The clue is in the question there, I feel.
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France didnt get to the final, I was only going on teams who ended up in the final that lost their opening game, but again, an opening day “shock”
World Cup favourites Scotland losing to Peru in their opening game in 1978 surely the biggest first game shock of all.
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Think there was only a handful of ranking places between us and Italy at the time, slight underdogs but far from an upset when we beat them.
You’re mixing up Romania and Bulgaria in ‘94.
Romania losing to Ireland in ‘90 was almost criminal. Ask any neutral that watched that match. Go back and watch the match, they were light years ahead of as footballers.
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You seriously think any neutral that watched that match would remember anything about it?
No I forgot they lost to Sweden. They had a good WC in USA though.
They played some exciting games, the match against Arg was a belter as was the Sweden in QF. They took a right hammering from the Swiss in the group though, and were fairly flat against the Yanks.
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I think you’re being very harsh on Ireland in 1994 there. Whether or not there is a pattern of such results in tournaments is irrelevant really. To beat a team of the strength of Italy on a big stage is unheard of for Ireland - not just in football but in any sport.
Im not talking about 1994 in general, which was a disappointment over of course but the comments around Italia 90 I find very overstated considering we didn’t actually win a match and scored two goals. Maybe it was because of the novelty factor but we certainly had our share of luck.
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It was a ferocious effort from Donadoni.
I know, poor owl 
Packie wouldn’t have been used to that kind of a shot, playing against tailors, delivery boys and bin men week in week out.
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Useless cunt famous for saving a peno you would have thrun your hat on.
And being absolutely yunreal against england in euro 88 and doing a great kick out against Holland two years later.
Italia 90 euro 88 WC 2002 USA 94 euro 2016 and euro 2012 is the ranking for performance at tournaments. Italy was the best one off win but we lost two other matches comfortably.
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Yes.
He wasn’t in goal for this one.
Ah yes the grimace before the inch perfect hoof. Forgot about that.
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Bonner practically threw in Mark Walters’ sub-Tony Cascarino effort at a penalty here.
Was Andy Gray a Celt or a hun?
He was a Rangers man. Sure he played for them.
Always assumed he was a hun but he didn’t seem too enthused about the first penalty.