Table, not tears, the measure of a successul Croker bow for soccer

UNDERWHELMED by the whole thing? Don’t worry, so were the players.

Clichés rolled off the tongues after the 1-0 win – “a great experience”, “the fans were brilliant” – but there was no escaping the fact that soccer’s thunder was stolen by the hullabaloo last month.

John Hayes tears said everything about what the experience meant to Eddie O’Sullivan’s side, every one of which play their trade on this island and had no option but to embrace the feverish build up to the games against France and England.