McAteer adds to Ireland's anxiety

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1 Republic of Ireland

Steve Tongue
Saturday 25 May 2002 19:00 EDT
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Having kicked their own captain out of the World Cup, the Republic of Ireland feared the boot was on the other foot last night, after Jason McAteer suffered what was initially reported to be medial ligament damage in their last match before Saturday's Group E game against Cameroon, which opens Japan's half of the tournament.

The boot in question belonged to a Cameroonian, the Hiroshima defender Bilong, which did not make McAteer, or the Republic's manager, Mick McCarthy, feel any better. Nor did the decision of the referee not to award even a free-kick for a heavy challenge as the Sunderland midfielder was turning past him. Steve Staunton, wearing the captain's armband after Roy Keane was sent home on Thursday and due to receive his 99th cap on Saturday, ran 50 yards to confront the official, who agreed with Bilong that the defender touched the ball before crashing into his man.

"I wanted a good workout and to come away without any injuries, but the latter was something of a disappointment," McCarthy said. "Jason got a hell of a bad kick and he's a bit despondent at the moment. But we hope he'll be OK. Otherwise, it was a worthwhile experience and the players worked very hard in quite difficult conditions."

Kevin Kilbane, the other regular wide player, also had to be substituted after taking a bang on the ankle; Kenny Cunningham, Steve Finnan and Lee Carsley were not considered for yesterday's game because of minor ailments, but they should be available later in the week. McAteer might not be, in which case Millwall's young right-winger Steven Reid and the more defensively experienced Gary Kelly would be the contenders to play. If McAteer, who established himself as an international at Ireland's last World Cup appearance eight years ago, had to be ruled out altogether, Rory Delap would be one of the few wide players available to join the squad.

Whatever happens, Ireland will be going into their first tournament finals since 1994 with one player fewer than any other team. As expected, the tournament organisers, Fifa, ruled last night that their regulation about replacing players after the squad deadline refers to injuries, not a breakdown in relations between a coach and his captain.

A friendly against opposition languishing low in the J-League was hardly the occasion to judge how well- equipped the Irish are to cope without Keane. For the moment, Irish officials are having to pretend that the team's prospects will not be affected by the loss of their one world-class player. The president of the Football Association of Ireland, Brendan Menton, having held a debriefing with McCarthy, said before yesterday's game: "We need players who want to be here. Roy didn't want to be part of it. If he wasn't going to perform, then we're probably better off without him." But Keane's performances in the four qualifying matches that mattered, against Holland and Portugal, were the most important reason that the Republic are in the Far East.

It was significant that Keane was fit for that quartet of matches. Between his first international, at home to Chile in May 1991, and his last, against Nigeria earlier this month, he was rarely missing on the big occasions. When injury kept him out of the previous European Champion- ship campaign, however, Ireland took only one point from critical away matches against Croatia and Macedonia and failed to qualify.

It is true that since then, Mark Kinsella and Matt Holland have blossomed as inter-national players. Now they have to dominate the most important area of the pitch against opposition such as Cameroon and Germany, while providing a screen for the occasionally soft centre of the Irish defence.

No two players had more sweat on their shirts in yesterday's heat and both were typically neat in their passing. Even so, a modest Japanese side were able to create problems and take the lead in a 20-minute spell before half-time as Richard Dunne gave an unrecognisable impression of an international. Shay Given saved twice as the Manchester City defender allowed Tatsuhiko Kubo too much room, and in the 37th minute Dunne failed to prevent Tikara Fujimoto chipping to the far post, where Kubo, again poorly marked, headed in.

Robbie Keane spared some blushes by tucking away the lively new adidas World Cup football – which threatens to make goalkeepers' lives a misery over the next month – for an equaliser before half-time and then a winning goal after Niall Quinn headed down Kinsella's measured cross.

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