This really happened. We are not imagining it. The Republic of Ireland discovered a new dimension, full of joy and surging belief after Troy Parrott completed his hat-trick in the 96th minute of this final World Cup qualifier. The 3-2 victory against Hungary in Budapest sends Heimir Hallgrímsson’s team through to a World Cup playoff next March.
Fifa’s play-off draw takes place in Zurich on Thursday.
Derided since defeat to Armenia in Yerevan on September 9th – a result that left Ireland’s World Cup campaign seemingly in tatters – Hallgrímsson’s injury-ravaged squad somehow recovered to overcome Portugal last Thursday and Hungary in the Puskas Arena on Sunday. It all means Ireland finish runners-up in Group F behind the Portuguese.
Apart from Séamus Coleman, qualification for a major tournament – if they achieve it – would be a brand new experience for the Irish players.
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For Hallgrímsson, though, it is familiar terrain. It turns out the Icelandic coach has seen a thing or two in his 58 years. Arnor Ingvi Traustason scored a late winner to send Iceland into the last 16 at Euro 2016, where they beat England.
“Sorry, but I have seen this before,” Hallgrímsson said with a smile after victory in the Hungarian capital. “In the dying minutes, Iceland scored against Austria at the Euro finals. It was identical to this one. These are the moments you remember for the rest of your life.”
Any talk of a contract renewal from the FAI for Hallgrímsson and his assistant coach John O’Shea – to take the team to Euro 2028, when the group games will be held in Dublin – seems like a very short conversation.
After the loss in Armenia, the manager postponed talks with FAI chief executive David Courell until the campaign ended.
Ireland still have a way to go. Next March, the play-offs will give four more European countries a chance to qualify for the World Cup, with 16 nations playing one-legged semi-finals and finals.
That will look after itself. In the seconds following Parrott’s fifth goal in three days, Hallgrímsson became a household name to the people of Ireland. They may even warm to his philosophical approach of treating success with the same soothing voice he used after the Yerevan disaster.
“We need to use this moment to understand what created this,” he said. “We need to look back on everything and give thanks to the people that supported these players along the journey. The people who had belief, we need to give them thanks because – in these moments – you will have a lot of friends.
“But they are not the friends that will call you and pick you up and give you energy when you lose games. You need to find those people and give them credit at these moments. It is easy to lose yourself in joy and be happy . . . remember those that have supported you in bad times.”
Hungary were plunged into bad times when Liam Scales leaped over Barnabas Varga to nod the ball down for Parrott, who turned Irish football upside down and inside out.
“Huge sadness,” said Marco Rossi, Hungary’s Italian coach. “I am lost for words. I am very sorry. We are very very sorry for our boys and for the fans. We didn’t see it ending this way but we conceded a goal in the dying minutes, just as in Ireland [last September]. So we knew they would play the long ball forward. It was their physicality . . .
“I don’t think we deserve this,” he added. “I don’t think our fans deserve this. What a sad day.”
The opposite of sadness came in the form of Parrott. A national hero 23 years in the making, here is a man who was rejected by Tottenham Hotspur and battered by loan moves to the lower leagues in England.
He has rejuvenated his career in the Netherlands, where he has 13 goals in 14 appearances for AZ Alkmaar this season. The five goals he scored for Ireland against Portugal and Hungary have sent his profile soaring.
And to think, as Hallgrímsson confirmed, a fit Evan Ferguson would have started ahead of Parrott in Budapest.
“That is really a fairytale,” said Parrott. “This is why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look, I love where I’m from, so this means the world to me. My family is here.
“It’s the first time I’ve cried in years as well. I really, really can’t believe it.”
Who can, Troy? Who can?
