Just made it back to Tokyo in one piece (barely!!). Had a fab weekend, craic was 90!

worldcup.ie's Tokyo correspondent Carrie Tighe gives the lowdown on Izumo, McAteer's knee and what to expect in Niigata on Saturday.

Hi there,

Just made it back to Tokyo in one piece (barely!!). Had a fab weekend, craic was 90!

Here’s how it went in Izumo for the match with Hiroshima

Last Saturday morning, Haneda airport was awash with green. Lead by our chief disorganizer Declan Somers we boarded our flight with mascot Kermit the frog in tow: destination Izumo and Ireland’s training camp.

Kermit, our stuffed green mascot, was actually given his own seat - only in Japan!! After the in-flight sing-song we touched down in Izumo to be greeted by shocking heat as we made our way to the airconditioned bus. Needless to say all the chat centered around Roy Keane and the divide was 50-50.

A fellow Corkman in our supporters’ crew simply told me he was gutted for him - "The World Cup had lost its edge".

Arriving at the stadium we were overwhelmed by the welcome we received. There were Irish flags and banners everywhere, Japanese kids in green jerseys, it was an amazing sight.

We certainly made our presence felt, cheering the boys in green on with a rendition of U2`s `With or Without Keane`.

We had a few nervous minutes when Hiroshima Sanfreece scored the first goal but Keano, Robbie, that is - saved the day with two crackers!

Panic over, we enjoyed the rest of the game, our missing leader Roy Keane not far from anyone’s mind. New captain Steve Staunton did us proud, though - they were big boots to fill!

The lads did well given the soaring temperatures, all would have been perfect had it not been for the disastrous foul on McAteer. We were on our hands and knees praying that he’ll make it for the Cameroon game and latest reports tell me that he will, just a badly bruised knee.

Post-game celebrations lasted well into the early hours, everyone was in top form. Izumo city were amazing hosts and joined us in our celebrations. The hotel breakfast room Sunday morning was a sight to behold. After copious amounts of coffee and water we boarded the bus and headed for the pitch where our very own Kanto Celts were taking on Izumo city hall.

Irish youth teams manager Brian Kerr was already kitted up, giving Japanese children a soccer skills workshop. The Celts beat Izumo 4-0, a great result considering the humidity and lack of sleep.

The Japanese really don’t things by half - we were given such a fantastic reception and were surprised at the level of Irish awareness in Izumo. The streets were lined with Ireland banners, everywhere you looked was green. We arrived back to Tokyo last night, weary, sunburnt & happy travellers.

A few revellers headed for Paddy Foley’s Irish pub in Roppongi for a pint, the rest made their way home. It was a World Cup appetiser but the real thing kicks off in three days - fantastic!

We’re in for a treat on Saturday - I hear Niigata have planned an incredible opening ceremony for the Ireland v Cameroon game. The Irish are really making their mark in Japan-no other country has been promoted as much as the Emerald Isle.

The countdown is under way - bring it on!