Robbie Keane’s early strike sent Ireland on their way to the second round but nerves weren’t settled until a goal from the unlikeliest of sources, centre-back Gary Breen. Damien Duff, one of the stars of the tournament finally got on the score-sheet to seal the win and give us one of the most iconic celebrations in Irish sport.
Sadly, it was inevitable. They’d hovered at the bottom since early in the season and finally the Gary Breen XI have dropped to the foot of the Copa del Póg Mo Goal table. Perhaps there’s a reason Trapattoni won’t watch our players in the Premier League. They’re not very good.
Usually at this point in the season, (yes, we are only one week in), Team Gary Breen would be rooted to the foot of the Fantasy Football table. But thanks to the dancing feet of Damien Duff, the Irish boys are sitting pretty in lower-half obscurity.
SPUD Watch becomes a normal job again as I actually have players to report on. I felt like Lieutenant Huxley in Demolition Man there for a while, wandering around yearning for things to happen – usually in the Npower Championship but in the end I’d end up on Chat Roulette crying at a group of black people wearing Yankee jerseys in America laughing at my naked body.