Match report 5 June 2002

FIFA World Cup

Kashima Stadium, Ibaraki
5 June 2002

Kashima Stadium
photo from the Ibaraki Prefecture website

It’s no substitute for being there, but watching the World Cup on television has its advantages. The push of a button transports me instantly from Suwon to Ibaraki. No air miles, but I’ve heard the final whistle in South Korea and arrive in Japan in good time for the national anthems before Ireland take on Germany.

Watching every minute of every game gives you a balanced appraisal of the competition. With points at stake until the sudden death of the second round, there has been a tendency in past tournaments to play chess rather than football. But so far it’s been wonderful, sixteen results to date and not a single nil-nil draw. Even the opening match, traditionally weighed down with expectation, gave us a goal and a major upset. More surprising still, the standard of refereeing, with the exception of Brazil’s game with Turkey, has enhanced the spectacle.

With such comprehensive television coverage it’s possible to switch channels to sample the range of studio coverage. RTÉ seemed for a time to have dispensed with the services of Eamon Dunphy, who thus emulated - at least temporarily - the subject of his latest biographical work in being sent home. As with Roy Keane, it’s the timing and style that offends. It’s sad because Mr Dunphy’s opinions are usually relevant; instead we get the unsought views of senior anchor man Bill Herlihy who looks what he is, a PR man doing a nixer in orange makeup.

The Irishman who really knows how to run a soccer forum is busy fronting ITV’s coverage. Des Lynam comes across as the kind of man you hope to sit next to at the match: charming, witty and prepared to listen. But just as Dunphy could be abrasive because he thinks its good for his telly image, Des is reluctant to admit his origins. He refers to England as “us” and Ireland as “the Irish”. He reassures Andy Townsend, the only member of his panel who think Ireland can beat Germany by turning to Bobby Robson and Terry Venables and declaring, “We all want Ireland to win!”

Since Robson and Venables are as English as roast beef and Del Boy, this sounds like a relocation of patriotic loyalty and there is a brief pause when he realises what he’s done and seamlessly continues, “This boy from Clare does, for one.” Great stuff, in the class of a Damien Duff dummy, and Mr Lynam has had to cope with the incoherence of a certain Paul Gascoigne who had never heard of Sénégal and, in a tournament littered with names like Mansour Al-Thaqafi, is unable to pronounce “Nicky Butt”. Lynam handled our Gazza with a benevolence just this side of being patronising and sent him off to do street interviews and annoy other lesser presenters. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Des asked the suits whose great idea it was to give Gascoigne a speaking part.

BBC’s all too infrequent star is also Irish. With Gary Lineker giving a fair impression of the school prefect who was nice to you, Martin O’Neill steals the show from the relentless Alan Hanson by proving amusing and perceptive in gently sending them up.

The day started well for the Irish with the names McBride and O’Brien joining the World Cup goal tally, albeit for the USA. But the Americans' thrilling 3-2 surprise victory over major league Portugal might be an omen.

It all depended which Germany turned up. Unsurprisingly, they fielded the same eleven who had stuck eight past the hapless Saudis a few days ago. It was comforting to recall, however, that just before leaving for the Far East they had suffered an unexpected 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wales; their central defence run ragged by the pace of Earnshaw, a 5’6” striker who plies his trade with Cardiff City in the English second division. What might Robbie Keane and Duff achieve?

In fairness, both results were irrelevant to the task in hand and there was no sign of German weakness as the game got under way. Mick McCarthy made one change from the starting line-up against Cameroon, retaining Finnan on the right of defence with Gary Kelly moving forward to the flank to the exclusion of McAteer.

It was the Irish central defence under pressure as expected, with Given alert to take Jancker’s header as the striker beat Breen in the air. Then Duff made a good run on the left but Kahn leaped out to make a spectacular full length catch from his cross. Slowly the German machine began to tick over. They went ahead after 19 minutes when Klose, who notched a hat trick of headers against Saudi Arabia, got goal side of Harte and headed past Given from close range. Klose, who was working as a roof tiler two years ago, has come as a welcome last minute solution to Germany’s embarrassing lack of a goal scorer.

But Keane and Duff are top drawer in that department too, and Kahn had to sprint to the touchline to deny Duff. He was called into action a few minutes later to punch away a corner from the same player before Ireland almost equalised with a carbon copy of the goal Holland scored against Cameroon. A defensive header fell to him just outside the box but this time his drive fizzed past the wrong side of the post.

Germany now conceded space and possession to preserve their slim lead. Ireland responded with admirable patience and managed to fashion a few chances. Kinsella almost got to a good cross from Kilbane on the left but Kahn’s handling under pressure was faultless. Robbie Keane looked odds on to score just before half time with a trade-mark bicycle-kick but failed to make proper contact at close range.

Ireland started the second half brightly with Duff prominent, and he almost brought Ireland on terms after 55 minutes. Breen headed down Finnan’s cross from the right and it took a superb save from Kahn at point blank range to thwart the Irish striker.

With Ireland pressing for a vital equaliser there were opportunities for the Germans to break. First Jancker got free on the right but, closed down by Given, his lob over the keeper went past the far post.

As the game moved into its last fifteen minutes, McCarthy gambled by bringing on Reid and Quinn for Kelly and Harte to increase his attacking options. Quinn’s height proved an immediate advantage and he won a free kick on the edge of the box which Robbie Keane fired wide.

This Roy of the Rovers quest for a late equaliser left Ireland with just three defenders, a formation not unknown to Bray Wanderers supporters. Exploiting the space, Frings beat Kilbane down the German right flank but his cross was headed over by Klose.

Then skipper Staunton, on his record breaking one hundredth appearance, sent in one of his precision long passes from the left. Quinn set up a clear chance but as Keane ran in, Kahn raced from goal to dive at the striker’s feet as he pulled the trigger. It was a fearless and brilliant save and the German keeper merely rubbed his wrist to put the cheating histrionics of Rivaldo in clear perspective.

Fans continue celebrations as Keane begins his
pic from

With 88 minutes gone Kahn seemed to have broken Irish hearts with yet another great save, this time from a close range header by the irrepressible Keane. But, just as it seemed Ireland’s hopes of World Cup progress would founder, Keane finally scored, bursting between two German defenders to reach Quinn’s header. Once again Kahn made contact at point blank range but this time the ball ricocheted off the post and into the roof of the net to win a deserved point.

Assuming Ireland and Cameroon beat Saudi Arabia, Ireland’s fate will depend on the result of the Germans' encounter with Cameroon. A win either way will see the Irish through.

Brian de Salvo

Teams
Ireland: Given; Finnan, Breen, Staunton (c) (Cunningham 87), Harte (Reid 73); Kelly G (Quinn 73), Kinsella, Holland, Kilbane; Keane, Duff
Germany: Kahn (c), Linke, Ramelow, Ziege, Hamann, Jancker (Bierhoff 75), Klose (Bode 85), Ballack, Schneider (Jeremies 89), Metzelder, Frings

Officials
Referee: Kim Milton Nielsen (Den)
Assistants: Jens Larsen (Den), Evzen Amler (Cze)
Fourth: Mourad Daami (Tun)

Back to:
[main Reports page] [main Fixtures page] [main World Cup page] [Bray Wanderers]