Beginning with the semi-finals on Sunday between Limerick and Cork, it was apparent the divergence in how each game is played is what makes hurling an exhilarating sport to watch.
In comparison to football, the constant disputes for the ball make it much more thrilling, with football often creating suspense as spectators wait for contests to take place. The key distinction appears to be the challenge of adopting a defensive approach in hurling. It allows players from any area of the pitch to make a score. Hence, its essential for the teams to press on possible scorers, inevitably leaving room towards the inside.
In my perspective, the only plausible method of maintaining a stringent game is by increasing aggression in one-on-one combats or placing a sweeper in the back, and not allowing the ball to remain unchallenged in the field which leads to a shooting spree.
This leads to a fundamentally different mandate in each sport. In football, teams plan to avoid loss; whereas in hurling, they strategise to win, which from a football standpoint, sounds a touch sombre.
The upcoming weekend bears four football semi-finalists, and likely their primary contemplation will be to not lose and how to finish on a stronger note, rather than initial victory.
In 2018, Armagh faced off against Fermanagh in the first round in Ulster wherein fourteen out of the 20 players are still active including half of the primary team. They clashed again with Fermanagh in Division Three final before facing defeat to them in Ulster.
Their persistence is surprising given their past performance and lack of victories. They crashed out in the the first rounds of the first four years. Their recent losses: two Ulster finals and a couple of All-Ireland quarter-finals – all losing in penalty rounds, were met with disappointment as they struggled to achieve victory in these games.
However, viewing their current resilience and determination to constantly bounce back, my initial disappointment is giving way to a sense of respect. This year, their defence has been impressive, with 14 out of 15 games finishing with a clean sheet.
Kerry’s championship journey, despite being comparatively easy, hasn’t led to significantly better defensive records than those boasted by a team facing a more difficult tournament path. Armagh’s most significant issue lies in their offense. They possess impressive attackers who need to score goals in the upcoming Saturday match, an achievement that seems promising considering Kerry’s history of conceding in four out of their six games so far.
The performance of Clifford’s and Seán O’Shea has been subpar compared to past occurrences. Although there’s potential for them to step up this weekend, their recent displays leave much to be desired. However, lingering uncertainty surrounds Armagh. Earlier this year, following their initial win, Paddy Burns gave insight into their struggles, attributing them to the players’ instinctively slow tempo and defensive approach, which especially surfaces when they’re having trouble in matches.
It’s vital for Armagh to alter this mindset, as demonstrated by Derry’s strategy, which involved slowing down the game pace and gradually embracing it against Kerry. If Kerry applies this approach in the upcoming weekend match, they may face tougher challenges than they did in the quarter-final.
Armagh, less emotionally shaken than Derry following their coach’s resignation, and strengthened by a slow but constant improvement leading to an All-Ireland semi-final, presents a threat defensively to Kerry. However, their offensive capabilities to equally challenge Kerry are questionable.
In the subsequent semi-final, maintaining equilibrium is crucial. Donegal’s robust defense reflected in their six matches without conceding a goal proves paramount. A strong defense revolves around keeping clean sheets and neutralizing important opponents.
In matches against Derry, key players such as McGuigan, Glass, and Rogers were effectively neutralised. Similarly, Canavan had periods of inactivity in the first game against Tyrone. In the Ulster final, Rian O’Neill was sidelined. Despite Cork netting three goals, it served as a much-needed wakeup call.
What’s interesting is the number of points they concede – 17, 14, 18. However, these points aren’t coming from key opponents, and there are no goals conceded. Further, they consistently put up 16 points in attack, even when outplayed by Cork.
The same strategy will be needed against Galway. It may sound straightforward, but some influential players need to be kept in check, operating under the positive assumption that Pádraic Joyce has a full roster to pick from.
Comparing journeys, they’ve certainly had a tougher path than Donegal, with a slim average victory margin of two points, but crucially against higher ranking teams. They’ve also shown a tight defence.
In the midfield, Maher, McDaid, Paul Conroy and Tierney all bring a significant strength and size advantage, standing at 6’3” or 6’4”, compared to Ryan McHugh and Peadar Morgan. The return of Jason McGee would be a real boost.
Galway will keep in mind that their second-half performance against Dublin would suffice to overpower any remaining championship contenders. However, the central question is whether their injury situation might compromise their chances.