World Cup Qualifier
01.09.2001 at 00:00 - Lansdowne Road
Marc Overmars fears a meltdown of the current batch of Dutch masters if Holland fail to beat the Republic of Ireland today and miss out on the World Cup finals for the first time since 1986.
The former Arsenal winger, who moved to Barcelona last year in a £30million deal with Emmanuel Petit, said: ''I think it would be worse than losing the semi-final of Euro 2000 against Italy last year - a big bombshell for the people of Holland - especially considering the quality of players we have.
"And you could say that quite a few of our players are maybe in the later stages of their careers. It could be the end for them as internationals.''
Ireland need only a draw to practically guarantee finishing second in Group Two and earn at least a place in the play-offs for a spot in the Japan and South Korea finals next summer.
But manager Mick McCarthy also knows that his own five-year tenure in the job could hinge on the result of today's momentous match.
He said: ''We are unbeaten at home in 13 competitive matches since I've been manager and currently it is also 13 matches since we've lost any game.
"But I am aware of the consequences of failure now. There will be calls for my head as national coach.
"It is bizarre, almost cruel, that everything could come down to this one particular game.''
It is a similar make or break scenario facing Dutch boss Louis van Gaal.
He admitted: ''Not reaching the finals would be a disaster - for the players, for the Dutch people and for me the coach.
"The people in Holland love their football so much and are proud of the team's quality and tradition.
"A World Cup without Holland? I know how much it would hurt them and the players to miss that experience, but this is football and we all accept how it is.''
All of which will be rendered irrelevant if Holland win and grant van Gaal a stay of execution.
On paper the Dutch are strong favourites despite having to claw back from 2-0 down to snatch a point against the Irish in Amsterdam a year ago. They have since been beaten at home by Portugal and let slip a twogoal lead in the return match with them, having to settle for a share of the points.
But now they bring a virtually fullstrength side to Lansdowne Road - likely to show seven changes from the first clash with Mick McCarthy's side.
As usual, McCarthy will bank heavily on Roy Keane's leadership. He said: ''He has the kind of fire in his belly that inspires everybody else. We all know what to expect from Roy and I know how badly he wants to win this one.''
AND so the great day dawns and the Gaels arise in anticipation of what looks like being the critical game in the quest for World Cup qualification. The collective mind reels with questions. Will home advantage be enough to swing it? Will the all too familiar old foe prevail? How will we celebrate if the result goes our way? How will we mourn if it all goes horribly wrong?
But, hey, that's enough about Germany versus England - there's also the small matter of Ireland against Holland on one of those World Cup days that they like to call 'crunch'.
Frankly, most people I know would simply prefer not to think about it. Because when they do, they are assailed by alarming visions of Van Nistelrooy bearing down on Richard Dunne or Patrick Kluivert going one on one with 'Stan'. Then again, we've been here before. Laudrup versus Kernaghan, anyone? Or even, dare I say it, Butragueno versus McCarthy? We've coped before and, fingers crossed, we'll cope again, even if it means reverting to the present gaffer's cherished playing maxim that "they can't score from Row Z". And I'm not even sure he was necessarily talking about the ball.
Meanwhile, we seek consolation where we can. Looking at a befuddled Jaap Stam at his Lazio press conference, carrried live on Sky News, the thought struck that this was the quickest the defender has ever moved in his life. So, notwithstanding Mick McCarthy's comments at the Irish press conference on Wednesday, let's hope it's our Robbie who is doing the cartwheels this afternoon. Or as Noel King, speaking about Stam on TV3, put it with admirable, if sportingly incorrect, candour: "I hope he suffers badly on Saturday."
Which is about the size of it really; outside of the Irish camp itself, the prevailing mood is one of hope rather than expectation. Only the aforementioned 'Kinger' seemed prepared to buck the trend midweek. Never lacking in enthusiasm, Noel talked a great game.
Ten of Ireland's probable starting 11 play in the Premiership, he noted. We've already taken points off both Holland and Portugal away, he reminded us. Home advantage is a significant factor, he pointed out.
By now I was beginning to feel quite perky. Then Trevor Welch asked Noel for a prediction.
"Ah, I wouldn't put a penny on Ireland; I think the Dutch will do us," said Noel, reverting to authentic Dublin footballese. And possibly also to the truth.
Or not. Who knows? Jack Charlton always refused to play the prediction game on the grounds that if there was any value in it at all, he'd be down at the bookies not yapping to the press. To that extent, all the words, views, opinions, high hopes and gloomy expectations that have filled the pages and airwaves for the past few weeks will count for nought once the whistle blows at Lansdowne Road this afternoon. And we'll be none the wiser until it blows again for the last time after 90 minutes.
On which point, a special plea to George Hamilton: play the whistle George. The wee man is an admirable commentator but his tendency to call the result with time still on the clock puts a terrible pressure on the nerves. There are times when he'd remind you of the guy on New Year's Eve who counts down to midnight, lets out a big yahoo, and then discovers in the ensuing silence that his watch is fast.
George was at it again during RTE's coverage of the Celtic-Ajax Champions League qualifier. "There's two-and-half minutes of play plus stoppage time left; they're not going to get two goals," George told us, with Celtic hanging on for dear life as, to paraphrase the great Phil Greene, wave upon wave of Dutchmen rolled over them.
Bearing in mind that this was the same competition, the final of which was once famously won and lost in the space of just two minutes, George's certainty on this matter was brave to say the least.
And while on this occasion his high-wire act proved successful, the obvious danger to himself, not to mention the added stress for those of us looking on, made for uneasy viewing. Transfer that scenario to the context of a match involving the cream of Europe and an Irish side which has made a habit of not hanging on by its fingertips and the potential for cardiac arrest on a grand scale becomes clear.
So please, George, today, unless one or other side is leading by at least five clear goals and the ref has got the whistle in his gob, keep your powder dry. For all our sakes.
Finally, imagine my shock early this week when I heard a newsreader announce that the Toon Army could devastate the western seaboard of Ireland. I'm sure there are more than a few hardcore Newcastle supporters about but this seemed a bit, shall we say, apocalyptic.
Ah, but soft, it appears we had a pronunciation problem. More attentive listening revealed that the reference was to a tsunami or giant tidal wave, which may or may not occur within the next thousand years as a result of volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands.
By which time Bobby Robson may even have retired, sez you.
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