Outplayed Ireland fail to bring back the spirit of 1994

Ireland supporters were thin on the ground in Manhattan's Irish bars ahead of last night's friendly with Portugal across the Hudson River in New Jersey. As World Cup fever builds, even here in the US, there is little for the Irish fan to celebrate in the month ahead.

Except Catherine O'Reilly, a waitress in Jack Dempsey's Irish bar on 33rd Street, has reason to celebrate. Her son Rian O'Reilly (7) won in a competition to be one of the mascots to walk out with the Irish team. He comes from good footballing stock - his great-uncle is former Manchester United player Paddy Crerand.

Rian, whose family came from Donegal originally, isn't disappointed Ireland didn't make the World Cup; being a mascot at the Portugal game is just as good. "They are more or less the same thing," says his mother.

A few blocks away in John Sullivan's bar, Gerard Maher from Carlow travelled over with 40 friends to see the game. He has been to four World Cups and he is going to Brazil, despite Ireland not qualifying.

"The Brazil World Cup is everybody's dream World Cup - can you imagine Copacabana Beach on the night Brazil are playing?" he said, nursing a beer at the bar.

At Tir na nÓg Irish bar on Eighth Avenue, Eoin McCann flew in from Dublin to watch the Costa Rica and Portugal game. "I would have been in Brazil if they had qualified so this is a mini-World Cup for me," he said.

Out in New Jersey, around the MetLife Stadium is a sea of red and green - the green of Portugal rather than Ireland; Portuguese fans vastly outnumbered the Irish contingent among the 46,063 attending the game.

“It was to be expected - they are going to the World Cup,” said Garvan McCloskey, who emigrated from Ireland for a second time last year, swapping banking for a job again in the bar trade in the US.

“We went back for the Celtic Tiger; we left at the Depression,” he said.

Another returned emigrant is Teddy Doyle. He moved back to the US three months ago from Templenoe, Co Kerry.

Last night he revisited hallowed Irish footballing ground in New Jersey, next to where Giants Stadium once stood - the scene of Ireland's famous victory over Italy at the World Cup 1994.

"I was only four years old that day. I was so young I was bawling crying for 20 minutes because of the noise after Ray Houghton scored," he said. "It didn't put me off. Sure I am here today."

Bob Delaney, an Ireland fan from New Jersey, was also at Giants Stadium 20 years ago. He is wearing the Ireland jersey he wore then which he said he hasn’t worn since. “I was saving it for a special occasion,” he said.

Last night wasn’t it. Ireland failed to relive the magic of 1994, beaten by a far superior Portuguese side.