Last three meetings: Balance tipped slightly towards Ireland
JUNE 2002, IBARAKI
WORLD CUP FINALS
Republic of Ireland 1 (Keane 90), Germany 1 (Klose 19)
"Happy memories," Robbie Keane said with a smile this week when reminded of that June night in Ibaraki, Ireland's second group game in the 2002 finals after their draw with Cameroon.
As if you need to be reminded
. . . two minutes in to injury-time substitute Niall Quinn flicked on Steve Finnan's angled long ball in to Keane's path and, after he snuck between Carsten Ramelow and Thomas Linke, well, cue delirium and a look on the beaten Oliver Kahn's face not seen since the final minute of the 1999 Champions League final.
A deserved equaliser it was too, it would have comfortably come earlier if it wasn't for the form that that Kahn man was in all night. Matt Holland and Mark Kinsella were immense in midfield, Steve Staunton and Gary Breen equally impressive at the back, but Miroslav Klose still managed to find himself unmarked in the 19th minute when he headed past Shay Given.
Ireland might have fallen further behind but were fortunate that a couple of Germany's chances fell to Carsten Jancker, a striker who appeared to have developed an allergy to goalscoring.
Keane, though, had the last say, having had very little say at all before then when his namesake somewhat hogged the headlines.
Ireland: Given, Finnan, Staunton, Breen, Harte, G Kelly, Holland, Kinsella, Kilbane, Keane, Duff. Subs: Quinn for Kelly (73 mins), Reid for Harte (74 mins), Cunningham for Staunton (87 mins). Manager: Mick McCarthy.
Germany: Kahn, Linke, Ramelow, Metzelder, Frings, Schneider, Ballack, Hamann, Ziege, Klose, Jancker. Subs: Bierhoff for Jancker (75 mins), Bode for Klose (85 mins), Jeremies for Schneider (90 mins).
MAY 1994, HANOVER
FRIENDLY
Germany 0, Republic of Ireland 2 (Cascarino 31, G Kelly 68)
Alan Kelly, Ireland's current goalkeeping coach, was in the last Irish side to beat Germany, three weeks before the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States. Germany were the reigning world champions at the time and the defeat was their first on home soil for six years.
"It was my full debut, was just prior to the World Cup, Tony Cascarino and Gary Kelly scored, I remember it very well, it was a fantastic experience," said Kelly earlier this week. "Jack Charlton told me in front of the team that I was playing, it was a quite informal affair, it wasn't a case of being pulled to the side and being told what your responsibilities were."
Did Charlton know Kelly's name? "Well, I'd been in the squad a year and a half so he'd just about got it, but I think I was John for the first 18 months.
"But it was just exhilarating when he said 'you're playing', they were the reigning world champions at the time so to win 2-0 was absolutely fantastic. Not a bad way to make your full debut. A clean sheet too.
"Playing behind Paul McGrath, players of that ilk who you'd watched throughout the years, suddenly (Jurgen) Klinsmann's bombing around and Paul's mopping up like he was a little bee, it was just a great experience."
Ireland: A Kelly, Irwin, McGrath, Babb, Phelan, McAteer, Sheridan, Townsend, Roy Keane, Staunton, Cascarino. Subs: G Kelly for Irwin (half time), Whelan for Sheridan (half time), Coyle for Cascarino (70 mins), Houghton for McAteer (86 mins). Manager: Jack Charlton.
Germany: Illgner, Matthaus, Strunz, Kohler, Wagner, Basler, Buchwald, Sammer, Moller, Klinsmann, Riedle. Subs: Berthold for Buchwald (35 mins), Effenberg for Kohler (45 mins), Hassler for Moller (45 mins), Voller for Riedle (66 mins).
SEPTEMBER 1989, DUBLIN
FRIENDLY
Republic of Ireland 1 (Stapleton 10), West Germany 1 (Dorfner 32)
A decent result, a decent performance, but it all got lost in the outcry that followed Jack Charlton's decision to replace Liam Brady with Andy Townsend after just 35 minutes, bringing to an end a 71-cap international career that began in 1974 when Brady made his debut in that legendary 3-0 win over the Soviet Union at Dalymount Park.
"If Jack wanted me out of the way, and if he stage managed the situation by subbing me then it was diabolical," said Brady. "But that's in the past, and anyway, it's important to remember that I played some of my best football for Ireland under Jack. I admired him as a manager, he was decisive, he had a plan, he could handle pressure.
"Admittedly, there was no chemistry between us, and his style of football was completely alien to the way I believe the game should be played. But, no, I don't blame Jack for what he did, because that's just the way he is."
As for the game, well, Frank Stapleton equalled Don Givens's record total of 19 goals for Ireland when he scored after 10 minutes, intercepting a Thomas Hassler back pass to slot past Bodo Illgner. Hassler, though, made amends when he created Hans Dorfner's equaliser in the 32nd minute.
Ireland: P Bonner, C Morris, M McCarthy, D O'Leary, S Staunton, R Whelan, P McGrath, L Brady, T Galvin, F Stapleton, J Aldridge. Subs: A Townsend for Brady (35 mins), J Byrne for Stapleton (74 mins), T Cascarino for Aldridge (74 mins). Manager: Jack Charlton.
Germany: Illgner, Reuter, Augenthaler, Buchwald, Pfluger, Moller, Dorfner, Littbarski, Thon, Hassler, Wohlfarth. Subs: Aumann for Illgner (half-time), Reinhardt for Buchwald (half-time), Bein for Dorfner (84 mins).
