YoG No. 12 – Ireland at USA 94

Jaysus, it starts in 2 days and I’m only on USA 94. This was a strange tournament for Ireland looking back. It most certainly featured our best ever result on a big stage; beating eventual finalists Italy 1-0 in the opening game, but then we kinda limped out of the group and left America with a whimper. There was some degree of gruff hubris on the part of Jack Charlton in not bothering to attend some of the pre-tournament workshops, where minor details like when the players could get water would be discussed – not that big a deal for us northern Europeans playing 90 minutes in Florida in June, but apart from that we went into the tournament as dark horses – not to get out of the group, but to go on and win the bloody thing, having beaten both the Dutch and the Germans away in the build-up, while we were sitting in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings.

Qualification

We qualified by the skin of our teeth, getting between Spain and European Champions Denmark. This achievement has always been overlooked particularly when compared to the 2002 World Cup qualification. Perhaps had a more glamorous team than Denmark been the ‘best in Europe’ at the time and we had done them, it would have been more celebrated today. Coupled with the dreadful atmosphere on the final night in Belfast, perhaps we often forget that our campaign to get there was fairly impressive, losing only once at home to Spain, Charlton’s first competitive home defeat.

June 18th 1994 – Giants Stadium, New Jersey. Ireland 1-0 Italy

Revenge for Rome. Ray Houghton etches his name even deeper into Irish football folklore. What a great goal and what a performance from Ireland. We were never overly worried and could have even added another when  John Sheridan hit the crossbar. I remember this game for 3 other things however. One, Paul McGrath owning Roberto Baggio, and anyone else who dared challenge. Two, it was the first time in my life I experienced uncontrollable shakes, as the clock passed 90 and into injury time. And three, we won with Tommy Coyne starting up front on his own – a Motherwell player against Costacurta, Maldini, Baresi et al. It was a phenomenal start and proved that the performance 4 years previously was no flash in the pan and this result itself was no upset. The traditional elite were our peers now, and we were beating them.

June 24th 1994 – Citrus Bowl, Orlando. Ireland 1-2 Mexico

An all-round disaster, remembered primarily for John Aldridge’s mickey fit on the sideline, followed by his goal, the importance of which only became apparent a few days later. We were terrible, fried in the heat of a midday game in near tropical conditions. Dehydrated before it even kicked off, we were not prepared for this. 2 from Luis Garcia put the Mexicans clear, the second included that rarest of footballing events – a Denis Irwin mistake. Aldo’s 83rd minute goal, in normal circumstances, would almost always lead to a fightback from this team, but in those conditions it was well beyond them. A major bump in the road.

June 28th 1994 – Giants Stadium, New Jersey. Ireland 0-0 Norway

So we went into this final game with all 4 teams on 3 points with a win and a defeat each. We were ahead of Norway on goals scored so all we needed was a draw. I watched this one in the Olympia or the Gaiety theatre on the big screen with my sister, her fella (future brother-in-law) and all their work mates. I remember nothing of the match. I was underage so it wasn’t the booze. It was just an awful, awful game of football. Any memories you may have, you’re welcome to share. We got out of the group. But if we’re to be honest, our tournament had long since peaked. The elation of Palermo 4 years ago was nowhere to be seen. All teams were level on 4 points, but John Aldridge’s goal in Orlando, seemingly consolatory at the time, was the pivotal moment in deciding the group in our favour. We finished runners-up.

July 4th 1994 – Citrus Bowl, Orlando. Ireland 0-2 The Netherlands

2 mistakes. One a ludicrous Terry Phelan back header that led to the first Dutch goal, but the second by Packie Bonner in letting Wim Jonk’s weak shot through his hands was probably the worst of his distinguished career. It has been largely forgotten that the Dutchman strolled right through the Irish midfield without a care in the world before shooting. That was it then. Paul McGrath had a goal disallowed at the death but we were outplayed by a decent Dutch side. Two finals tournaments out of three then we fell to the Dutch, and we would have to wait a while, and suffer one further heartbreak at their hands, before getting some degree of revenge.

Despite Jack Charlton staying on for the Euro 96 campaign, ended by the Netherlands again, this time in a play-off at Anfield, I think USA 94 was the true end of his era. New blood was coming through, players were retiring, but above all else, the game itself was changing rapidly. Charlton was becoming a relic. The sort of nonsense he got away with due to his being gifted a phenomenal group of players, by any country’s standards, would not do anymore. Harry Ramsden’s Challenge  led to an embarassment at home to Austria in the next campaign. We were also stuffed 3-0 away to Portugal and drew 0-0 away to Liechtenstein – unthinkable performances in previous campaigns. We finished above Northern Ireland by virtue of our head-to head and Charlton’s newest challenge in an expanding Europe came by having to play-off for a place at the Euros despite finishing second. We failed and would fail again at the next 3 attempts.

USA 94 seemed routine. Missing out on Euro 92 seemed to be an unfortunate blip due to getting a very tough draw; some degree of complacency; and a late Gary Lineker goal in Poland in the last game. But one epic result in the opening game of the World Cup could not mask the fact that this was a team in decline. The new blood, with Roy Keane emerging as one of Europe’s greatest players of the 1990’s, would be desperately unlucky not to qualify regularly. They would finally get their reward but we’d all be made wait long enough. And we all remember what happened there…

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EURO 2016 – 2 days to go… 5 until we kick off…Get in the mood