"Cristiano Ronaldo's red card should not dominate the Irish perspective of an unexpected evening of joy in Dublin"
"To keep the dream alive, Ireland enjoyed an evening that challenged the boundaries of reality."
"Beating Portugal to give every home player - apart from Lille survivor Séamus Coleman - the best moment of their international careers is one thing."
"But to do so with a degree of comfort on the scoreboard that allowed a few traffic-averse natives to leave early brought an epic Ballsbridge evening into surreal territory."
Ireland produced an unexpected, joyful victory over Portugal in Dublin that kept qualification hopes alive. Every home player on the field, apart from Lille survivor Séamus Coleman, experienced a career-best international moment. The scoreboard provided enough comfort that some local supporters left early, adding a surreal edge to an already epic night at Ballsbridge. Cristiano Ronaldo received a red card during the match, but the quality of Ireland's performance and the emotional lift for fans and players defined the evening more than that incident. The result offered a powerful morale boost for the team and supporters.
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