Squad performances: Player-by-player

1 SHAY GIVEN: Confirmed his stature as a world-class goalkeeper with four strong displays. Particularly impressive against the Germans when, early on, a double save from Christian Ziege and then Carsten Jancker kept the Irish in with a shout. Later he did well in a couple of one-on-ones with Jancker.

Looked strong in the air in every game, always commanded his box well and was unlucky in the end not to have fared better in the penalty shoot-out.

2 STEVE FINNAN: Having been surprisingly left out against the Cameroon, the Fulham right back still managed to have a fine tournament.

His reading of the game and pace helped him to cope with the challenges presented by both Germany's Christian Ziege and Spain's Javi De Pedro, while the apparent ease with which he gets forward proved invaluable.

On the strength of the past couple of weeks it's hard to see even a fully fit Steve Carr displacing him.

3 IAN HARTE: After such a good qualifying campaign, during which he played every minute of every game and ended up as joint top scorer, the Leeds left back had a much more difficult finals tournament. The problems started early with Geremi causing him difficulty in the Cameroon game, and continued through the other two group matches.

McCarthy refused to replace him, and Harte did play better against the Spanish. However, he still looked an odd choice to take the first penalty during play.

4 KENNY CUNNINGHAM: Made a fleeting appearance at the end of the Germany game but it was not until the second round that the Wimbledon defender got a proper opportunity. After coming on for Steve Staunton he made several finely-timed interceptions.

5 STEVE STAUNTON: Could hardly have hoped to go out on a higher note at international level. An inspirational figure at the heart of the defence, he may have looked short on pace but made up for it with the strength and determination displayed in every game. He also proved to be a key figure in driving the team's attacking moves from the back.

6 ROY KEANE: Left before tournament.

7 JASON McATEER: Seems to have played in the Cameroon game while still feeling the effects of a knee injury and, as a result, struggled when attempting to contain Pierre Wome. Was replaced and then dropped acrimoniously before returning late on against Saudi Arabia, when he did well enough.

8 MATT HOLLAND: Perhaps the biggest star from an Irish perspective, given that so much was required of him in the aftermath of Roy Keane's departure. It was always going to be tough to top the performance against Cameroon when the Ipswich midfielder's box-to-box work-rate was breathtaking. His goal that day was a fitting reward for his efforts.

Was almost as influential in the next two group games. The missed penalty against Spain is an unfortunate blemish on a great performance.

9 DAMIEN DUFF: Impressed mainly when allowed to revert to the role he prefers out on the wing, and even on the right against Spain he made fools of some of Europe's best players.

When playing up front he still doesn't look likely to deliver the goals required and when he did score against the Saudis, needed help from Mohammed Al-Deayea. Nevertheless a gifted player who came of age during the finals.

10 ROBBIE KEANE: Had a fine tournament, scoring three goals as well as the first penalty in the shoot-out against Spain. Stretched defences in every game and invariably proved a handful, but looked more effective when playing off Niall Quinn.

A year ago Keane went into the summer break looking short of confidence and fitness but now looks back to his very best.

11 KEVIN KILBANE: Had a quiet tournament during which he only really looked impressive once, late on in the game against the Spanish. Earlier on in Suwon it had looked a mistake when the Ireland manager had made his three substitutions without replacing him, but the subsequent injury to Luis Enrique may have helped his cause.

Nobody can question Kilbane's effort and his defensive work did much to protect Harte, who he even replaced for the latter part of the Saudi Arabia game. His basic push and run approach, however, is rarely going to test the sort of player he comes up against at a major finals.

12 MARK KINSELLA: Emerged as one of the team's real heroes, working tirelessly in every game to win the crucial central midfield battle for the Irish.

May not have been as influential as Holland, but after a difficult season disrupted by a serious knee injury, he did much more than might reasonably have been expected, capping it all with the long and perfectly-weighted ball out of defence for Quinn that led to the goal in the dying seconds of the German game.

13 DAVID CONNOLLY: His introduction against Spain when Clinton Morrison looked a better idea can probably be explained by his much greater experience at international level. He performed fairly well, though, and came close to finding the target with a low drive that went just the wrong side of the left post. His subsequent penalty miss in the shoot-out was a disappointment, though.

14 GARY BREEN: Performed impressively in every game but did especially well against the Germans when, during the opening stages, he was repeatedly the one popping up to tidy up around the Irish box. What will probably be better remembered, though, is his wonderful second-half goal against Saudi Arabia.

15 RICHARD DUNNE: Did not play.

16 DEAN KIELY: Did not play.

17 NIALL QUINN: Like Staunton, could hardly have dreamt of going out in a better way. Even on the way to these finals it was impossible to foresee just how influential a figure Quinn would prove to be in a side that still looked most threatening when it had a big man in the box.

If Quinn's only appearance had been for the 15 minutes or so that he harried and hustled the Germans, then his contribution would have been more than worthwhile, but his arrival midway through helped to turn the Saudi Arabia match while even Real Madrid's central defence failed to come to terms with him. If only he was 25 again.

18 GARY KELLY: Turned in solid if somewhat subdued performances throughout the competition.

Tactical changes and some signs of tiredness led to him being replaced in three of the four matches but on every occasion he had made a decent contribution, particularly defensively.

19 CLINTON MORRISON: Did not play.

20 ANDY O'BRIEN: Did not play.

21 STEVEN REID: Nobody would have guessed from the confidence he displayed during the last quarter of an hour against Cameroon that it was his first appearance in a competitive international.

He looked equally comfortable when he came on for the same amount of time against Germany, working hard in defence, passing the ball well and occasionally showing the confidence to take on opponents. It was something of a surprise then that he didn't get more opportunities to show what he could do during Ireland's last two games.

22 LEE CARSLEY: Only appearance was as an 89th-minute substitute for Mark Kinsella against Saudi Arabia.

23 ALAN KELLY: Did not play.