Northern Ireland's Shea Charles Confident Despite Heavy Defeat: 'We Can Compete With the Best'

Northern Ireland's recent 5-1 friendly defeat against Sweden might seem discouraging, but captain Shea Charles insists the team is "good enough" to compete with top-tier opponents as they prepare for crucial World Cup qualifiers.

Learning from the Loss The young squad, led by the 21-year-old Charles, faced a sharp reality check in Stockholm after a strong run of form. Despite the lopsided scoreline, Charles believes the match revealed valuable insights:

• Sweden’s clinical finishing contrasted with Northern Ireland’s missed opportunities.
• Defensive absences (Conor Bradley, Trai Hume, Dan Ballard, and Eoin Toal) exposed structural vulnerabilities.
• The game mirrored upcoming challenges against powerhouses like Germany in qualifiers.

Positive Takeaways Charles highlighted recent performances as proof of their potential:

• A gritty draw against Switzerland.
• Strong showings vs. Scotland and Romania over the past year.
• Resilience of a youthful squad on an "upward trajectory."

Road Ahead With friendlies against Denmark and Iceland before qualifiers, Northern Ireland aims to tighten defensively and convert chances. As Charles noted:

"It’s a game of football—anything can happen. We’ll use this as fuel."

Key Stats

• 3 defeats in Northern Ireland’s last 12 matches.
• Alexander Isak’s brace underscored Sweden’s attacking ruthlessness.

Lessons from Stockholm could prove pivotal for Michael O’Neill’s rebuilding project.