Sold-out games and knockout ties as race for Sam heats up

Image source, Getty Images & InphoImage caption, Donegal and Derry are in action on Saturday while Tyrone face Mayo on Sunday While World Cup fans must wait a couple of weeks for the knockout stages to start at Fifa's expanded 48-team quadrennial showpiece, jeopardy will be prominent during this weekend's All-Ireland SFC fixtures. Like Fifa, the GAA tinkered with the format of its blue riband competition this year, meaning no county was eliminated in round one. It means that for the first time this year, all 16 counties competing for the Sam Maguire Cup will be in action across the same weekend. Four counties will secure a quarter-final spot, while it will be the end of the road for another four. And with four of this weekend's games having already sold out, there is a sense of intense anticipation as the All-Ireland series heats up. Can Derry breathe new life into championship challenge? Published9 hours agoHeavyweights hope to avoid early exitFor those competing in Round 2B, there is no more safety net. Lose and they are out. They include Kerry and Dublin, the championship's two most decorated teams. Having lost a bad-tempered round one encounter at home to Donegal, holders Kerry travel to Newbridge to face Kildare on Saturday (17:30 BST). The Kingdom have had three weeks to regroup from that defeat in Killarney, and while boss Jack O'Connor is without the suspended Micheal Burns and injured trio Sean O'Shea, Tom O'Sullivan and Shane Ryan, he has welcomed captain Paul Geaney, Gavin White and Paul Murphy back into the panel. Kildare, who famously beat Kerry in the 1998 semi-final to reach their first decider since 1935, fell to a heavy 3-21 to 0-17 loss to Galway in the last round. The Lilywhites have not beaten Kerry since the 2013 league, and while the defending champions will be expected to progress, the prospect of sending shockwaves through the championship will not be lost on Kildare boss Brian Flanagan. On Sunday (14:00), Cavan have the chance to land a similarly decisive blow on Dublin, who are reeling from back-to-back championship reverses at Croke Park after they followed a Leinster final reverse to Westmeath with a dispiriting round one loss to Louth. However, the return of manager Ger Brennan to the sideline after a 12-week suspension is a significant boost for the 31-time champions. Cavan lost an extra-time thriller to Westmeath in Mullingar last time out, but Dermot McCabe will feel his charges can capitalise on the Dubs' shaky form and land a big win on home soil. Two other Ulster counties are in win-or-bust territory on Saturday. Ulster finalists Monaghan, who have lost rising star Bobby McCaul to a serious knee injury, host Roscommon in Clones (16:30) before Derry welcome Meath to Celtic Park (19:00). Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Dublin star Con O'Callaghan hopes to inspire his side to a vital victory over Cavan The winners of the four aforementioned games will progress to round three to face the losers of the 2A fixtures. The 2A winners will claim a quarter-final berth, meaning there is huge incentive for Donegal, Armagh and Tyrone. Donegal have had three weeks to prepare for Saturday's home game with Cork (15:00), who reached 2A with a thrilling 0-30 to 1-24 win over Meath at Pairc Ui Rinn. While Burns' red card severely hampered Kerry's challenge, Donegal looked sharp and incisive in the first half in Killarney, but Cork will be no pushovers, as evidenced by Steven Sherlock's headline-stealing 14-point haul in their epic comeback win over Meath. Saturday's game also sees Donegal return to the newly resurfaced MacCumhaill Park in Ballybofey, which has been a championship fortress for them down the years. In the first of three 2A games on Sunday, Louth look to add to their list of scalps when they welcome Armagh to Inniskeen (13:00), with construction work still taking place at their new stadium in Dundalk. Armagh have been irresistible of late. They put 42 points on Down in the Ulster semi-final, outlasted Monaghan in extra-time in the decider to return to the provincial summit for the first time in 18 years and were too strong for Derry in round one. While Louth stunned Dublin at Croke Park, manager Gavin Devlin said his side are aware in what will be the first championship meeting between the neighbours. "Armagh will have no fears of Inniskeen either," said Devlin, twice an All-Ireland winner in his playing days with Tyrone. "They're playing at a really high level as we know. The speed and physicality is at a different level to anyone else in the country at the moment, so we know what's ahead of us. It's an exciting week to be ready for this type of challenge." After Galway host Leinster champions Westmeath at a sold-out Salthill (14:00), there is a repeat of the 2021 final as Tyrone take on Mayo in Omagh (15:30). Both counties squeezed into this round. Tyrone needed a last-gasp Ethan Jordan free to beat Roscommon 3-16 to 2-18 at Dr Hyde Park w

Sold-out games and knockout ties as race for Sam heats up

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