On a historic night for Irish football, Stephen Bradley’s side reached a new summit by their standards, becoming the first League of Ireland team to qualify for the league phase of a European competition without availing of the champions route. Three ties. Three wins. Three qualifications in four years.
This was a scoreless draw they managed on their own terms, building on the superb showing in the Azores that gave the Hoops something to protect here.
With exemplary professionalism, they succeeded in doing so, the manner in which they saw off a Portuguese club dominated by Brazilians highlighting how they have become so comfortable in this company. Yes, they did need a wonderful second-half stop from Ed McGinty that might just be the enduring memory for the floating fans who dropped in, but they didn’t have to withstand a siege to advance.
That fact is as impressive as the result.
Dundalk’s former owners Peak 6 once spoke about the desire to have a European club in Ireland. Rovers have now shown that it can be done.
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The referee for this tense affair was Matej Jug, a face that another LOI manager will remember for all the wrong reasons. Jug was in the middle when Stephen Kenny’s Ireland lost to Portugal in heartbreaking and controversial fashion back in September 2021, a game where his decisions and demeanour came under intense scrutiny, especially his apology to the shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo for booking him after his late winner.
He was visible from the outset here. Rovers were trying to be clever by running the clock where possible and executing the occasional tactical foul in dangerous situations. Santa Clara were constantly in the ear of the Slovenian official, seeking to make a meal of some collisions to get a break. The official was quite strong before the interval, aside from a harsh booking for Lee Grace after Brenner – one of the two new Brazilian arrivals into the Santa Clara XI – dramatically went down.
Overall, though, it was a solid half from Rovers, who looked relatively comfortable. Admittedly, as the interval approached, it became a slight bit more stretched and there were a few passages that highlighted the danger Santa Clara possess in transition. But it was really only a handful of moments.
With Rory Gaffney as an option over the top and Josh Honohan a popular out ball down the left side, Santa Clara knew they couldn’t commit too much. Hence, they struggled to apply pressure for sustained periods and Rovers shaded the first-half possession by 53-47. More pertinently, they had the best chance with Honohan twisting and turning in the box and unleashing a left-footer that struck the woodwork. When Santa Clara had shooting opportunities, Irish bodies blocked them. From the restart, it was Rovers that were asking questions again. Dan Cleary and Dan Mandroiu had opportunities in quick succession, with the animated Vasco Matos not getting the response he had demanded from his team talk. And, increasingly, signs of frustration were creeping in on the pitch with the Santa Clara foul count stacking up with Honohan getting support from Jug. A series of dead-ball opportunities arose and a Watts delivery and a Pico Lopes header came agonisingly close to what could have been an insurance goal.
Subs were always going to play a part. Santa Clara had kept Gabriel Silva in reserve, the world’s fastest player according to a GPS reading. He was introduced on the hour mark at the same time that the Hoops brought in Graham Burke, who would never challenge Silva in a race but would easily fit into a Brazilian kick-about with his technical qualities. His introduction reflected that Rovers sniffed opportunities.
Some of the nervier moments came when Hoops attacks broke down and the crowd anxiously sensed danger, but the back three of Cleary, Lopes and Grace were disciplined and bodies got around them with Watts and Matt Healy always available.
But they were never going to be completely impenetrable. The winter recruitment of McGinty was viewed as a solution to a problem position, but his competitive bow at Tallaght featured a mistake at a crucial time as Molde came from behind to end Rovers’ interest in the 2024/’25 renewal.
When a ball rebounded across the area and Vinicius Lopes crisply sent it goalwards, McGinty implausibly pushed it over the bar to leave the Brazilian pounding the ground in frustration as the majority of the 8,223 crowd heaved a massive sigh of relief.
They were feeling similarly with four minutes remaining when McGinty needed to be alert to parry a threatening delivery away and the rebound bobbled wide of the post.
There was nothing lucky about this outcome, however, even if the magnitude of the achievement contributed to jittery decisions as the final whistle crawled into sight.
This attempt to break new ground took Rovers folks to a place they never imagined visiting, but it has ended with Bradley’s side returning to a stage where they belong.
Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Grant, Healy, Watts (McEneff 82), Honohan; Nugent (Burke 61), Mandroiu; Gaffney (Noonan 72).
Santa Clara: Batista; Lima, Rocha (Ferreira 78), MT; Cabral (Soares 78), Firmino, Serginho, Victor (Pereira 61); Brenner (Manoel 78), Vinicius; Wendell (Silva 61).
Referee: Matej Jug
