Contemplating our national sentiment on Tuesday, would the anticipated €13 billion Apple payout or a triumphant result against Greece have sparked greater excitement? Clearly, the latter, assuming one has somewhat broad outlook – the memory of 40,000-odd bike sheds and the Apple windfall will fade, while a victory over the Greeks could trigger a football revival. There’s no comparison.
Nevertheless, the evening got off on the wrong foot because we expected the match of our under-21s against Latvia to be screened on the RTÉ News channel. We found ourselves 15 minutes into a debate about potential uses for that €13 billion bonus, awkwardly omitting any reference to the FAI’s piggy bank, before we realised we’d rather be seeing the live match from Tallaght. Confusion over, we switched to RTÉ2 in time to see Sinclair Armstrong’s effusive celebrations after a successful goal.
However, the disappointment set in as Latvia managed to earn a draw against our young players. We were left with a downcast Alan Cawley and Graham Gartland at the end of the match, both unable to comprehend the 2-2 result after 71% ball possession and 29 shots. Football seemed a less palatable sport for us Irish.
Hope was still alive as we switched focus to the Aviva. The situation had to improve, or so we thought? Anticipation was dampened by lingering disappointment post-England, Caoimhín Kelleher regretting his ongoing association with Liverpool Football Club, and John O’Shea denying being in command, despite coach Heimir Hallgrímsson implying that O’Shea was acting in a managerial role until the Icelander understands how to manage the Irish team effectively.
Hence, a sizeable confusion and a slight deflation in morale, further impacted by Joanne Cantwell presenting us with a snippet of unfortunate scenes from the England match, featuring goals by Declan Rice and Jack Grealish. It was, to say the least, an unnecessary reminder, which even spotlighted Jim Sheridan surprisingly among the spectators.
Joanne found herself in the company of Kevin Doyle and Stephen Kelly alongside the Aviva pitch, with Didi Hamann, Shay Given and Richie Sadlier potentially withdrawing due to illness following the weekend’s events. The commentary was handled by Des Curran and Ray Houghton, as they stepped in to fill the shoes of Darragh Maloney and Ronnie Whelan. Ronnie, leaving Darragh aside, seemed to be absorbed in a world of confusion since the England match didn’t witness many aggressive tackles.
Alterations were implemented to the Irish squad as well. Three fresh faces graced the team: Andrew Omobamidele, Jason Knight, and Alan Browne took over from Séamus Coleman, Matt Doherty, and Adam Idah. It was challenging to predict the game structure, but it suggested a likely 4-6-0 formation. Kevin, however, suggested other potential formations. “We could see a 4-4-1-1 or even a 3-5-2 formation,” he theorised. Stephen gave a noncommittal response, finding himself as puzzled as the rest of us.
Heimir remarked on the positive atmosphere in his camp during a conversation with Tony O’Donoghue before the game began, though he didn’t specify the reasons. He also anticipated a contrasting style of play in the upcoming match. He confidently hinted that their turn with the ball would increase from the last game as he believed that the Greeks would possibly adopt a defensive strategy.
Before kick-off, the national anthems resonated through the stadium. The Greek anthem didn’t receive any negative reaction, potentially because a significant part of the audience had enjoyed their summer in Mykonos. Andy Warhol assumed his position on the Greek bench, while a slight dispute arose between Hallgrímsson and O’Shea over the head coach’s seat for Ireland. And with that, the game commenced.
To be frank, only two moments left a lasting impression in the first half. Firstly, the startling yet remarkable Greek “Kilmacow, Kilkenny” flag that perplexed many, and secondly, the remarkable goal by Chiedozie Ogbene that was invalidated due to a minor offside.
As the first half concluded without any goals, Joanne strived to wax positivity to her group by citing the increase in passes made during the first half as compared to the entire previous game against England. Stephen, rather unconvinced, countered with the fact that they hardly retained possession in the game against England. Kevin, while managing to be slightly more optimistic, noted the game was still at a 0-0 stalemate. He pointed out how they appeared undefeated, composed, and the spectators seemed energised, singing to their heart’s content.
Early into the second half, however, an unexpected pause was put to the singing when Fotis Ioannidis secured a goal for Ireland, utilising a peg that could see him as the star of a My Left Foot remake by Jim Sheridan. With roughly four minutes left on the clock and the score at 2-0, we’d almost have enough Euros to match Apple’s tax dues if we received one for every “Greek Tragedy” headline that cropped up following this match.