1994 FIFA World Cup Group E

Group E of the 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of six groups of four teams competing at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. The first match was played June 18, 1994, and the final games took place simultaneously on June 28, 1994. The group consisted of Italy, Republic of Ireland, Mexico, and Norway. Mexico won the group on goals scored. Ireland and Italy also progressed to the knockout rounds, having finished with identical records and the Irish team qualifying in second place as a result of their victory against the Italians. The Italians qualified as one of the best-scoring third place teams. Norway's shortcomings in attack ultimately let them down, and they exited the tournament with only one goal. It is the only group in World Cup history in which all four teams finished with the same number of points and goal difference.

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Mexico	3	1	1	1	3	3	0	4	Advance to knockout stage
2	Republic of Ireland	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
3	Italy	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
4	Norway	3	1	1	1	1	1	0	4

Source: FIFA

Matches

All times local (EDT/UTC–4, CDT/UTC–5, PDT/UTC–7)

Italy vs Republic of Ireland

Ray Houghton's early goal proved the only one of the match where Ireland's defense prevailed over Italy's attack.^[1][2] During the game, members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, burst into a pub in Northern Ireland with assault rifles and fired on the customers,^[3] killing six civilians and wounding five. The pub was targeted because it was frequented mainly by Catholics,^[4] and was crowded with supporters watching the Republic of Ireland.^[4] It is thus sometimes called the "World Cup massacre" or the Loughinisland massacre.^[5][6][7]

Italy	0–1	Republic of Ireland
	Report	Houghton 11'

June 18, 1994

4:00 p.m. EDT (UTC–4)

Giants Stadium, East Rutherford

Attendance: 75,338

Referee: Mario van der Ende (Netherlands)

Italy

Republic of Ireland

GK 1 Gianluca Pagliuca RB 9 Mauro Tassotti CB 4 Alessandro Costacurta CB 6 Franco Baresi (c) LB 5 Paolo Maldini RM 16 Roberto Donadoni CM 11 Demetrio Albertini CM 13 Dino Baggio LM 17 Alberico Evani  45' RF 10 Roberto Baggio LF 20 Giuseppe Signori  84' Substitutions: RF 19 Daniele Massaro  45' LM 14 Nicola Berti  84' Manager: Arrigo Sacchi

GK 1 Packie Bonner RB 2 Denis Irwin  80' CB 5 Paul McGrath CB 14 Phil Babb LB 3 Terry Phelan  30' RM 8 Ray Houghton  68' CM 6 Roy Keane CM 10 John Sheridan CM 7 Andy Townsend (c) LM 11 Steve Staunton CF 15 Tommy Coyne  50'  90' Substitutions: MF 21 Jason McAteer  68' FW 9 John Aldridge  90' Manager: Jack Charlton

Assistant referees: Jan Dolstra (Netherlands) Park Hae-Yong (Korean Republic) Fourth official: Arturo Angeles (United States)

Norway vs Mexico

The only goal of the game was scored by Kjetil Rekdal in the 85th minute when the referee let the game continue after a foul on Jan Åge Fjørtoft close to the Mexican penalty area. The goalscorer entered the game minutes before the decisive strike.^[8]

Norway	1–0	Mexico
Rekdal 84'	Report

June 19, 1994

4:00 p.m. EDT (UTC–4)

RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Attendance: 52,395

Referee: Sándor Puhl (Hungary)

Norway

Mexico

GK 1 Erik Thorstvedt RB 18 Alfie Haaland  16' CB 20 Henning Berg CB 4 Rune Bratseth (c) LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye RM 6 Jostein Flo CM 22 Lars Bohinen CM 7 Erik Mykland  78' CM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen  26' LM 11 Mini Jakobsen  46' CF 9 Jan Åge Fjørtoft Substitutions: DF 2 Gunnar Halle  46' MF 10 Kjetil Rekdal  78' Manager: Egil Olsen

GK 1 Jorge Campos RB 21 Raúl Gutiérrez  71' CB 2 Claudio Suárez  62' CB 3 Juan de Dios Ramírez Perales LB 14 Joaquín del Olmo RM 16 Luis Antonio Valdéz  46' CM 4 Ignacio Ambríz (c) LM 5 Ramón Ramírez RF 10 Luis García CF 9 Hugo Sánchez LF 11 Luís Roberto Alves Substitutions: LM 17 Benjamín Galindo  46' RM 6 Marcelino Bernal  71' Manager: Miguel Mejía Barón

Assistant referees: Sándor Márton (Hungary) Valentin Ivanov (Russia) Fourth official: Manuel Díaz Vega (Spain)

Italy vs Norway

Italy	1–0	Norway
D. Baggio 69'	Report

June 23, 1994

4:00 p.m. EDT (UTC–4)

Giants Stadium, East Rutherford

Attendance: 74,624

Referee: Hellmut Krug (Germany)

Italy

Norway

GK 1 Gianluca Pagliuca  21' RB 3 Antonio Benarrivo CB 4 Alessandro Costacurta CB 6 Franco Baresi (c)  49' LB 5 Paolo Maldini RM 13 Dino Baggio CM 11 Demetrio Albertini LM 14 Nicola Berti RF 18 Pierluigi Casiraghi  34'  69' CF 20 Giuseppe Signori LF 10 Roberto Baggio  22' Substitutions: GK 12 Luca Marchegiani  22' DF 2 Luigi Apolloni  49' FW 19 Daniele Massaro  69' Manager: Arrigo Sacchi

GK 1 Erik Thorstvedt RB 18 Alfie Haaland  68' CB 20 Henning Berg CB 4 Rune Bratseth (c) LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye  32' RM 6 Jostein Flo CM 22 Lars Bohinen CM 7 Erik Mykland  81' CM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen LM 21 Sigurd Rushfeldt  45' CF 9 Jan Åge Fjørtoft Substitutions: MF 11 Mini Jakobsen  45' MF 10 Kjetil Rekdal  81' Manager: Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Tapio Yli-Karro (Finland) Roy Pearson (England) Fourth official: Philip Don (England)

Mexico vs Republic of Ireland

Mexico	2–1	Republic of Ireland
García 42', 65'	Report	Aldridge 84'

June 24, 1994

12:30 p.m. EDT (UTC–4)

Citrus Bowl, Orlando

Attendance: 60,790

Referee: Kurt Röthlisberger (Switzerland)

Mexico

Republic of Ireland

GK 1 Jorge Campos  57' RB 20 Jorge Rodríguez CB 2 Claudio Suárez CB 3 Juan de Dios Ramírez Perales LB 14 Joaquín del Olmo  45'  80'[9] RM 6 Marcelino Bernal CM 4 Ignacio Ambríz (c) LM 8 Alberto García Aspe RF 10 Luis García CF 7 Carlos Hermosillo  80' LF 11 Luís Roberto Alves Substitutions: CF 19 Luis Miguel Salvador  80' LB 21 Raúl Gutiérrez  80' Manager: Miguel Mejía Barón

GK 1 Packie Bonner RB 2 Denis Irwin  26' CB 5 Paul McGrath CB 14 Phil Babb LB 3 Terry Phelan  70' RM 8 Ray Houghton CM 6 Roy Keane CM 10 John Sheridan CM 7 Andy Townsend (c) LM 11 Steve Staunton  66' CF 15 Tommy Coyne  67' Substitutions: MF 21 Jason McAteer  66' FW 9 John Aldridge  67' Manager: Jack Charlton

Assistant referees: Michał Listkiewicz (Poland) Paulo Jorge Alves (Brazil) Fourth official: Renato Marsiglia (Brazil)

Italy vs Mexico

Italy	1–1	Mexico
Massaro 48'	Report	Bernal 57'

June 28, 1994

12:30 p.m. EDT (UTC–4)

RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Attendance: 52,535

Referee: Francisco Oscar Lamolina (Argentina)

Italy

Mexico

GK 12 Luca Marchegiani RB 3 Antonio Benarrivo CB 4 Alessandro Costacurta CB 2 Luigi Apolloni LB 5 Paolo Maldini (c) RM 13 Dino Baggio  65' CM 11 Demetrio Albertini  33' LM 14 Nicola Berti RF 18 Pierluigi Casiraghi  45' CF 20 Giuseppe Signori LF 10 Roberto Baggio Substitutions: CF 19 Daniele Massaro  45' LM 16 Roberto Donadoni  65' Manager: Arrigo Sacchi

GK 1 Jorge Campos RB 20 Jorge Rodríguez CB 2 Claudio Suárez CB 3 Juan Ramírez LB 14 Joaquín del Olmo  25' RM 6 Marcelino Bernal CM 4 Ignacio Ambríz (c) LM 8 Alberto García Aspe  66' RF 10 Luis García  63'  81' CF 7 Carlos Hermosillo LF 11 Luís Roberto Alves Substitutions: CM 13 Juan Carlos Chávez  81' Manager: Miguel Mejía Barón

Assistant referees: Ernesto Taibi (Argentina) Eugene Brazzale (Australia) Fourth official: Hellmut Krug (Germany)

Republic of Ireland vs Norway

Republic of Ireland	0–0	Norway
	Report

June 28, 1994

12:30 p.m. EDT (UTC–4)

Giants Stadium, East Rutherford

Attendance: 76,322

Referee: José Torres Cadena (Colombia)

Republic of Ireland

Norway

GK 1 Packie Bonner RB 12 Gary Kelly  83' CB 5 Paul McGrath CB 14 Phil Babb LB 11 Steve Staunton RM 21 Jason McAteer CM 6 Roy Keane  3' CM 10 John Sheridan CM 7 Andy Townsend (c)  75' LM 8 Ray Houghton  29' CF 9 John Aldridge  65' Substitutions: MF 20 David Kelly  65' MF 18 Ronnie Whelan  75' Manager: Maurice Setters[note 1]

GK 1 Erik Thorstvedt RB 20 Henning Berg CB 3 Erland Johnsen  45' CB 4 Rune Bratseth (c) LB 5 Stig Inge Bjørnebye RM 6 Jostein Flo CM 8 Øyvind Leonhardsen  68' CM 10 Kjetil Rekdal CM 7 Erik Mykland LM 2 Gunnar Halle  34' CF 16 Gøran Sørloth  36' Substitutions: MF 11 Mini Jakobsen  34' MF 22 Lars Bohinen  68' Manager: Egil Olsen

Assistant referees: Paulo Jorge Alves (Brazil) Park Hae-Yong (Korea Republic) Fourth official: Leslie Mottram (Scotland)

See also

• Loughinisland massacre, that occurred in The Heights Bar in Northern Ireland while patrons were watching the Republic of Ireland vs Italy match
• Republic of Ireland at the FIFA World Cup
• Italy at the FIFA World Cup
• Mexico at the FIFA World Cup
• Norway at the FIFA World Cup
• UEFA Euro 2024 Group E- another group with a similar situation of all four teams scoring the exact same points at the end of group stage

Notes

1. Republic of Ireland manager Jack Charlton was given a touchline ban by FIFA following argument with an official in the match against Mexico. Assistant manager Maurice Setters filled in as head coach.^[10]

References

1. The Observer: One giant step for the Irish
2. Rep of Ireland v Italy 1994 Full Game
3. "The UVF's catalogue of atrocities" Archived 25 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine. BBC News. 18 June 2009.
4. The Economist newspaper. 25 June 1994. pp. 25–26. "For the 24 fans gathered in Heights Bar in the quiet village of Loughinisland in County Down, the cheering was followed by carnage. Two men walked into the pub and sprayed the room with bullets, killing six and wounding five, and then fled laughing. The Ulster Volunteer Force, a Protestant terrorist group, later claimed it had carried out the attack. It chose the pub only because it knew that those gathered to support Ireland's team would be Catholic".
5. Duggan, Keith (June 14, 2014). "Six men dead: the World Cup massacre". irishtimes.com. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
6. "Six shot dead in Ulster World Cup massacre" Archived 22 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine. The Independent. 19 June 1994.
7. "1994 World Cup massacre of Irish fans by Loyalists will be major ESPN movie" Archived 14 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine. IrishCentral. 12 January 2014.
8. Norway efficient, effective in 1-0 victory WORLD CUP 1994
9. Mistake in FIFA report. The footage of the game shows that it was not Joaquín del Olmo but Jorge Rodríguez who was replaced by Raúl Gutiérrez.
10. Haylett, Trevor (June 26, 1994). "Football / World Cup USA '94: Charlton's ban fires up Ireland: Norway face backlash". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 1, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2021.

General references

• "1994 FIFA World Cup USA". fifa.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
• "World Cup 1994". RSSSF. Retrieved July 31, 2014.