25 years ago today, Ireland bowed out of USA '94 with defeat to the Dutch

On this day 25 years ago, the Republic of Ireland were knocked out of the 1994 World Cup, the Boys in Green suffering defeat against a mighty Netherlands side.

A last 16 tie with a Dutch side containing Dennis Bergkamp and Frank Rijkaard served as a reward for Ireland’s hard work in making it out of a group containing Italy, Mexico and Norway.

The downside, however, to playing the classy Dutch side would be that it would mean another trip south to Orlando, Florida/.

Soaring temperatures during the earlier Group E match against Mexico had seriously impacted and hindered the performance of the Irish players and had given the Mexican side a major advantage.

It was to be hoped however that the Dutch team would also succumb to the intense temperatures, which were reaching between 32 and 37 degrees Celsius. 

There were expectations that the heat would have a more equal effect on the two teams but there were again concerns that the aging Irish team might struggle as the match wore on.

As it transpired, the Netherlands secured the victory before the first half had reached its climax thanks to goals from Bergkamp and Wim Jonk.

The highly volatile and mobile Dutch wingers Marc Overmars and Peter Van Vossen caused chaos, the lighting-fast wingers causing severe headaches for an already-struggling Irish defensive unit.

It was no great surprise that the Dutch took the lead with just over ten minutes gone. Overmars set it up, crossing the ball to Bergkamp, who easily flicked the ball past Irish keeper Packie Bonner.

One became two shorty before the break when the Dutch increased their lead through a considerable lapse of concentration by Bonner.



Despite being the most experienced player in the Irish team, Bonner misjudged what was relatively tame shot by Jonk from 30 yards four minutes before half time.

The ball bounced off the raised hands of the big man from Donegal, trickling slowly into the net as a result.

"I can't explain. It wasn't anything that I tried to do,” Bonner explained after the game. “It just happened. That's the way it goes. That's just football,”

In the second half, the Dutch set out to protect their 2-0 lead, opting for a deeper formation as midfielders Aron Winter and Frank Rijkaard sat in front of their defenders to act as cover.

Ireland had their first real chance of the afternoon four minutes from time when substitute Tony Cascarino found an unmarked Phil Babb inside the penalty area, but his shot inched wide.

In the dying embers, Irish defender Paul McGrath controlled a long ball from Ray Houghton by controlling the ball with his leg high in the air.



The centre-half slid the ball past the Dutch keeper Ed De Goey. It would have served as mere consolation but would have been an historic, and visually stunning, goal.

McGrath’s goal however was ruled out for dangerous play, as his boot made contact with Rijkaard's head during the phase of play.

The defeat to the Netherlands ended the Boys in Green’s 1994 World Cup campaign. Ireland had fallen just one match shy of matching their previous World Cup performance when they reached the quarter-finals in Italy in 1990.

The tournament included the historic and shocking defeat of Italy, John Aldridge’s and Jack Charlton’s verbal altercation with a fourth and FIFA official and the nail biting tension surrounding the final group game.

USA ‘94 proved to be a World Cup of highs and lows for a nation obsessed with sport.

The joy of Houghton’s goal against Italy, the boiling tensions of Orlando, the ovation and pageantry in Giants Stadium – all these moments created a lasting legacy that is fondly remembered by Irish football supporter 25 years later.