SOCCER: The scoreline had long since become an irrelevance. As the second-half ticked by, all the Ireland 3 team and their hundreds of fans wanted against a physically more imposing German team was a goal.
Shane Ennis, their number nine, exhorted them to "push up, push up". If they'd pushed up any further, they'd have been in the hedges behind the German goal.
When one of countless goalmouth scrambles broke down yet again, suddenly the polished German number 10 Ralf Schafer collected the ball about 15 or 20 metres inside his own half and, amazingly, had a clear run to goal.
On and on he went, closing down on the diminutive Darren Morrison in the Irish goal. For the umpteenth time, Morrison saved with his feet to huge cheers. There'll be few more heroic figures in these games.
Sadly, no Irish goal would materialise. Undeterred, the pupils from St Joseph's in Coolock invaded the pitch for post-match autographs.
"That made the day," said their coach John McIlver, who manages a day centre for people with learning difficulties in Coleraine as well as coaching football for the past 10 years.
"The scoreline didn't matter at that stage," he said in explaining the all-out, second-half, er, tactics. "They played well against a very good, physically bigger side. But that didn't phase our guys."
The excellent 48-acre AUL complex in Clonshaugh is host to the football event. With 27 delegations represented, 500 volunteers are on duty and the hard, well manicured pitches on a baking hot day made for a perfect setting yesterday. Even the fiery all-Latin showdown between El Salvador and Costa Rica wasn't remotely out of place.
All sides having been graded in trial matches over the weekend; this probable Division One decider was a good quality, keenly fought affair. It sure as hell isn't just about taking part. There were three sending-offs in Monday's games, and the tackles went in amid some Latin theatrics in what was, admittedly, a largely sporting encounter
El Salvador were based in "perfect, wonderful" Tralee, where they warmed up with a 3-3 draw against the Kerry under-21 side; Costa Rica in Drogheda, where "they made us feel like kings", says their smiling coach Adrian Hernandez.
Immediately before kick-off to each half, the Costa Rican team go down on bended knee and prayed, but Geovann Quinanilla gave El Salvador a first-half lead and in the second Franklin Plateron doubled it with a perfectly struck, dipping and bending free-kick into the top corner.
El Salvador have a good, well-balanced side, with the impressive Ruben Sigaran and Edgar Miranda running the backline, Victor Elras probing from midfield, and the ever-willing and skilful Gustavo Deras roaming upfront.
The latter is a mercurial boyo, and needed a ticking off from his coach at one point. As Costa Rica strove desperately to get back into the match, the mercurial Deras showed repeatedly to instigate promising counter-attacks, only to greedily spurn them as his bench and teammates began to lose their patience with him.
But they held on to secure top place in their pool, and ensure themselves a semi-final and bronze medal. However, as a team who've been playing together since they were eight, and silver medallists when beaten by Argentina in North Carolina four years ago (sadly, Argentina's economic climate means they couldn't travel to defend their crown) they're aiming for gold.
"We promised that to our press," reveals their national director Juan J Gomez, in return for the joint sponsorship from the government and the daily newspaper El Diario de Hoy, which helped fund the $80,000 trip.
Recently El Salvador celebrated 10 years of peace after a bloody civil war, with left and right sharing power in the national assembly. "By talking you can resolve problems, not by war," says Gomez.
The Uruguayans confounded their clichéd defensive image with an entertaining 4-2 defeat of a fancied British team, and as they could only afford to bring 12 players coach Pablo Puentes says prayers that they avoid injuries.
"We try to attack, to show nice football, one-touch about the field, to honour all the players who play in Uruguay," says Puentes, after dedicating the win to the people of Dungloe and imploring me to mention Pluna airline and the Uruguayan Club in Toronto for sponsoring their trip.
Next they take on the popular South Africans at 10 a.m. today. South Africa's pre-match pageantry is worth attending in itself, as the squad begin a rhythmic chant/song in their dressing-room and maintain it on the long walk out to the pitch.
They await Ireland 1 tomorrow (kick-off 2 p.m.) in the final Division One pool game, though the leading home team first play Great Britain at 3 p.m. today.
Aside from the matches, guest coaches oversee sessions each day. Yesterday Noel O'Reilly was there, and so too Lawrie McMenemy. The finals take place on Sunday. They'll assuredly be one of the highlights of the Games.
