VIDEO: Shane Long’s stunner lights up Aviva
After the minor miracle of Gelsenkirchen, this was the major miracle of Dublin, a win against all the odds to end years of coming up short — and worse, much worse — on home soil against all of football’s big guns.
And it was achieved in classic Irish fashion: through sheer guts, incredible discipline and lung-busting levels of energy, epitomised by the command performance in the green shirt from James McCarthy we have long been waiting for.
And it was crowned too by a goal in the classic Irish manner: A big booming kick out from Darren Randolph — on for the injured Shay Given — which allowed another substitute, Shane Long, to activate the after-burners, leaving three German defenders trailing in his wake before he blasted the ball past a stunned and helpless Manuel Neuer.
Let us never hear another word against the Long ball game.
The goal that won the game. #sportlive #IREvGER https://t.co/7hJ9sp5znH
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) October 8, 2015
The upshot of a night of pulsating drama at the Aviva — one that rollercoasted from dread to disbelief to euphoria — is that Ireland are now guaranteed at least a play-off place for the finals of Euro 2016 while a 2-2 draw or better against Poland in Warsaw on Sunday would secure automatic qualification.
Martin O’Neill sprang his usual selection surprises before kick-off, Stephen Ward, despite a chronic shortage of club football this season, reclaiming the left-back position for the first time since the 1-0 defeat to Scotland in November, a gambler’s throw which allowed Robbie Brady to revert, at least in theory, to a more attacking role on the left flank, in the absence of James McClean and Aiden McGeady.
The biggest cause of grumbling among supporters before the game was the manager’s choice of Daryl Murphy ahead of Long upfront, with many people assuming that the Southampton man would get a rare start in place of Robbie Keane.
But even a cursory examination of O’Neill’s selections since the last time Long started in this campaign — like Ward, also in the away game in Glasgow — would reveal the that Derryman is far more convinced of the player’s impact off the bench than from the starting whistle.
And, after his stadium-shaking impact against tiring German legs last night, not too many will be inclined to disagree now.
In any event, O’Neill’s reshuffle was put in perspective even before a ball was kicked by the main change in Germany’s line-up, with World Cup winner and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger allowed to cool his ageing heels on the bench while there was a recall for Marco Reus — only Ireland’s tormentor in chief the last time Joachim Low’s team were in Dublin and imperiously wiped the home side off the face of the pitch. At right back, meanwhile, in place of Liverpool’s Emre Can, was Borussia Dortmund’s Matthias Ginter.
Given that Ireland featured five Championship players against Germany’s eight World Cup winners, the main challenge that was always facing whatever team O’Neill put out was going to be seeing enough of the ball in the first place to be able to be able to create any sort of problems for the opposition and, in particular, a defence which has been the least impressive cog in their otherwise gleaming, stream-lined machine.
A German corner forced within just 30 seconds of kick off set the tone for an evening of one-way traffic, even though early on it was clear that Ireland were going to try to close them down high up the pitch, Murphy, Wes Hoolahan and Jon Walters working overtime to try to prevent the Germans playing out from the back. It was a brave but risky strategy, opening up the home side to quick German breaks.
And it didn’t last too long, anyway, because the world champions quickly got a near total grip on the ball, barely seeming to break sweat as their fluent passing moves almost had the men in green succumbing to dizziness.
But to Ireland’s credit, apart from a free Jerome Boateng header early on and then, after Ozil already had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, the Arsenal man hal drive which went wide of the post, Given was never directly in the line of fire, thanks in part to a great John O’Shea block on Ilkay Gundogan and, soon afte,r a timely Richard Keogh interception.
HT and @FAIreland go in against Germany 0-0 after some heroic Irish defending in that first half! #COYBIG pic.twitter.com/zpSkOGrtaF
— Inpho Photography (@Inphosports) October 8, 2015
But being forced to chase shadows for so much of the time meant that, when the Irish did get on the ball, they tended to regard it as an almost alien presence, overcooking passes or simply hurrying it back to Given.
A few minutes short of the break the veteran goalkeeper went down with a twisted knee which forced him off on a stretcher, bringing his 133rd appearance to a close. His replacement, Randolph of West Ham, was earning only his third cap and making his senior competitive debut.
With four minutes of injury time added on for Given’s ill fortune, the whistles for a half-time reprieve from the vast majority in a full house of just over 50,000 were eloquent testimony to the sense that it was only a matter of time before the Germans finally found a finishing touch to add to their more than 70% possession.
Instead, in the second half it was the Germans who began to get frustrated as Ireland grew in confidence, James McCarthy really leading by example and the crowd roaring its approval as, in a rare sight of goal after Wes Hoolahan had driven forward with the ball, Daryl Murphy fired a shot over the angle of crossbar and post.
Wes Hoolahan stole the show. The centrepiece of an historic Irish performance. #supportworks #irlger pic.twitter.com/ovGzIgsZdT
— Three Ireland (@ThreeIreland) October 8, 2015
That was Murphy’s last act, another full-throated roar greeting the arrival on the pitch in the 65th min of Long. But those decibel levels were as nothing to the sound that engulfed the stadium four minutes later, as the striker rifled home his 14th and most important ever goal for his country.
There were still 20 minutes plus of torture to endure after that — and one moment when a nation held its breath as Thomas Muller, of all people, blasted wide with the goal gaping — but Randolph played his part with a couple of good stops as every Irish player — not to mention Martin O’Neill on the touchline — rallied heroically to the cause.
When the final whistle blew, there was a joyous damburst of noise in Lansdowne Road.
I looked up to see if the moon was blue. It wasn’t. It was green.
One of those nights.
Randolph for Given 44, Long for Murphy 65, Meyler for Ward 69.
Neuer, Ginter (Bellarabi 77), Boateng, Hummels, Hector, Reus, Gundogan (Volland 85), Kroos, Ozil, Muller, Gotze (Schurrle 35).
Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain).
Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualification permutations
The penultimate round of Group D results means the Republic of Ireland can still grab automatic qualification for Euro 2016.
Scotland’s 2-2 draw at home to Poland was bettered by Ireland’s unlikely 1-0 defeat of Germany at the Aviva Stadium meaning Martin O’Neill’s side cannot now finish lower than third.
A victory from Sunday’s trip to Warsaw would guarantee Ireland a top-two finish and automatic qualification for next summer’s tournament.
A draw or Polish win would keep the Boys in Green in third place and facing the prospect of a two-legged play-off against one of the other eight qualifying group’s third-place finishers. Though even a defeat could yet qualify Ireland as the highest-ranked third-placed team. The concession of a last-minute goal at Hampden Park ended Scotland’s interest in the competition. Another emotional roller-coaster ride awaits this Sunday.
