It all ended in tears in Suwon.
DRAMATIC SCRIPT FOR IRELAND
By Neil Silver, PA Sport, Seoul
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Dublin's Oscar Wilde would have been hard-pushed to have come up with a script
more dramatic than Ireland's World Cup adventure.
In Chapter One, the team lose their leading man because he complains about
conditions on the tropical paradise island and then verbally abuses the
manager.
That is followed by a long-running "will he, won't he?" saga, in which
everyone waits and wonders whether the key man will return in time for the main
act.
The rollercoaster also includes the other players releasing a badly-timed
statement saying they don't want the star man back in the fold.
The next chapter sees the team finally get on with what they are there to do
and they begin their campaign against tough opposition and fight back to claim a
valiant draw.
The drama continues at pace as the team look down and out in their next match,
until a new hero emerges - ironically with the same name as the villain of the
piece - to get them out of jail with a late, great equaliser.
In the next chapter things should be straightforward enough, as all they need
to do is overcome the minnows of the otherwise tough group. The team come
through it, although there are shaky moments along the way.
The scene is set then for the team to face one of the new favourites for the
major prize at stake, and few people give them much chance.
But the battling Irish spirit ensures that they take the contest to the wire,
before bowing out in the most dramatic of circumstances, a penalty shoot-out.
Finally it's time for a breather and the team can return home to Dublin where
50,000 people are waiting to give them a heroes' welcome.
That all may sound far-fetched, but it did of course happen here in the World
Cup tournament in Korea and Japan.
The leading man was Roy Keane, who was controversially sent home in disgrace
by Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy.
When the Keane saga finally abated and the football kicked off, Ireland drew
1-1 with Cameroon.
Next up were Germany, and Robbie Keane became the hero with an equaliser two
minutes into stoppage time.
A 2-0 victory over Saudi Arabia was needed to progress to the second round,
and a 3-0 result did the trick.
Next up were Spain, who won their group with a 100 percent record. After falling
behind early on, Ireland were the better team and after Ian Harte missed a
penalty, Keane stepped up to score from a second spot-kick in the final minute.
Extra-time could not provide a winner so Ireland's fate was decided by the
lottery of penalties, and sadly they lost 3-2.
When they get back to Dublin on Tuesday evening, they will be taken to a welcome
party at Phoenix Park where 50,000 fans will be waiting to cheer them home.
How about all that for a story, Oscar Wilde.
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