REPUBLIC OF IRELAND   1     GERMANY    1          World Cup football home page
Robbie Keane 90                              Miroslav Klose 18
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This World Cup match between the Republic of Ireland and Germany took place on Wednesday 5th June at Ibaraki, Japan at 12.30pm (BST- British Summer Time). To see the Republic of Ireland team page click here and to see the full German squad please click here. The team that played in the match is shown below:
 
The Ireland team was:                                                                                
 
                                                        Shay Given
                                                     
                                                       
 
  Steve Finnan                   Gary Breen               Steve Staunton (captain)           Ian Harte
                                                                         (Kevin Cunningham 87)       (Stephen Reid 73)
 
  Gary Kelly                      Mark Kinsella               Matt Holland                 Kevin Kilbane
  (Niall Quinn 73)
 
 
                                        Robbie Keane              Damien Duff
                                             
 
 
The German line up was: Oliver Kahn, Thomas Linke, Carsten Ramelow, Christoph Metzelder, Torsten Frings, Dietmar Hamann, Bernd Schneider (Jens Jeremies 90), Michael Ballack, Christian Ziege, Carsten Jancker (Oliver Bierhoff 75), Miroslav Klose (Marco Bode 84)
 

Germany had just beaten Saudi Arabia 8-0 in their last game while Ireland had held Cameroon 1-1. In this game, Ireland scored a 92nd minute equaliser to give Ireland a good chance of qualifying for the second round of the World Cup 2002. Steve Staunton will also remember the game for being the first Irishman to get 100 caps for his country.

After an early headed chance from Carsten Jancker was saved by Shay Given, Miroslav Klose headed in a Michael Ballack cross from the left side of midfield to give Germany a 1-0 lead. Klose got between Staunton and Ian Harte to head home from around the penalty spot after 18 minutes of the match.

After 25 minutes, Matt Holland almost repeated the goal he scored against Cameroon when he shot from just outside the penalty area but this time the ball went just wide of the goalkeepers right post.

With five minutes of the first half left, Given had to dive to his right to save a blasted long shot by Dietmar Hamann from well outside the penalty area. Just before half time, Robbie Keane could have scored with a bicycle kick on the six yard box but he did not connect cleanly and the ball was cleared to safety.

In the second half, Ireland had a great chance to level the score line when the superb Damien Duff had a shot from close range but Kahn saved to prevent the goal. Jancker could then have extended Germany's lead when put clear but put his shot wide of the far post. Klose then put a header over the bar when unchallenged.
 

                                    
                                     Robbie Keane scores in the last minute

Just when it seemed that Ireland's efforts would be in vain, they scored in the last minute of the match. Substitute Niall Quinn headed on a long ball from Steve Finnan from the edge of the box - Robbie Keane was first to the ball to chest the ball on and his shot went in off the near post to make the final score 1-1.


The whole of Ireland celebrated the goal which gives them a great chance of getting into the second phase of the competition. If Cameroon beat Saudi Arabia on 6 June and Ireland beat them on 11 June as expected, Ireland would qualify second if there is a winner in the Germany v Cameroon match on 11 June - if Germany draw with Cameroon though, that would leave three teams tied on five points and goal difference would be used to decide the places.


See all the results in the World Cup 2002 here.