Saudi Arabia 2002

Ireland 3:0 Saudi Arabia

We need two, but score three!!

The final group game on 11 June 2002 in Yokohama, the stadium where the World Cup Final will be played. Ireland needed to beat Saudi Arabia by 2 goals to qualify for the second round. Ireland have never won by more than 1 goal in the World Cup Finals.

An angry storm is brewing over the Stadium as a Typhoon is expected, it manifests itself as swirling rain and strong warm winds, so that’s what a typhoon is, a warm hurricane! The Irish ranks are swelled by even more Japanese fans in green. A good start to the game as Robbie hits a volley under the Saudi keeper and its 1:0. The first half was pretty dull, an emerging pattern for Irish games! The Irish let the Saudi’s start to play football, with Given called on to make some vital saves. This was a very different Saudi team than the one which had capitulated to the Germans and lost 8:0, they were more like the team which was unluky to be beaten 1:0 by Cameroon.

Once again Quinny is on for the second half and the game turns as Ireland begin to play football. The half-time team talk once again has revitalised the Boy’s in Green Just after the hour, Gary Breen scored

a cracking goal with his head from a Staunton free kick. Ireland are in the driving seat with word filtering through that Germany are leading Cameron, and the realisation that Ireland has scored more than 1 goal in these (any) world cup finals. The man who seems to run a marathon every game for Ireland, Duff, is eventually rewarded for his endless runs and is credited with a goal towards the end. Even if the keeper was a bit dodgy and the goal a bit reminiscent of the one Packie let in against the Dutch in USA 1994, no one can deny that Duff well deserved a goal.

Ireland need to win by 2 goals, but win by 3 and create a new record win in the World Cup finals, in addition we have never failed to qualify from the Group stages. For once we have room to spare and have not just squeezed through, news comes through that Germany have beaten Cameroon 2:0. Ireland go to Korea, the party begins!