Brendan O'Brien: Portugal task suited the Irish psyche but at least this is a foundation

Evan Ferguson of Republic of Ireland in action against Renato Veiga of Portugal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F qualifying match between Portugal and Republic of Ireland at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon, Portugal. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Always look to the losing dressing-room for the killer lines. When Portugal lost a Euro ‘96 qualifier to Ireland in Dublin 30 years ago, the visiting manager Antonio Oliveira’s framing of the experience was pure poetry.

“I consider this defeat to be the mother of future victories,” he explained.

It helps now that Portugal topped that group after beating Ireland 3-0 in the reverse fixture on a night that confirmed the Jack Charlton era was careering to a halt, topped their group in the finals the following summer and only lost out to the Czechs in a tight quarter-final.

Nobody expected Ireland to come away from Lisbon on Saturday evening with anything so outlandish as a win. Even a share of the spoils felt fanciful. The ceiling of most hopes was a performance and a scoreline that Ireland could use as a foundation.

Solid ground for a rebuild after the earthquake of an effort in Yerevan. They did that, despite another defeat.

Hungary beating Armenia - not without difficulty - in Budapest shortly before kickoff at the Estadio José Alvalade was not the result Heimir Hallgrimsson wanted to start his Saturday, but it was the result everyone expected.

Even with these two results, qualification for next year's World Cup isn't yet a closed door. It feels bananas to be even whispering this when the first three games have delivered a single draw but Hallgrimsson said three points from this October window would keep them alive and that's still strictly the case.

Maybe this defeat can be the mother of ... something better.

Maybe.

Games like this one against Portugal suit the Irish psyche. Low expectations. Nothing to lose. Nothing much more complicated than the next opposition attack to be dealing with. No playing actual football and leaving the midfield more open than a prairie on the counter.

Think Richard Dunne in Moscow.

There wasn’t even any need for that brand of heroics in the first 45. The Republic’s job was to strip this game of colour and adrenaline and they did it for long stretches, Ronaldo’s low burner off the post the closest the hosts came before the break.

Seamus Coleman’s recall to the XI, at the age of 37, after being omitted from the squad last month, and with two minutes of Premier League football to his name this season, raised plenty of eyebrows when Hallgrimsson’s offering was made public.

Turned out the Everton veteran had another layer to add to the legend. If there was one sight that summed up Ireland for long spells it was the sense of calm that he brought with every smart touch and clever pass in tight spots.

Ireland's Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and Chiedozie Ogbene dejected after the game

His long passing was Ireland’s best out ball.

Happy days.

Caoimhin Kelleher made some unflappable interventions and, if there wasn’t much in the opposite direction, Jayson Molumby had a pot from distance that took off like a Ryanair jet, and Festy Ebosele and Chiedozie Ogbene were threatening to threaten on the break.

For all that, you still fancied the house to win.

Ireland were calling twist with endless hands of 16 and 17 and somehow winning on every deal. Nathan Collins, just as Dara O’Shea did in the first-half, somehow did enough in the air to stop Ronaldo heading an opener. Then the great man flashed one a foot wide with his left.

And still a good 40 minutes and a disgraceful penalty call to go.

The decision by VAR to okay the call against O’Shea wasn’t just an injustice to Ireland. It was the latest insult to the game by a generation of officials and administrators – and players – that can make football so infuriating week after week.

Kelleher’s save from Ronaldo’s spot kick was a rare poke in the eye for all that betrayal, and it looked like giving this Irish team its freeze-framed symbol of a frantic resistance just when hope had looked all but lost.

Other micro moments still had to be turned Ireland’s way. None was more fleeting or felt more vital than in the 89th minute when John Egan got a toe to a through ball inside the area just as Ronaldo had ghosted in behind to thieve a winner.

Maybe this could actually happen...

Two opposing truths can hold at the same time: Portugal absolutely deserved their winner through Ruben Neves’ 91st-minute header, and Ireland were cruelly robbed of a point after their long and stubborn refusal to lie down.

Not the foundation they wanted, but a foundation nonetheless.

It feels bizarre to say that the hard part starts now, after such heart and effort against the Nations League champions and before a game against Armenia, but that’s how it is. Ireland have confounded all expectations this last two games.

For ill and for good.

Now, finally, belatedly, they need to do what’s expected of them on Tuesday night in Dublin.