tuscany:-

View attachment 166114

Six foot four at 18. He'll be a big lad when he stops growing!

 

[fly high]

He's a giant

 

[AZ Gull]

Samy Chouchane has been named on the bench for the Tunisians.

Kacper Kozlowski is on the bench for Poland.
Bart Verbruggen is on the bench for the Netherlands.

 

[AZ Gull]

Joao Pedro is on the bench for the Brazilian U-23s.

 

[AZ Gull]

Joao Pedro is on the bench for the Brazilian U-23s.

The match has been interrupted by a power failure:-

 

[AZ Gull]

Thursday's summary:

Samy Chouchane was an unused sub as Tunisia beat Botswana 3-0.
Kacper Kozlowski was an unused sub as Poland beat the Faroe Islands 2-0.
Bart Verbruggen was an unused sub as the Netherlands beat Greece 3-0.
Joao Pedro was named on the bench as the Brazilian U-23s lost 1-0 to Morocco (don't yet know if he came on).
Mark O'Mahony started for the Republic of Ireland U-19s and scored their goal in a 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Ruairi McConville started for the Northern Irish U-19s (and captained the side) in a 3-2 defeat to Italy.

Facundo Buonanotte and Pervis Estupinan may be in action later as Argentina host Ecuador.

 

[AZ Gull]

Friday should see a little more active involvement from Albion players with five Seagulls under the spotlight:-

Billy Gilmour is in the Scotland squad as they face a trip to Cyprus in EURO 2024 qualifying. They will then host England in a friendly on Tuesday.

Both goalkeeper Killian Cahill and Andrew Moran are with the Republic of Ireland U-21s as they host Turkey in a UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier. They also host San Marino in a qualifier next Tuesday.

Yasin Ayari is in the Swedish U-21 squad as they host North Macedonia in a UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier.

Ed Turns is with the Welsh U-21s as they host Liechtenstein in a friendly (ahead of a UEFA U-21 Championship qualifier in Lithuania next Tuesday).

 

[AZ Gull]

Pervis Estupinan starts for Ecuador; Facundo Buonanotte is not involved in the squad for Argentina.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Mark O'Mahony (no. 9) started and scored the ROI goal today as the ROI U-19s drew 1-1 in Bosnia & Herzegovina:-

View attachment 166112

Blimey, that's a team that looks absolutely DELIGHTED to be there.