Who put the ball in the English net?

[Fishbat]

20 years ago today

Nice to see Coleraine is not a complete shithole...

[the green man]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLoGXjc3NFE&feature=related

[Kerry Mike]

Hard to believe it 20 years, Remember it like yesterday.

What a day I was pissed for a week after that game.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Ireland could well have reached the final that year. The Dutch were a class above everyone else I feel but the Russians managed to get to the final and Ireland played them off the park in the group stages only for the Russians to nick a wholly undeserved equaliser.

Will never forget Wim Kieft's poxy goal that seemed to defy the laws of physics. When he headed on Koeman's mishit shot it was going about 5 yards wide until it spun like a Shane Warne special when it hit the turf and ended up nestling in the back of the Irish net.

[tyssam5]

Who took the throw in? An absolute monster!

[RedandGreenSniper]

Who took the throw in? An absolute monster!

Must have been Mick McCarthy

[Turlough O Carolan]

Ireland could well have reached the final that year. The Dutch were a class above everyone else I feel but the Russians managed to get to the final and Ireland played them off the park in the group stages only for the Russians to nick a wholly undeserved equaliser.

Will never forget Wim Kieft's poxy goal that seemed to defy the laws of physics. When he headed on Koeman's mishit shot it was going about 5 yards wide until it spun like a Shane Warne special when it hit the turf and ended up nestling in the back of the Irish net.

Ireland were also denied a couple of penalties in that game. The Russian goalie - Dasayev - then considered the best in the world twice swiped the legs from under Tony Galvin who was playing a blinder. The Russians were hanging on for dear life in the second half. Ireland never dominated a team like that on the international stage since. It was also the game where George Hamilton started tempting fate, talking about another epic victory with the game nearly over, then suddenly the immortal phrase, "oh danger here..." And that was that.

Ireland had no luck against Holland with McGrath crashing a header off the post and as you say with 8 mins left the ball that hit off Wim Kieft's head, afer a Dutch player miskicked it, going wide only for it to hit a lump of muck from one of Packie Bonner's kick outs that sent it spinning into the net. Where there's muck there's luck and the Dutch after losing two World Cups in the 70s were due a bit of it themselves I suppose.

[Turlough O Carolan]

Who took the throw in? An absolute monster!

Must have been Mick McCarthy

Mick McCarthy. Despite the press, he was more than a one trick pony and brought several skills to the Irish setup, including long throw ins, hoofing the ball up into row Z, and supposedly beat some journalists in a 100m sprint challenge. In fairness he had a million times more passion for the cause that the bucks playing today.

[Hound]

Ireland could well have reached the final that year. The Dutch were a class above everyone else I feel but the Russians managed to get to the final and Ireland played them off the park in the group stages only for the Russians to nick a wholly undeserved equaliser.

One of the best performances ever by an Irish side was against the Russians. Such a pity the deserved goals didnt come. As far as I remember it was Whelan and Sheedy in the centre of midfield that night, and they totally ran the show.

[Bord na Mona man]

Also Kieft's goal shouldn't have stood as Van Basten was in an offside position when the initial mishit shot was struck.
In those days there wasn't a rule about being allowed offside if not interfering with play, so the linesman should have flagged.

[magpie seanie]

Far more innocent times and a far better team than any time since. Really hard to believe the all round quality at our disposal in those times.

[Hound]

Far more innocent times and a far better team than any time since. Really hard to believe the all round quality at our disposal in those times.

Even since then, lads who we might have took for granted like Townsend and Sheridan, would be far superior to the midfielders we have now.

[magpie seanie]

Agreed Hound. What we'd do for one of them now.

[laoislad]

25 years ago today.

[qz]

great memories. I was behind the goals for all 3 games.