Troy Parrott opens Ireland's scoring in controversial duel
The Irish forward Troy Parrott, of Real Betis, opened the scoring by netting the first of three goals that gave his national team a 3-0 victory over Israel in a match played behind closed doors in Debrecen, Hungary, this Sunday.
Controversy and protests in Ireland
The match was shrouded in controversy caused by the Israeli invasion of Gaza. In Ireland, petitions to boycott the match emerged: more than 160 athletes signed a letter and protests were organized to prevent the Irish Football Association from playing.
The Irish Football Association (FAI) decided to honour the commitment and moved the fixture to a neutral venue, with no tickets for Irish fans. The match was played without spectators in Debrecen, ensuring safety and neutrality.
The Irish players bowed their heads during the Israeli anthem, avoided the traditional greeting and the exchange of pennants. Captain Dara O’Shea did not shake hands with his Israeli counterpart, Manor Solomon, and the footballers wore black wristbands in recognition of the lives lost in the conflict.
Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz was among the goalkeepers beaten, while Troy Parrott, of Real Betis, scored the first goal that opened the scoring. The three goals sealed the Irish victory.
The Irish national team's next commitments will be on October 1 against Austria in Dublin and on October 4 against Israel in Bačka Topola, Serbia, both behind closed doors.
The moment's photograph was captured by Jordi Santamaría of the AP agency, showing the Irish players celebrating Parrott's goal.