WORLD CUP 2002/Group E: The New Otami Hotel in Chiba had that washed-out, morning after the night before feel to it yesterday.
The lobby, normally teeming with punters hoping to catch an occasional glimpse of the Irish players, was deserted. A blackboard beside the coffee shop set out the schedule for the day. No training. No press conferences.The team left the Kashima Stadium under police escort about an 90 minutes after the game ended on Wednesday night and, given a day of liberty yesterday, they had no hesitation about abandoning plans for sleep. On their return they were applauded into the hotel by the management and staff, who then set about working overtime in the sort of environment not many of them can have imagined when they signed up for being a World Cup city.
Players, technical staff, fans and various passersby joined in a sing-song which lasted until the first light of day flooded the lobby. Then it went on some.
Yesterday they slept late and those who needed such ministrations visited the physios, Ciarán Murray and Mick Byrne, for rub downs and stretches. Most of the panel hit the golf course for the afternoon. Some spent time with their wives or partners. Everyone used the occasion to step away from the craziness of the World Cup.
This morning they return to work at the Inege SportsPark hard by Tokyo Bay, and the crowds who have been turning up to see them go about their business will be swelled surely by the impact of Wednesday night's performance which, apart from the deeds of the host sides, has been one of the key elements captivating the local imagination.
That, and the Irish fans, who appear to be in Japan in greater numbers than fans of any other denomination and in greater numbers than anyone imagined. Travel agents yesterday were reporting a large number of calls from people hoping to get out to Japan for next Tuesday's showdown in Yokohama, and more expressing interest in making it to South Korea for a putative second round date which would in all likelihood be in the northern city of Suwon.
The nature of Tuesday's task became clearer, of course, just after teatime local time yesterday. The players had begun to drift back to the hotel and hung around in front of televisions in surprised groups as Cameroon struggled to beat Saudi Arabia by a single goal to nil. Surprise was mainly directed at the evident improvement in the performance of the Saudis who, having been beaten 8-0 in their opening game against Germany, not only defended stoutly yesterday but attacked with verve and imagination, with their midfielder Al-Temyat proving especially impressive.
So it was a case of good news and bad news. The good news is that the Irish now know that if they beat Saudi Arabia by two clear goals next Tuesday evening they will go through to the second round irrespective of what happens elsewhere. If Germany beat Cameroon and Ireland beat Saudi Arabia, the Germans and the Irish will proceed, with the Germans topping the group unless Ireland beat the Saudis by more than eight goals. If Cameroon beat Germany and Ireland win, then Cameroon and Ireland advance. In that eventuality Ireland can top the group if they beat Saudi Arabia by two goals more than Cameroon beat Germany.
The bad news is that Ireland have never scored more than one goal in a World Cup finals game, and indeed have never scored more than two goals during an appearance at a major finals. In 11 games played in three World Cup finals appearances we have managed only six goals: two in 1990 (Sheedy, Quinn), two in 1994 (Houghton, Aldridge) and two this time (Holland, Robbie Keane).
Going back still further to include our appearance in the 1988 European finals, we again failed to come up with more than one goal in any game (Houghton and Whelan scored our allotted two goals for that tournament).
Indeed, one of the least attractive scenarios which could unfold would see us repeating our results from the first round in 1990, when we came behind in each game to draw 1-1 with Holland and England but could only draw 0-0 with the minnows of the group, Egypt. Ireland took second place over Holland in that group when lots were drawn. Ireland, England and Holland all advanced to the next round, something which was possible in the old, 24-team World Cup format.
From Wednesday's epic in Ibaraki many positives have emerged to give one hope that Ireland's constipation in front of goal won't continue. Duff and Keane are possibly the liveliest front pairing we have had in some time, and the introduction of Niall Quinn gave the team an option which most sides find hard to deal with.
The evidence of the Germany versus Saudi game is that the Saudis find crosses into their box difficult to deal with. Miroslav Klose, scorer of Germany's goal against Ireland, netted three against the Saudis and he has scarcely kicked a ball here. Quinn will almost certainly have a role to play sometime on Tuesday.
Both final Group E games will be played simultaneously on Tuesday, with the Irish opening business in Yokohama and Germany and Cameroon playing in Shizuoka down the coast. Ironically, it was a scandalous game involving Germany and their neighbours Austria, when both contrived to keep Algeria out of the second round in 1982, that led to the practice of playing final group games at the same time.
