How to make sense of a World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium that swung from despair to relief and very nearly the purest joy imaginable?
Hungary and Portugal appeared to have Group F all to themselves ahead of their meeting in Budapest on Tuesday, until this Republic of Ireland squad dug as deep as they possibly could, with goals from Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah salvaging a 2-2 draw from what appeared to be a certain loss at half-time.
“There are more positives than negatives,” said Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson, speaking as calmly as a man just back from a Sunday morning stroll.
“We respect the point. We definitely respect the point. One point for us, but not three points for Hungary.
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“I would have given their goalkeeper man of the match, not ours,” he observed of the official award going to Caoimhín Kelleher.
Hallgrímsson was clearly disappointed not to win, but that was only obvious at full-time, when he refused to celebrate the great escape.
“We know how important this game was. Not to [get] three points at home, especially in front of this magnificent crowd, is tough. It was a fantastic atmosphere. We should have got all three points but considering the two early goals by Hungary, we can accept the point.”
Now comes the psychological inquisition of an Ireland team that has conceded the first goal in eight of their nine competitive outings under the Icelander.
Now is as good a time as any to note that the FAI denied Hallgrímsson a sports psychologist, who could make an impact comparable to what Gary Keegan has done for Ireland’s Olympic boxers and the national rugby team, due to budgetary constraints.
“It is psychologically difficult to come back from 2-0 down at this level, especially against a team like Hungary who are 30 places above us in the Fifa rankings,” Hallgrímsson continued.
“I give a lot of credit to the players for that, but we are not happy with a point, that is why I didn’t celebrate. We had 40 crosses and should have done better with all that possession, but we threw everything at them.”
On the Barnabas Varga goal in the second minute, he added: “It was just sloppy. Conceding in the second minute does not have much to do with preparation, but we did it against Bulgaria as well.
“Some of the players are not switched on. Maybe it is nerves, maybe it is the past, but it can be luck as well.”
On Hungary manager Marco Rossi criticising German referee Harm Osmers for allowing Ireland’s physical approach in the second-half, Hallgrímsson turned to deadpan humour.
“I think the referee was pissed [off] from the 15th minute because they were throwing themselves down and wasting time. He gave them a warning. It was absolutely not physical in this game. If VAR looked at it again, there was a lot of fouls in the box when the balls were coming in.”
Rossi was also calmness personified ahead of facing Portugal despite news that Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in a 5-0 defeat of Armenia in Yerevan.
“In the first half we played well,” said the Italian. “In the second we fought like lions.
“We were not playing against nobody. Ireland are a physical team, they are not easy to play. When they brought that physicality it was complicated for us.”
On the straight red card for Roland Sallai for a foul on Dara O’Shea, Rossi was more critical of his player: “I am not happy with [Sallai] and his attitude.
“He reacted to a clear foul, because it was a clear foul before the red card, a clear foul by Ireland. Our player reacted in frustration, he pressed the Irish player but he didn’t step on his foot. At least [the referee] could give yellow.”
