"After making such an impact at Italia 90, Jack Charlton's 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, and for former Ireland defender Terry Phelan, it proved to be an unforgettable backdrop for Ireland's latest Italian job."
"There were 75,000 fans inside the stadium, and you thought Wow, is this a dream?', Phelan recalls. 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?'"
"Cheered on by that support, Charlton's 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."
The Republic of Ireland debuted in the World Cup in 1990, defeating Romania on penalties after advancing past the Netherlands. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Italy. In 1994, Ireland faced Italy again in their opening match at Giants Stadium, with a majority of the 75,000 fans being Irish supporters. The team, led by Jack Charlton, played with confidence and a strategic 4-5-1 formation to counter Italy's star players, particularly Roberto Baggio.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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