Ireland Amateur International Team Loses 1-0 to Basque Region in Preparation for Regions Cup
The Irish team before their clash with the Basque Region Credit: FAI
The Ireland Amateur International team experienced a narrow 1-0 defeat against the Basque Region on Tuesday night as they geared up for the Regions Cup, set to take place in Bilbao in June.
A goal from Julen Huidobro just before halftime secured the win for the Basque Region, despite playing with ten men for a significant portion of the second half.
The game, held at Barakaldo's Estadio de Lasesarre, saw both sides putting up a tough fight. The Basque Region nearly took the lead after seven minutes, while Ireland's Jordan Buckley had a chance to score just three minutes later.
The Basque Region eventually broke through just before halftime when Huidobro found the back of the net following a well-executed move down the Irish right-hand side. The second half saw the Basque Region reduced to ten players after Oier Del Cura was sent off for a foul on Ireland's Simon Falvey.
Despite increased pressure from the Irish team, they were unable to find an equalizer. Aaron Humphries came close in the 80th minute, but his header went just wide. The match saw both teams end with ten players when Ireland's Falvey was sent off in the 85th minute for a challenge during a Basque breakaway.
The tightly contested match in Bilbao leaves the Ireland Amateur International team with valuable experience as they prepare for the upcoming Regions Cup in June.
