Point gained or missed opportunity for Ireland?

A point on the road from a World Cup opener against one of Ireland’s qualification rivals may represent mission accomplished but only the passing of time will determine whether this was a real opportunity missed.

While Ireland have been used to jostling with heavyweights such as Germany, France and Italy over previous campaigns, making second place the plausible target, the absence of a big gun from this pool affords scope for a dash towards top spot. Neither Wales nor Austria will run away with the group and so the opportunities to gain the upper hand in a tight group need to be capitalised upon.

As Roy Keane clapped the away fans in the away end of the Marakana Stadium, one must wonder if he’ll be of that mind. His Ireland team claimed a similar result, drawing 2-2 away to the Netherlands at the start of the 2002 World Cup series, and his sentiments have resonance in the fallout from this outcome.