Roy Keane is an outspoken Irishman and you would not like to cross him on or off the pitch. He came to verbal blows with Irish international manager Mick McCarthy, on this day, when on a training camp before the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. The training camp was held in the Northern Marianas Islands (US) at Saipan.
There had been a confrontation before over training plans and facilities after which Keane was persuaded to stay but the second head to head was the last straw.
Film footage appeared on television and both members of Eire's World Cup team spoke openly about their coming together. Mick was the boss, Roy the perpetrator who left the training camp. The Irish had to enter the qualifying league with 22 out of the 23 squad members.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/mccarthy-vs-keane-moment-two-13772733
A 1-1 draw with the Cameroon in their opening game suggested that they were not going to suffer without Roy. Name sake, Robbie Keane scored in overtime against Germany to create another 1-1 draw in match two and Keane scored another against Saudi Arabia as they won 3-0. They came Group E runners up.
In Suwon, Keane did it again against Spain but the Spaniards having gone ahead saw the Irish force a draw with a last minute penalty. The game went through extra time and beat the Irish on penalties. Spain then lost to South Korea.
England lost to Brazil in the quarter-finals but an odd goal and of course the Germans soldiered on beating a surprising hosts, South Korea, in the semis. Brazil met another curious member of the last four, Turkey and beat them.
The Brazilians and Germans met in the final, winning 2-0 and Turkey beat South Korea, 3-2.
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