1st Round Group Tables
6th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A 1991
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Portugal | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
2 | South Korea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
3 | Republic of Ireland | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 2 |
4 | Argentina | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -4 | 1 |
6th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B 1991
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brazil | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
2 | Mexico | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
3 | Sweden | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 2 |
4 | Ivory Coast | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 1 |
6th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C 1991
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Australia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
2 | USSR | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
3 | Egypt | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
4 | Trinidad & Tobago | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 12 | -12 | 0 |
6th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D 1991
Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Spain | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
2 | Syria | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
3 | England | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
4 | Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 1 |
Knockout Rounds Results
Match Day Quarter-Finals |
---|
(Quarter-Finals)
2 - 16th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Portugal vs Mexico |
(Quarter-Finals)
5 - 16th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Brazil vs South Korea |
(Quarter-Finals)
1 (P) - 16th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Australia vs Syria |
(Quarter-Finals)
1 - 36th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Spain vs USSR |
Match Day Semi-Finals |
(Semi-Finals)
3 - 06th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Brazil vs USSR |
(Semi-Finals)
1 - 06th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Portugal vs Australia |
Match Day Final |
(Final)
0 (4p) - 0 (2p)6th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Portugal vs Brazil |
Match Day 3rd Place Playoff |
(3rd Place Playoff)
1 (4p) - 1 (5p)6th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola Cup
1991
Australia vs USSR |
Group A Results
Match Day Round 1 |
---|
(Round 1)
2 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A
1991
Portugal vs Republic of Ireland |
(Round 1)
0 - 16th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A
1991
Argentina vs South Korea |
Match Day Round 2 |
(Round 2)
1 - 16th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A
1991
Republic of Ireland vs South Korea |
(Round 2)
3 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A
1991
Portugal vs Argentina |
Match Day Round 3 |
(Round 3)
2 - 26th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A
1991
Republic of Ireland vs Argentina |
(Round 3)
1 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group A
1991
Portugal vs South Korea |
Group B Results
Match Day Round 1 |
---|
(Round 1)
3 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B
1991
Mexico vs Sweden |
(Round 1)
2 - 16th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B
1991
Brazil vs Ivory Coast |
Match Day Round 2 |
(Round 2)
2 - 26th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B
1991
Brazil vs Mexico |
(Round 2)
1 - 46th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B
1991
Ivory Coast vs Sweden |
Match Day Round 3 |
(Round 3)
1 - 16th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B
1991
Ivory Coast vs Mexico |
(Round 3)
2 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group B
1991
Brazil vs Sweden |
Group C Results
Match Day Round 1 |
---|
(Round 1)
0 - 26th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C
1991
Trinidad & Tobago vs Australia |
(Round 1)
0 - 16th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C
1991
Egypt vs USSR |
Match Day Round 2 |
(Round 2)
0 - 66th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C
1991
Trinidad & Tobago vs Egypt |
(Round 2)
1 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C
1991
Australia vs USSR |
Match Day Round 3 |
(Round 3)
1 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C
1991
Australia vs Egypt |
(Round 3)
0 - 46th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group C
1991
Trinidad & Tobago vs USSR |
Group D Results
Match Day Round 1 |
---|
(Round 1)
0 - 16th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D
1991
England vs Spain |
(Round 1)
1 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D
1991
Syria vs Uruguay |
Match Day Round 2 |
(Round 2)
6 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D
1991
Spain vs Uruguay |
(Round 2)
3 - 36th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D
1991
England vs Syria |
Match Day Round 3 |
(Round 3)
0 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D
1991
England vs Uruguay |
(Round 3)
0 - 06th World Youth Championship 1st Round Group D
1991
Spain vs Syria |
Please Click on the Republic of Ireland matches in the lists above to see full match reports and Republic of Ireland Line-ups.
Recap
Republic of Ireland went into their first Major World Soccer Tournament in the 6th World Youth Cup for the FIFA / Coca-Cola Cup in Portugal 1991 with seemingly little chance of reaching the Quarter-Finals having been drawn in the “Group of Death” with hosts Portugal, Argentina and South Korea, the best team in Asia, or from outside Europe and Latin America for that matter.
It looked even bleaker for the Irish after a lacklustre opening match against hosts Portugal with Ireland losing 2-0. However, Coach Maurice Setters voiced some hope after an ill-tempered match between Argentina and South Korea was won by a last minute Korean goal.
Ireland played Korea next and despite controlling the match, and keeping the Koreans pinned in their own half for most of the match they were only able to score the one goal from Paul McCarthy. Korea then produced another escape with a late equaliser by Choi-Choi with the last kick of the game.
With Portugal defeating Argentina 3-0 in another ill-tempered match which left the possibility of Argentina facing a World ban, Ireland now needed to beat Argentina in their last match and hope Portugal did them favours against Korea.
Ireland battled hard against Argentina going 1-0 up through Barry O’Connor in the first half. Argentina survived several goal mouth scares towards the end of the first half and came out with more intent in the second, netting through Delgado in the 55th minute and then going ahead from the penalty spot in the 59th minute.
Coach Setters had already criticised the Refereeing in the tournament and was seething at what was a harsh decision. It changed the nature of the game and although Ireland equalised three minutes later through Brian Byrne’s individual effort, a goal which was candidate for goal of the tournament, Ireland were chasing the game from the penalty decision. Despite firing in shot after shot in the dying minutes they could not find a breakthrough and with Portugal defeating Korea 1-0 those two teams qualified for the Quarter-Finals. Ireland received a standing ovation from the Portuguese home crowd after the Final whistle.
Portugal went on to win the Tournament, their golden generation which would form the backbone of the Senior Team for a decade to come with names like Luis Figo, Silva, Rui Costa, Torres and Pinto gracing the World Stage. Brazil were the team they beat on penalties to claim their first major Trophy.
It was also a first Major World Soccer Tournament for Trinidad & Tobago, and a last for the USSR before the breakup of that country. Australia and Syria were surprise packets, Australia winning all three group games including a defeat of USSR and eventually finished fourth. Syria too created a surprise in reaching the quarter-Finals ahead of England, the two teams 3-3 draw being one of the most exciting goal-wise in the entire tournament.
References
[1] (1991) “6th World Youth Championship for the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Cup 1991” World Soccer. August 1991. pg. 19.
[2] Paul Hyland (1991) “Irish hopes high after sparks fly in Lisbon” Irish Independent. Monday June 17th, 1991. pg. 23 [Past Copies of the Irish Independent are Available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ][Accessed 4 December 2021]
[3] Paul Hyland (1991) “Argentina face World ban” Irish Independent. Wednesday June 19th, 1991. pg. 12 [Past Copies of the Irish Independent are Available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ][Accessed 4 December 2021]
[4] Paul Hyland (1991) “Heartbreak for Ireland” Irish Independent. Tuesday June 18th, 1991. pg. 14 [Past Copies of the Irish Independent are Available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ][Accessed 4 December 2021]
[5] Paul Hyland (1991) “Lights go out for Irish” Irish Independent. Friday June 21st, 1991. pg. 13 [Past Copies of the Irish Independent are Available to view online at: https://www.irishnewsarchive.com/ ][Accessed 4 December 2021]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Paul Foley, Jason Caldwell and Rose McCabe.
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
Researched, Compiled and Written by Enda Mulcahy for the
Eirball | Irish North American and World Sports Archive
Last Updated: 4 December 2021
(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2021
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