The Republic of Ireland have played away in Portugal seven times in their history, and their record is not pretty viewing – zero wins, one draw and six defeats. But that one draw 25 years ago was a view into a different time of optimism for Irish football, and a crucial game towards what is Ireland’s only qualification for the World Cup this century.
Ireland were drawn in a 2002 World Cup qualification group with Euro 2000 semi-finalists Netherlands and Portugal, with one qualifying automatically and one making the playoffs. To make matters worse, their first two games were away from home.
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.