![\"Republic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4864539_11_articleinlinemobile_3295832.jpg\" "\\"Republic")
Republic of Ireland supporters during the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup Round of 16 match. Pic: Nikola Krstic\/Sportsfile<\/p>\nUnfortunately, there just wasn\u2019t to be a Budapest style comeback in Doha on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The Republic of Ireland\u2019s U17 World Cup journey has come to an end at the last-16 stage as they were beaten by Switzerland.<\/p>\n
Vinnie Leonard had given Ireland late hope with a neat finish from Troy Parrott territory but in the end, it wasn\u2019t enough on pitch one at the Aspire Zone in Qatar as Switzerland progress to a quarter-final clash with Portugal.<\/p>\n
The young Boys in Green started brightly and Jaden Umeh was unfortunate to lose his footing at a vital moment as he looked to get a shot away inside the box.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible season,\u201d began manager Colin O\u2019Brien, who is likely to have taken charge of the side of the final time.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now we\u2019re gutted, we had total belief that we could keep this going and that is the type of mentality that is in every individual within the group.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did everything we could but it just wasn\u2019t to be our night. But I think when everything settles, what they have done for the country is incredible.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really positive. We have had 16 players that have come through our own system, if we want to continue trying to get to these competitions there\u2019s still a lot of work to be done, believe me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve represented the flag with distinction. They\u2019ve inspired the nation, they\u2019re role models now.<\/p>\n
“Whatever happens after here with the group and the staff, my door will always be open to them.”<\/p>\n
Switzerland created a good chance of their own in the 16th minute but after controlling captain Gil Zufferey\u2019s pass over the top, Giacomo Koloto’s shot on the turn was easily stopped by Ireland\u2019s goalkeeper, and hero from the penalty shootout victory over Canada in the Round of 32, Alex Noonan.<\/p>\n
Nevio Scherrer headed a decent chance from a corner wide of the back post midway through the half before Ireland had a couple of sights at goal from distance with Ramon Martos\u2019 effort deflecting inches wide before Grady McDonnell drilled just past the far bottom left corner.<\/p>\n
Republic of Ireland supporters during the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup Round of 16 match. Pic: Nikola Krstic\/Sportsfile<\/p>\n
Michael Noonan went even closer as the half time break approached but after his excellent first touch created space on the edge of the penalty area his powerful strike sailed over the crossbar.<\/p>\n
But Switzerland started the second half the much better team and Ireland needed Leonard to produce a sensational last-ditch challenge to stop the lively Koloto\u2019s goal bound effort before substitute Sandro Wyss struck the far post, although he may have been offside.<\/p>\n
Alex Noonan then denied Adrien Llukes\u2019 attempt from long-range, but the Irish number one was finally beaten in the 57th minute.<\/p>\n
And it was that man Llukes who got it as Jill Stiel beat Victor Ozhianzuna in a 50:50 challenge before rolling in the FC Sion forward, whose shot deflected in off Ryan Butler at the near post.<\/p>\n
If the opening goal was a bit lucky, there was nothing fortunate about Wyss\u2019 strike that made it 2-0 in the 69th minute as the FC Luzern attacker arrowed the ball from 20 yards or so into far top left corner after a sharp turn, just as Ireland had began to get a foothold in the contest.<\/p>\n
Alex Noonan made another great save before substitute Kian McMahon-Brown produced an incredible goal-line clearance to prevent Koloto from making it 3-0 following an incisive counter attack.<\/p>\n
And then in the 82nd minute Leonard gave Ireland a lifeline when he eventually fired home amidst a goalmouth scramble, but it just wasn\u2019t to be Ireland\u2019s day as Mladen Mijajlovic\u2018s deflected curler sealed Switzerland\u2019s place in the last eight.<\/p>\n
\n REPUBLIC OF IRELAND: Alex Noonan; Sherlock, Leonard, Butler, Solanke (Ogbonna 71); Finneran, McDonnell (Lee 80), Martos (McMahon-Brown 60); Umeh, Michael Noonan, Ozhianvuna.<\/p>\n
\n SWITZERLAND: Brogli; Mambwa, Zufferey, Sadikaj, Correia; Mijajlovic (Barererwa 89), Bruchez, LLukes (Kaufmann 89), Stiel (Sinani 95); Koloto, Scherrer (Wyss ht); Cherif.<\/p>\n
\n Referee: Mohammed Ahmed Al Shammari (Qatar).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Unfortunately, there just wasn\u2019t to be a Budapest style comeback in Doha on Tuesday. The Republic of Ireland\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":147499,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1113,42,2539,5782,43,5783,40,38,41,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-147498","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-fai","9":"tag-headlines","10":"tag-league-of-ireland","11":"tag-local-soccer","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-premiership","14":"tag-top-news","15":"tag-top-stories","16":"tag-topnews","17":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147498\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147499"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}