Dion Fanning: In Ireland’s land of the absurd, John O’Shea’s chance may have slipped away

The real business is in the great stadiums of Germany and on the muddy unplayable fields of Ireland. The two have never been further apart.

LAND OF THE ABSURD: Republic of Ireland interim head coach John O'Shea talks to his players during the international friendly match between Portugal and Republic of Ireland at Estádio Municipal de Aveiro in Aveiro, Portugal. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

So all eyes turned to Portugal for what was either an end of season jolly, a critical warm up game ahead of a major tournament, or something soft and unsatisfying in the middle.

When we say ‘all eyes’, of course we mean a few eyes with not much else to do. This was a game for the fully committed on a June evening. This was for those who might get their kicks watching another Ireland friendly which was like all the other Ireland friendlies, with one crucial difference: this one had already entered the arena of the absurd. This one improbably had something riding on it.