Glory days.
Forget about the various broken hearts that we’ve suffered at the hands of the Dutch; tonight sees Ireland take on our pals from the lowlands for the first time in 12 years and we’ve missed them.
Especially when they’ve given us moments like these…
5. Tommy Coyne’s winner in Tilburg
While it may have just been a friendly, the lead-up to the 1994 World Cup in the United States was a time of massive optimism both inside and outside of Jack Charlton’s squad.
Phil Babb, Jason McAteer and Gary Kelly were the poster boys for a new generation of Irish heroes, and in April 1994 the country was getting ready for Ireland’s second World Cup campaign.
At the time, the Dutch were among the greats of world football but this 1-0 win – thanks to Tommy Coyne – and the following month’s victory over Germany set the tone for another classic Irish summer.
(Until we’d meet the Dutch again, but we don’t like to talk about that.)
4. Robbie Keane’s cracker in Amsterdam
Boom.
Back in 2004, it was the Dutch gearing up for a European Championships and Ireland would not be travelling to Portugal, but Ireland would still come away from the Amsterdam ArenA on 5 June with a 1-0 friendly win.
Robbie Keane’s 20th international goal – at the age of just 23 – was an absolute cracker.
3. Roy Keane’s tackle on Marc Overmars
Not a goal, but arguably the most iconic moment of Roy Keane’s Ireland career (on the pitch, at any rate). With barely a minute passed, Keane clatters into a tackle on the Netherlands’ Marc Overmars and sets the scene for his greatest performance for his country.
Keane was everywhere in this game. Sadly, this was the peak of his time with the national team.
2. Niall Quinn’s equaliser in 1990
The third, and final, group game in the 1990 World Cup saw Ireland and the Netherlands meet in Palermo with all sides in the group (also including England and Egypt) boasting identical records.
A Dutch side including Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard was expected to wipe the floor with a team making only its sixth appearance at a major finals of any description. When Gullit scored early in the game, Ireland were in trouble.
Step forward Niall Quinn.
The 23-year-old Manchester City striker had finally established himself in the First Division after leaving Arsenal, and his star was on the rise.
Charlton’s decision to replace Tony Cascarino with Quinn in his starting line-up caused a major stir at the time, but Quinn paid him back in style by capitalising on Berry van Aerle’s spilled backpass and sending Ireland into the next round. Phenomenal.
1. Jason McAteer sends Ireland to the Far East
Roy Keane drives at the Dutch defence before laying it off to Damien Duff. Duff, under pressure from the Dutch defence, spots Steve Finnan on the right wing. Finnan is facing Phillip Cocu, who appears to be shepherding the full-back away from goal and to safety.
Finnan checks back, freeing himself from Cocu for a split second, and swings over a left-footed cross over the Dutch defence and into space. Jason McAteer is there, free, and his first time half-volley nestles sweetly in the net behind Edwin van der Sar.
It would be almost 15 years, thanks to Shane Long, that we would experience another moment like it.
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