The Republic of Ireland has not qualified for a major tournament let alone the FIFA Women’s World Cup. However, they finished second behind Sweden in their World Cup qualifying group. Due to their victories against Finland at home and away, they attained their goal with a 1-0 playoff victory over Scotland in October. Early on in her tenure, the team’s seven consecutive defeats did not bode well, but the turnaround was led by midfielder Denise O’Sullivan and captain Katie McCabe, who combined for 13 goals and 11 assists in the qualification campaign.
However, the success has been mostly based on a strong defense, with Louise Quinn and Niamh Fahey at its core. Courtney Brosnan, Ireland’s international player of the year, has excelled after facing challenges early in her career. Up until last April, she had kept seven straight clean sheets. Goals may be difficult to score against superior opposition, and set pieces are frequently their main source. With their set-piece deliveries, McCabe, O’Sullivan, and Megan Connolly are expected to be crucial once more. As will Quinn’s ever-reliable head.
The Manager
Prior to taking the helm of Ireland in 2019, Vera Pauw, was a former Dutch international who played for ten years with Sarina Wiegman. She had stints in command of Scotland, the Netherlands, Russia, and South Africa. Her life took a significant turn last year when the 60-year-old came forward with claims that she had been sexually molested by two other men and raped by a Dutch coach when she was a young girl. She was the target of accusations in December, mostly about “body-shaming” players during her tenure as Houston Dash’s head coach. The NWSL penalized her, but she has vehemently refuted the allegations and retained legal counsel to contest them.
Star player
Without a question, Katie McCabe. Since she was crowned her nation’s youngest captain at age 21 six years ago, the Dubliner, who was awarded Arsenal’s player of the year for the 2022–23 campaign, is the face of this squad. She brings it all: goals, assists, tackles, and disputes with the referee. Despite injuring her ankle during Thursday’s friendly match against France, McCabe claims no serious injuries were sustained. The topic of her placement on the pitch can once again be debated. Although the majority of Ireland supporters would love to see her farther up the pitch. The ever-cautious Pauw frequently places her in the left wing-back position. She is essential to Ireland’s chances no matter where she plays.
Rising star
It may sound strange, but a 33-year-old midfielder might very well be Ireland’s next star. After an eight-year sabbatical from the sport, Sinead Farrelly made her international debut for her adopted nation last April. During that time, she played a key role in the NWSL’s investigation into coach misconduct after making charges against her previous coach Paul Riley.
Fun Fact
The world champion Katie Taylor might be warming up for a World Cup if she hadn’t decided to compete in boxing rather than football. She was picked up to the Irish under-19 squad when she was 15 and went on to earn 11 senior caps. She was a really good player. In order to concentrate on boxing, she declined an Arsenal contract offer in 2008. You’d think she had no regrets considering she has an Olympic gold medal and professional world titles to her name.
State of Football
The prominence of the Republic of Ireland team has skyrocketed since FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying, but the domestic game struggles in terms of attendance and media attention and continues to lose its finest players to the UK and other countries. When Gaelic games would have been the main draw, young females have begun joining groups in greater numbers. The national team has had record crowds and television audiences along the road, and match tickets are now equal to those for men and women.
Our Prediction
Finishing in the top two in a group that has the co-hosts Australia and the Olympic winners, Canada. Both ranked in the top 10 in the world, will be no easy feat. Ireland’s best chance would realistically be finishing second, at which point they would likely face England in the round of 16.
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