Ray Houghton will make his first visit to the scene of his 1994 World Cup winner against Italy when he co-commentates on England v Panama.
Ireland’s Ray Houghton scores the only goal in the 1-0 win against Italy at the Giants Stadium during the 1994 World Cup(Image: CLAUDIO ONORATI/AFP via Getty Images)
We suggest, in jest, a little graffiti to mark the occasion.
‘Razor was ‘ere’, maybe?
“Yeah, ‘I scored here’,” Ray Houghton replies, ahead of his first to the scene of his unforgettable USA ‘94 winner against Italy.
Houghton is in New Jersey ahead of the England-Panama game (10pm Saturday, Irish time), when he is back on co-commentary duty for RTÉ.
It’s a new stadium. The original Giants Stadium, where Houghton sent a half-volley whizzing over the head of Gianluca Pagliuca in the 11th minute of Ireland’s opening game, was demolished to make way for the stunning 82,500-capacity MetLife Stadium.
But that doesn’t matter to Houghton, who can’t wait to get back to the scene of his second most famous goal in a green jersey, behind, of course, his Euro ‘88 winner against England.
“This is a part of my history,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the stadium.”
It’s been a wild World Cup so far for the Boys in Green legend and their arrival in Hoboken, the birthplace of Frank Sinatra and right across the Hudson from Manhattan, has given him an opportunity to catch his breath.
This is stop number six, after Mexico City, Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and Boston, and he has a week here before he catches a train to Philadelphia for his next assignment.
“It’s hectic,” he says. “You are living out of a suitcase. I don’t think I’ve unpacked my suitcase since I’ve been here.
“It’s just been lying flat on the floor and I take a couple of items out, iron them for that night, for whatever game I’m going to, and then you are off to your next game the following day.
“And it’s not like you’re an hour from here or there. We flew up yesterday from Miami to New York. I think I’ve had about eight flights so far, or something mad like that.”
Houghton is speaking in association with Tonybet, with its World Cup Card Collection campaign that can see Irish customers win up to €100,000.
He continues: “The longest was the first game. We went to Mexico City. I got there on the Monday, flew in from England, and then I was there until the day after the first game, so I had about four days there.
“But I’m now in New York and I’m here for the week. I’ve got to tell you, it’s brilliant. I’ve got my bag out and finally I’m going to hang a few bits up.
“We’ve got two games in the same stadium here, the match between England and Panama, followed by a last-32 game between France and whoever their opponents are.
“We travelled from the airport to where we are staying (Hoboken), which is 13 miles, and it took us an hour and a half. I don’t think the driver got out of second gear.
“I thought London was bad for traffic, but I’ve never seen so many lights and so many cars, it was just incredible. You are thinking, you are never going to get there. It’s just never-ending.
“How people put up with it on a daily basis, I don’t know. But it’s the norm here.”
Not that he’s complaining.
“I’m loving it,” he says. “People ask if it’s a hassle with the travel, and I say, ‘No’. When you are at a World Cup, that’s part and parcel of the deal.
“I just love being at the games and I love watching teams express themselves. I want to watch great players.
“The big players have come and played, haven’t they? You’ve got Messi scoring, Haaland scoring, Vinicius, Ronaldo, Mbappe.
“But it’s not just about the big-name players doing it. When I watch Argentina, it’s not just Messi. You watch the workrate of all the other players, because they know he’s not going to run back. They give him that licence to do that.
“You see the other nine outfield players, they are working unbelievably hard.
“Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo De Paul, have a look at them lads and the work they are getting through, it’s incredible, because they know he can win them the game with his ability.
“But he needs them to do their side of it to get him the ball, and then he can do his magic. He can’t do his magic without the ball, so that’s their job, and they are doing a sterling job.
“I saw the French do it, they are working so hard for each other. It’s nice to see the French in harmony.
“At a tournament, you normally hear a few stories coming out of it – so and so isn’t happy.
“You can see with the way they are playing, watch them celebrate a goal, it’s not just about the individual, they come over as a collective.
“Everyone is involved in it and that is good to see from France’s point of view. It shows you that they are together.
“Then with Didier Deschamps’ mother passing away, there is more for them to go one step further this time around.”
The atmosphere at this World Cup among the supporters is different to others, Houghton adds.
“Going to a match over in America is not like going to a match in Ireland or England; it’s an event,” he says.
“You get there three or four hours beforehand and fans are still milling around two or three hours after the game.
“And they are in no rush to get away. As soon as the final whistle goes back at home, everyone is heading for their cars or trains or whatever.
“People are enjoying themselves and having a fantastic time here. There is no tribalism, there doesn’t seem to be anyone arguing. There looks to be a lot of harmony.
“I did the Scotland-Brazil game the other night and we were walking around the whole perimeter of the ground. All I could see walking around was Scotland and Brazil fans chatting and getting on really well together.
“From that point of view, it was nice to see. It was really refreshing.”
