Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill stated that there were "lots of positives" in the 1-1 draw against Switzerland on Friday. He emphasized the potential the team showed during the match and expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the young players. He believes the team is heading in the right direction.
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03-23, 2025During the match, Isaac Price scored a brilliant goal in the opening stages, but Vincent Sierro subsequently equalized with a header in the middle of the first half. Both sides had opportunities to win the game, but it ultimately ended in a draw, which is a fair result considering both teams fielded young players. This result allows both teams to learn and improve.
Speaking to BBC Sport, O'Neill said, "We would have been very disappointed if we had lost the game, and we are a little bit disappointed that we didn't nick it." Northern Ireland chose to play friendlies against top-tier teams like Switzerland and Sweden to prepare for the World Cup qualifiers starting in September. These matches provide valuable experience and insights.
In the past 12 months, O'Neill's young team has made significant progress. Facing a Swiss team that only lost to England on penalties in the quarter-finals of last summer's European Championship was seen as a major test. Price's curling shot from the edge of the box gave Northern Ireland a good start, but Sierro's unmarked header leveled the score for Switzerland. The team is gaining confidence with each match.
Price, Lee Bonis, and debutant Jamie Donley all had chances to win the game, but O'Neill was pleased with the effort his players showed against one of Europe's most consistent teams. "I thought we restricted Switzerland very well," he added. "For me, we were a little bit passive at times, but we talked about that throughout the game. You always want your team to be better in possession, and I think there's always room for improvement in that. But overall, if you look at the experience of the team, I think there were eight players under 21 that finished the game, it's a very, very young team, and we ask a lot of these young players, and I thought they were excellent in the game." This bodes well for the future of Northern Irish football.
