The Republic of Ireland have played away in Portugal seven times in their history, and their record is not pretty viewing – zero wins, one draw and six defeats. But that one draw 25 years ago was a view into a different time of optimism for Irish football, and a crucial game towards what is Ireland’s only qualification for the World Cup this century.
Ireland were drawn in a 2002 World Cup qualification group with Euro 2000 semi-finalists Netherlands and Portugal, with one qualifying automatically and one making the playoffs. To make matters worse, their first two games were away from home. Two defeats would have left their campaign in tatters.
After a terrific but slightly disappointing draw in Amsterdam, when they gave up a two-goal lead, Ireland were up against it again in Lisbon in October 7th, 2000, not only because of rumours of a “feud” between manager Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane in the build-up after the Manchester United midfielder arrived late to the camp.
In a sense of foreboding, the Sunday Tribune had warned in a headline that “Roy is on a collision course with McCarthy”, with Mark McGuinness writing it was “high time that Keane showed more respect to his manager and his team-mates”. Luckily, nothing ever came of that in the future, right?
RM Block
Portugal had the soon-to-be Ballon d’Or winner in Luis Figo and one of Serie A’s great playmakers in Rui Costa, but Ireland had the reigning PFA Footballer of the Year in Keane. The Portuguese expected to win at the Stadium of Light, and it looked like they would, dominating possession and having plenty of shots, although not many testing goalkeeper Alan Kelly.
Sergio Conceicao finally broke the deadlock after 57 minutes with a low shot and they looked like adding to their tally, with Ireland looking short of ideas, especially after bringing on midfielder Matt Holland for striker Niall Quinn, which the Tribune called “the biggest gamble of McCarthy’s managerial career”, which “drew groans from Irish fans and journalists alike”.
So, of course, up stepped Holland with a spectacular long-distance strike to equalise. “It was an outstanding strike,” Keane said, “but to be perfectly honest I fancied him to score.” Keane’s optimism perhaps defied logic as it was Holland’s first goal at any international level. Liam Brady said that it “made no sense to even suggest that Holland was brought on to score a goal” and that luck played a part. But he would repeat the trick at a World Cup almost two years later against Cameroon, with Keane watching at home.
The goal stunned the Portuguese, and Conceicao admitted: “After we scored I didn’t think Ireland could come back into the match,” he said.
The Portuguese media reacted in kind. “Bitter” was sports newspaper A Bola’s headline, “unfair” was tabloid Joga’s verdict on the result. Portugal’s manager Antonio Oliveira added to the sense of disbelief “I wouldn’t have believed you if you had told me before the match that Ireland would come to Portugal and gain a draw,” he said. And Ireland were quite good then, too. Imagine how present boss Roberto Martinez would react on Saturday if Ireland did the same.
Figo, then the world’s most expensive footballer, had commended Ireland in the build-up, pointing to the success of the underage sides under Brian Kerr as a sign of Ireland’s growing prestige under McCarthy. Robbie Keane (20) and Richard Dunne (21) started the game, while Damien Duff (21) came off the bench. Robbie would have been keeping an eye on events in Inter Milan, with his club manager Marcelo Lippi sacked and replaced by Marco Tardelli either side of the game. Dunne was singled out for special praise by Mark Lawrenson in his column in The Irish Times in securing a “precious” point.
“The goal was certainly against the run of play, but as the Republic showed against the Dutch, they are a match for any of the big boys of world football,” he wrote.
Ireland would beat Netherlands a year later in Dublin, finish second in the group and beat Iran in a playoff to qualify for Japan and South Korea.
