Republic of Ireland 0
Portugal 0
A COUNTRY SPENT two years waiting for a night in which there wasn’t even a goal: they will have to be content with further signs of progress.
There was no late Faroesque heartbreak here but nor was there any sense of discomfort or desperation, as Ireland went blow-for-blow with Portugal and probably shaded the contest on points.
They had a tantalising glimpse of victory when Pepe went full Pepe in being sent off with seven minutes to go, but a last-gasp Matt Doherty goal was chalked off for an earlier foul on the Portuguese goalkeeper.
Portugal needed a point to know they can top the group with a draw against Serbia on Sunday, and Fernando Santos’ team selection betrayed his preponderance: he rested all but one of the players at risk of being banned for the final group game.
The delicious irony of a plan to avoid suspensions being undone by Pepe was lost on nobody, as he left to goading salutes of an Aviva Stadium that was finally full once again.
Two years’ worth of pent-up noise rumbled and then geysered into the night sky right on kick-off, and the volume never dimmed from there, save for a few gasps when Ireland tried to play out from the back. They mingled horror with exhilaration: some fans around the press box hadn’t felt life like this in years.
A much-changed side meant Portugal sent out a makeshift back four. They picked their third-choice right-back (Semedo) with the second-choice (Dalot) at left-back while their central defenders were a midfielder (Danilo) and an irascible old man (Pepe.)
Pepe was sent shuttling across his penalty area after only four minutes. Matt Doherty was picked out by a gorgeous, raking cross-field pass, and his through ball – slightly too firm for Hendrick, agonisingly short for Ogbene – was thwacked behind for a corner by the experienced defender.
Jamie McGrath found Shane Duffy, whose downward header hit Callum Robinson in the six-yard box, who couldn’t react in time.
The Portugal team was depleted but by no means diminished as Cristiano Ronaldo still had a recognisable supporting cast – Bruno Fernandes, Andre Silva and Goncalo Guedes – though he was by no means enamoured by them all. When Guedes accidentally intercepted a Ronaldo pass for Silva late in the first-half, Ronaldo gestured to his bench in disgust. Guedes was gone within 15 minutes.
(He may have forgotten that he blocked a Fernandes cross a few minutes earlier.)
Ireland had the game’s first attempt but Portugal found the rhythm of the game more quickly. When Duffy was harshly adjudged to have fouled Ronaldo in the air, Portugal picked out Andre Silva with the Irish defence off-guard but Bazunu parried the ball away at the near post.
With McGrath dropping into midfield, Ireland’s structure out of possession was good, and only once were they opened up in the first half. Guedes got inside Stevens too easily, and pushed the ball left for Ronaldo. He had enough time to size the shot up, the stadium had enough time to picture the ball arrowing into the bottom corner…and Seamus Coleman had enough time to recklessly throw himself in the line of the shot.
With the ball Ireland struggled to play through Portugal’s press, but Robinson and Chiedozie Ogbene found joy any time they could be found behind the Portuguese defence: Ogbene almost pounced on a through ball for which goalkeeper Rui Patricio came too far.
With Ireland hemmed in and too imprecise with their longer passing, the momentum of the first half swung when Ronaldo was clattered in the box as Doherty barged through the air to win a header. The referee was unmoved and Ireland countered, and Robinson cut inside from the left wing and sent Patricio flying across his goal to save a ferocious, dipping shot.
Ronaldo lingered in the Irish penalty area, arms thrust out in exasperation at the referee while wearing the stupefied, pitied expression of an actor who had just been told he wouldn’t be getting his own bespoke trailer on set.
That moment ratcheted the noise up further: glorying in Ronaldo’s annoyance was a vital life source for the crowd.
Ireland’s thoughtful approach to set pieces almost yielded a goal before half-time: a hop, skip and jump off a series of heads saw the ball break in the six-yard box, but Semedo made a superb challenge before Hendrick could pull the trigger.
Ireland could not have started the second half with more directness as Ogbene took the kick-off and ran right at the Portuguese defence, curbed only by a cynical Palhinha pull-back.
Portugal had their own issues playing from the back. Matheus Nunes took the ball across his box and then slipped, but Ireland, startled by the sheer weirdness of the situation, reacted too late and Josh Cullen’s shot was tame and easily saved by Patricio.
The ghosts of Faro flashed before everyone’s eyes at the midway point of the second half: Hendrick scuffed a free-kick to allow Portugal counter attack, and Ronaldo glanced a header narrowly wide of Bazunu’s right-hand post.
Ogbene was booked in the first-half for accidentally catching Danilo Pereira with a flailing arm, and having causing some physical pain, then went about inflicting it psychologically. He ran at him and ran at him and it took the referee a trio of fouls before he finally brandished a yellow card.
That a guy who plays as a wing-back in League One was doing this to a player of Paris Saint-Germain is a testament to Kenny’s unique talents.
The referee was nothing like as generous to Pepe. Booked first for a handball, he then caught Robinson with a stray arm and was given his marching orders. The irony of a plan to avoid suspension being undone by Pepe was lost on nobody.
Santos instantly swapped an attacker for a defender to cling onto his point as the Aviva roared and roiled. Robinson found Idah in the box but his header was nodded skywards, and Doherty’s shot was blocked by Fonte.
And the moment of ecstasy almost came: desperate pinball in the Portugal box ended with Matt Doherty stroking the ball into an empty net, but the whistle has already blown as Will Keane -on in the final minutes for his debut – had fouled Patricio.
As is his eternal wont, Ronaldo could have won it with the games last act: sauntering into the penalty area but seeing his shot blocked by Bazunu’s legs.
The final whistle blew and the crowd reciprocated with their approval, as a young fan dashed onto the field and embraced Ronaldo. He gave the fan his shirt, and strode off down the tunnel bare-chested but content.
Portugal got the result they came for, and while Ireland won’t be going to the World Cup…they are going somewhere.
Republic of Ireland: Gavin Bazunu; Matt Doherty; Seamus Coleman (captain), Shane Duffy, John Egan; Enda Stevens (James McClean 77′); Jeff Hendrick (Conor Hourihane, 77′), Josh Cullen; Jamie McGrath (Adam Idah 60′), Chiedozie Ogbene (Will Keane, 90′); Callum Robinson
Portugal: Rui Patricio; Nelson Semedo, Pepe, Danilo, Diogo Dalot; Joao Palhinha, Matheus Nunes (Joao Moutinho, 55′), Bruno Fernandes (Renato Sahcnes, 74′); Goncalo Guedes (Rafael Leao, 55, Jose Fonte, 83′)), Andre Silva (Joao Felix, 74′), Cristiano Ronaldo
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano