Saipan, what if it never happened? An alternative 2002 World Cup history of Ireland, Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy
| Author | Alex Dunne |
| Published date | 22 May 2021 |
| Publication title | DublinLive (Ireland) |
In the 80th minute, Brazilian forward Rivaldo is leading a four-on-three counter attack as the favourites look to seal a fifth World Cup.
Brazil already lead 1-0, but have been put under significant pressure in the second half courtesy of their final opponents - the Republic of Ireland?
Stay with us.
Led by inspirational captain and the world's best midfielder Roy Keane, the Irish have set the pace during a bonkers tournament defined by underdog upsets.
Keane is now caught out of position, attempting to slide to block Rivaldo's square ball to his team-mate, Ronaldinho, and stop what looks to be a certain clinching goal.
But before we see if the Corkman can make one last-ditch effort to save his side and keep the dream alive, we need to examine the story of this tournament, and just how little old Ireland have put it up to the aristocrats of world football.
***
Much of the build up for this tournament was dominated by captain Keane's relationship with his manager, Mick McCarthy.
The two have been historically frosty, going right the way back to McCarthy's playing days when he chastised a number of the younger players, including Keane, for going too hard on the drinks during an Ireland trip to the USA in 1992.
The two co-existed relatively peacefully besides for a couple of years before McCarthy's playing career wound down, and Keane thought he'd probably seen the back of him.
But fret not, dear reader, this was only the beginning.
In 1996, McCarthy was the anointed successor to the legendary Jack Charlton as Ireland's manager, putting him in direct charge of a squad following Keane's lead on the pitch.
That is, when Keane was present, as over the years the two have clashed over his supposed dedication to the Irish cause.
Keane previously went AWOL (read: on the piss at a cricket game) before a 1998 World Cup qualifier against Portugal.
He's previously demanded meetings with the manager to bring the training, gear, and diet of the squad up to standard.
He's hinted at quitting during the qualification for this very World Cup, on several occasions.
And even now, playing in the biggest game in the sport, against a nation with a population 35 times the size of Ireland's, and holding their own, the Irish watching in the early hours back home know Keane came very close to missing this game as well.
***
Before heading to their main training base, the Ireland team had a little siesta on the island of Saipan.
A four day warm weather training mini-camp before the World Cup seemed like a great idea on paper, but the tensions between Keane and McCarthy reached a boiling point.
The 17-hour flight was an uncomfortable disaster and, after initially arriving before all their gear and having to delay the start to their programme, they arrived at their pitch to find it bone dry.
Amateur irrigation efforts then somehow managed to leave it waterlogged before Keane exploded at goalkeeper Alan Kelly after the netminders opted out of the usual training match due to fatigue.
A tell-all interview from Keane was run in the Irish Times a couple of days later which angered McCarthy, who called a team meeting to settle the beef in public.
However, McCarthy, upon the advice of goalkeeping coach Packie Bonner, cancelled the meeting a couple of hours later, and instead approached Keane privately in his...
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