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Claire Coleman and Claire Hodgins from Castleknock
wave Ireland flags at in the Q Bar today |
Fans at the Q Bar on Dublin’s O’Connell Bridge were bathed in a sea of green light as they watched the Irish soccer team cruise to defeat against Iran.
An occasionally stormy cruise perhaps, but a cruise nonetheless. The Iranians conjured few chances. The Irish managed just one.
Not that it mattered in the end. A goal in the dying seconds gave Iran a 1 - 0 victory but Ireland’s 2 - 0 win at Lansdowne Road in the first leg of the play-off last Saturday mean it's McCarthy's marvels who are off to the World Cup finals in Japan and Korea next summer.
We didn't have Roy Keane in our midfield. But fortunately we had Bagheri in theirs. Almost every pass went astray, though his touchline game was perfect - for Rugby.
The feeling throughout the bar was not the tension followed by ecstatic celebration of old. They didn’t even raise a song at the end.
"The first half a was a bit tense, I suppose but once we got to half time it was cool," said Dara Hayes who was given time off work at VHI to watch the game.
Things have changed. No longer do Ireland play backs-against-the-wall football for 90 minutes. They were composure itself and the calmness seeped thousands of miles back to the fans in Dublin. In fact, some wanted a better performance.
"I think they were bloody average, we made them look good," said Nap Keeling of PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
"Iran really dominated the game. They had most of the chances but they didn’t have the final touch," said Danny Mitri, a student of medicine at Trinity College.
The somewhat muted atmosphere was probably caused in part by the time of the match. A two o’clock kick-off meant many had to return to work while some no doubt were unable to get out in the first place.
And if there were problems for this game, then employers and employees will need to organise something for next Summer when the games will be played at either 6.30 a.m. or at noon Irish time.
Nonetheless, a mood of quiet satisfaction pervaded. "We had to win, that’s all that mattered. There’ll be plenty of time next year for craic," said Jane Creaney from Co Kildare.
Before the first leg in Dublin, Iran Coach Miroslav Blasevic said he would hang himself if his team did not qualify for the finals. While Iranians may now be shouting "hang the Coach"; people in Ireland are saying "hang the cost". Trips to the Orient don’t come cheep but it was not difficult to find punters intending to travel.
Mark O’Reilly from Wexford and Dara Hayes and Terrence Gunning from Dublin insited they were going to the finals. Their friend Alan O’Reilly didn’t seem so sure if he would go. But he soon made up his mind: "yeah, well, if they’re going, then I’m going too".
Ireland’s qualification for their third World Cup finals should be savoured, proclaimed Eamon Dunphy on RTE television after the game. Today is not a day for looking forward he added.
Not quite, Eamon. The All Blacks on Saturday.