It’s the biggest game in Irish football since ‘that’ win over Italy at Euro ’16. You could argue with what is on the line that it’s the biggest since Italia ’90. And it takes place in Bratislava tonight.
A win over 90 minutes, extra time or penalties will keep alive our dream of playing home matches in a major final for the first time in our history.
It will put us in line for a winner take all tie against either Northern Ireland or Bosnia Herzegovina who face each other tonight at the same time.
It is the kind of game that would have packed the pubs and clubs as friends gathered together to watch and hope.
We would have been cheered on from the stands by a travelling army of fans that have always been there.
Different
Tonight of course is different. No more than six other people, and from no more than one other household will huddle around their TV screens to watch Darragh Moloney hand over to George Hamilton and the nation turning its hopes on Stephen Kenny and his team in only his third game in charge.
If ever we needed sport to lift us from our chairs and to dance around the room, it is now.
If ever a performance was called for, now is the moment. Coverage will get underway on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player at 7 PM with the game starting at 7:45. 270,000 tuned in to watch last week’s UEFA Europa League Qualifier featuring Dundalk. Tonight is certain to set a record viewing figure for 2020 to date.
There will be live coverage too on Radio with Game On staying on air with match commentator Adrian Eames.
Apres Match will be there after the game to spark the celebration or to salve our wounds with humour. Hopefully, it will be the former.
The FA Ireland social media channels will bring us team news and updates throughout the day. Well worth tuning in to.
It has been a horrible year. It has been worse over longer for soccer in Ireland. Tonight we can put all that to one side and hope.
Com on Ireland.
