Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterThe Republic of Ireland made their World Cup debut in 1990 - and they werent just there to make up the numbers.After pipping the Netherlands - who where the reigning European champions - to a place in the last-16, they defeated Gheorghe Hagis Romania on penalties, thanks to David OLearys decisive spot kick.Hosts Italy were a bridge too far in the quarter-finals, as a goal from Golden Boot winner Toto Schillaci ended their remarkable run.Article continues below You may like If Ireland can get to the play-off final, Id give them a 90 per cent chance of qualifying Terry Phelan on Irelands World Cup play-off hopes World Cup 2026 Playoffs: The complete guide Republic of Ireland World Cup 2026 squad: Heimir Hallgrmsson's latest selection ahead of the play-offs Phelan on Irelands USA 94 tiltAfter making such an impact at Italia 90, Jack Charltons men were back four years later in the United States, where the narrative gods pit them against the Azzuri in their first Group E match.This opening clash took place at Giants Stadium in New Jersey - the forerunner of the MetLife Stadium that will host this summers World Cup final, and for former Ireland defender Terry Phelan, it proved to be an unforgettable backdrop for Irelands latest Italian job.There were 75,000 fans inside the stadium, and you thought Wow, is this a dream?, Phelan recalls to FourFourTwo.Before kick-off, you walked down the tunnel and you had Franco Baresi there, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Donadoni, Daniele Massaro, Alessandro Costacurta and Gianfranco Zola. You thought to yourself Have we got a chance here? Why we had a chance though, was that 90 per cent of the stadium were Irish fans.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Cheered on by that support, Charltons men approached the game in a positive state of mind.We went out there with no fear. Jack Charlton played a 4-5-1, we saturated the midfield and stopped the ball from getting to Roberto Baggio I forgot him in that list a minute ago!The game was settled early, thanks to an 11th-minute goal that has gone down in Irish folklore.Then the ball went to Ray Houghton, and bang. That was a little bit of history, Phelan adds, after Ireland exacted revenge with a 1-0 victory that provided the springboard for them to again progress from their group and into the knockout stages.While Ireland would suffer a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands in the last-16, Phelan does not underestimate his sides achievement that summer.To get out of the group was magical. We were one of the 16 best teams in the world not bad for the little country of Ireland.TOPICSRepublic of IrelandWorld CupJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromChris FlanaganSenior Staff Writer
