Pivotal Irish soccer performances

A look back at a selection of Ireland's most important soccer matches

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European Championships Qualifier, Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Result: Rep of Ireland 1 - 0 Germany Goalscorer: Shane Long " It was a German performance of disengaged hauteur, aloof and thoroughly unsuited to the task at hand. They didn’t understand that this Ireland side is one that can get notions if given half a chance and that they need to be disabused of those notions as early as possible. Germany played as if they knew they their goal was coming. McCarthy and Walters were chief among the reasons it never did. In the face of German conceit, they skipped around the pitch as magnificent nuisances, pains-in-the-arse from start to finish. They got a foot in here, a body check in there. They kept possession for that extra second when Ireland needed a breather, turned 50-50s into 51-49s. They brought what the night required, everything that Germany did not." - Malachy Clerkin Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho

World Cup 2002 Play offs Rep of Ireland 2 - 0 Iran (Lansdowne Road, 2001) Iran 1 Rep of Ireland 0 (Azadi Stadium, Tehran, 2001) Goalscorers: Robbie Keane; Ian Harte (Pen) Agg: Rep of Ireland 2 - 1 Iran "There will scarcely be more intimidating settings for the Irish in the Far Last next summer, for the Azadi provided a fearsome backdrop ahead of yesterday 's game. For Harte. though, the noise of the 80.000 crowd was an inspiration. "It was an amazing occasion , something I'll never forget , but may be I was fortunate in having experienced Gulalasaray with Leeds, where it was even crazier because they were right up on top of you at the side of the pitch. "The other thing about tonight was the fact that you could see them starling to leave during the second half. You could see that they felt it was slipping away from them and even the ones that were left didn 't make anything like the same noise after that." - Emmet Malone

World Cup 2002 Group Qualifier Venue: Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland. Result: Rep of Ireland 1 - 0 Netherlands Goalscorer: Jason McAteer (68) 01/01/2001: "There have been some good days before, of course, most memorably the ones on which Croatia and Yugoslavia were beaten in Dublin a couple of years back. On Sarurday, though, the 35,000 fans that crowded into Lansdowne Road for this crucial and, as it turned out, thrilling World Cup qualifier were fortunate enough to be present for the first really great day of the Mick McCarthy era. Those who saw it will surely never forget the drama or the atmosphere in which it was played out. It was an astonishing game that the Dutch had dominated, even before Gary Kelly was sent off in the 58th minute. His departure should have marked the end of the home side's invariably spirited resistance to what were quite plainly superior forces. When all seemed lost, however, Jason McAteer struck with a goal that was wildly against the balance of play to guarantee Ireland's place in the World Cup play-offs and make qualification for Asia next summer an entirely achievable goal."- Emmet Malone

European Championsips 1988 West Germany Result: Rep of Ireland 1 - 0 England Venue: Neckarstadium, Stuttgart Goalscorer: Ray Houghton (6) 12/06/1988: "No match in living memory has produced such a heart-stopping tension , and it is a testament to the resilience of the Irish that enough fans were alive at the end of this enthrallingly marvellous encounter to be able to swamp this hands ome city with a din of happy voices roaring "Alive Alive Oh" at the decibel level of a Concorde take-off." - Kevin Myers

World Cup 2002 South Korea/Japan Result: Rep of Ireland 1 - 1 Germany Venue: Kashima Soccer Stadium, Ibaraki Goalscorer: Robbie Keane (90+2) 05/06/2002: "It was another of those days for the rest of the football world" to watch and wonder. At how so many Irish fans could travel so far and celebrate so enthusiastically when once again their team had only earned a draw. But also at a display of such bravery and determination that we are unlikely to see it surpassed between yesterday's sixth day of an already-bLossoming World Cup tournament and the final on June 30th at Yokohama." - Emmet Malone

World Cup 1990 Italy Venue: Stadio Sant'Elia, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy Result: Rep of Ireland 1 - 1 England Goalscorer: Kevin Sheedy (72) 11/06/1990: "Honour was satisfied but ambition mildly unrequited after the Republic of Ireland, trailing to a Gary Lineker goal for more than an hour, had competed with immense character to salvage a point against England at the start of their World Cup programme in Cagliari last night. An exemplary exercise in commitment was rewarded, in part, when Kevin Sheedy, artful as ever on a difficult surface, seized on a mistake by Steve, McMahon to give Ireland the point which now offers realistic hope of a place in second the second phase of the championship." - Peter Byrne

World Cup 1994 USA Venue: Giants Stadium, New York Result: Republic of Ireland 1 – 0 Italy, Goalscorer: Ray Houghton (12) 18/06/1994: "Ireland are one of the best teams in Europe and I think this result proves it," said Carlos Alberto Perreira, the manager of Brazil. Perreira was quoted by a newspaper in Los Angeles, where he is preparing his team for today's game against Russia, as saying that the Irish can even get better. "There is a lot of goodwill in America for their team and, while Italy are still one of the favourites for the championship, this win will make the Irish even more difficult to beat." "It was the supreme accolade from the old aristocrats in a profusion of tributes to Jack Charlton's team for the manner in which they lifted the level of their game to achieve their first win in eight meetings with the Italians."

Fri Oct 09 2015 - 14:34

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