It is the sort of night Lansdowne Road was made for.
In the history of international football, the Republic of Ireland has qualified for six major tournaments; three World Cups and three European Championships.
While Ireland’s places at Euro 2012 and Euro 2016 were confirmed in Dublin, the spadework had been done on foreign shores, a 4-0 win over Estonia and a 1-1 draw at Bosnia digging the foundations for those qualifications.
Ireland have never booked a World Cup berth in Dublin, but that can all change tonight before a capacity 51,700 at the Aviva Stadium.
The old place is far changed from the creaking seats, the heaving terraces that once adorned the Ballsbridge venue, but the spirit of old will be summonsed tonight. A cauldron of Irish passion will await the Danes as Ireland look to seal a place in Russia.
It is up there with the biggest of occasions the venue has seen. Indeed, it may yet become the most famous night of all.
“The crowd has been really important and they have given us phenomenal support and sometimes they have carried us through,” Martin O’Neill said yesterday.
“There are moments in the game when they get frustrated with us and I think we get frustrated with ourselves at times – but they realise we need them.
“The one thing I can guarantee is the players have given absolutely everything. I couldn’t have asked for more and I think the crowd have appreciated that.”
When Ireland qualified for Italia ’90 it was thanks to John Aldridge’s brace of goals in Malta.
On the way to USA ’94, Ireland also edged Denmark. A scoreless draw in Copenhagen proved key then, but the final blow was inflicted by Alan McLoughlin in Belfast for an iconic goal that sealed a 1-1 draw at Windsor Park.
For Euro ’88, when Ireland first reached a major tournament, the qualifying goal was scored by an unknown Scot by the name of Gary Mackay netted an 87th minute winner for Scotland against Bulgaria in Sofia.
Tonight, a new hero can emerge from the class of now to join that illustrious list of Irish football’s time-stands-still moments.
Lansdowne Road is braced for it.
