They wanted to roar. For 90 minutes they wanted to let loose and be heard from a pub on Chicago’s North Side all the way to Turkey, about 5,600 miles away.
But every promising run that brought them to the edge of their seats in anticipation was followed by a wayward pass or misdirected shot that had them slumping back in their chairs.
For the Abbey Pub patrons who spent Wednesday afternoon living and dying with every ball played by the Irish national team in its European championship qualifier against Turkey, it was 90 minutes of frustration.
“This is the biggest game we’ve had for years,” Ian Robinson said.
A roofer by trade, Robinson lives in Chicago but supports Ireland with the fervor of a Dubliner.
For Robinson and about 100 other Irish supporters, The Abbey was the place to be to see Ireland’s chances of securing a spot in one of the world’s most prestigious soccer tournaments. It’s one of many pubs in the Chicago area that televises matches from Europe for transplants who call Chicago home.
Tom Looney came to Chicago from Ireland in 1960. In 1974 he opened The Abbey and was one of the first to install satellite dishes to beam in sporting events from around the world.
On any given weekend, fans of just about any ethnic heritage can watch a game, from Poland to the popular English Premier League.
“We show everything,” Looney said. “We’re a league of nations.”
Acknowledging the sometimes tense nature of international soccer, Looney said he hasn’t had any trouble between rival fans.
Looney and his wife, Bridgette, were worried about the Turks. Ireland and Turkey played to a 1-1 draw in Ireland on Saturday, but the one goal the Turks scored, on a penalty late in the match, was vital.
In European competition, away goals are the tiebreaker in a two-match, total-goals series. So Ireland needed at least a goal in Wednesday’s match to have a chance.
“If you know anyone up above,” Bridgette said early in the match, “please ask Him for help. We need it.”
Ireland pressed forward constantly in a desperate attempt at the goal, but the Turks held firm for a 0-0 draw, which put them through to the finals and broke the hearts of the Irish faithful, in Ireland and Chicago.
“We worked this morning,” said Rob Webb, an Irish-born construction worker who watched the match with co-workers. “We’ll be going home sad.”
After the match, Bridgette quickly changed the TV to the battle between the “Auld Enemies”–Scotland against England at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The Abbey patrons may have been heartbroken at Ireland’s loss, but they watched Scotland-England with more than a passing interest.
“I don’t care about it as long as England gets beat,” Robinson said.
Finally, after nearly three hours of missed chances, the place was able to let loose when Scotland took the lead late in the first half. But the Scots needed more. They trailed the English by two goals heading into the match.
The place was ready to roar again in the final minutes when it appeared the series’ tying goal was about to be scored, but England’s David Seaman made a superb save. The Irish/Scottish supporters were frustrated again as the English prevailed 2-1 on aggregrate.
Wednesday was a day for nationalistic fervor–and chance to sneak out of work for a couple of hours. By the weekend the domestic leagues will be back in action, and many of the same people will be back in the pubs to take it in.
That means fans like Webb will be rooting for players like David Beckham and Paul Scholes on Manchester United and England.
The very players he was rooting against so passionately on Wednesday.
