Women’s World Cup: What Ireland can expect, and the teams to watch out for

A Women’s World Cup like no other. Several nations can sprint from the group stages and reach the last four.

But no further. The US, Germany and Spain look like the only safe bets to lift the trophy in Sydney on August 20th.

The United States are rightly favourites. Perhaps there is a final moment of inspiration from the Megan Rapinoe generation.

England have lost their three best players, with Leah Williamson, Fran Kirby and Beth Mead all taken out by knee injuries. Last year’s European champions can still make a genuine impact. Ideally, Ireland will block their path in the last 16.

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That will first require two monumental performances against Australia and Canada in a six-day period. Tall order. A pair of 0-0 draws would alter the course of women’s football in Ireland forever.

I was talking to a girl from the Panama team the other day. She told me the entire country went bananas after Felipe Baloy’s late goal against England at the men’s tournament in 2018. Look up the score after 78 minutes. Harry Kane already had his hat-trick.

Forget results for one moment. An Irish goal at this World Cup should have us dancing around the Walkinstown roundabout.

But seriously, a goal automatically immortalises the scorer. Sure, we will never stop talking about Amber Barrett’s finish at Hampden Park. Nor should we.

The absolute best case scenario I can envisage is to rack up five points by getting those two draws and beating Nigeria with a lucky, deflected shot by Katie McCabe. Jaysus, I wouldn’t be found for a week. Just enough time to recover from jet lag for England versus the Republic of Ireland in the knockout stages. Fifa might as well prepare to reroute that fixture from Lang Park in Brisbane to the Olympic Stadium in Sydney. Not that 83,500 seats would be near enough.

We should lower expectations. France proved as much in Tallaght. For all the discipline and pressing and enthusiasm displayed in the opening 44 minutes, before conceding two quick goals, we know that this Irish squad is two years ahead of schedule.

[ World Cup Group B: Australia timing their run for group of death with Ireland ]

We also know what happens when the girls go behind against bigger nations. They struggle to maintain their shape. And shape and structure is our main weapon under Vera Pauw. Yes, it is worth saying again: Katie and Denise [O’Sullivan] are world class performers. But to qualify for Switzerland 2025 and win a game at the next Euros is a realistic ambition.

But if we stay compact and play far, far above ourselves we might catch someone cold in the coming fortnight. Just the once so we can beep the horns.

A few days after the August bank holiday weekend I expect our lives to go back to normal. We’ll dust off the cobwebs. Turn up for work. Go training with Peamount United and start a conversation about what this all means. We might demand even more from the FAI and stop waiting for sustained government investment. Above all else, I hope this World Cup is the start of something that lasts.

The Germans, I suspect, will drive on to the finish. It should have happened for them at Wembley last summer but losing Alexandra Popp in the warm up before the Euros final against England proved to be the cruellest of blows.

Something in me wants to see the USA stopped. It must be how everyone else used to feel about the Kilkenny hurlers.

Last April, Ireland made the Americans look average across the two games Stateside. On the other hand, Rapinoe and Alex Morgan guarantee an air of supremacy. They are perennial winners. Gold medals, golden balls, golden boots. They have them all. Even amid a changing of the guard there is this inherent arrogance, which, to be fair, has been well earned.

They will not be overawed by the occasion, whereas Australia and Ireland could easily struggle under the immense pressure of Thursday’s opening night.

Put it this way. The US must be beaten. Maybe Sweden or Italy can buckle them in the last 16.

Germany under Martina Voss-Tecklenburg look primed to do something special. They came into last year’s Euros under the radar yet played some unbelievable football. Popp’s injury was so significant. We could be looking at a completely different landscape. Chloe Kelly’s winning goal in extra time changed the face of global football as the WSL exploded in terms of interest. The Bundesliga has always been strong and now the Germans return to the main stage with maturity and hunger. I will watch them all day.

I enjoy watching them almost as much as I love seeing Barcelona play at a packed Nou Camp. I wanted Spain to go deep into the Euros (okay, I wanted them to beat England in the quarter-final). They were a joy to behold. All we have come to expect of Spanish teams.

But that opinion has been altered significantly by their inability to stick together last year when 15 players removed themselves from the squad. I know as much as the next person about what really happened. The facts that were established point towards senior players seeking a change in tactics and training. They also asked manager Jorge Vilda to be less authoritarian.

[ Spain women players deny asking for coach to be sacked ]

[ World Cup Group C: Spain eye the next big step while Japan looking to relive past glories ]

Barcelona players led the revolt. They wanted the standards set at club level to be replicated in international camps. We know how this tune goes. In 2017 I stood in Liberty Hall alongside Emma Byrne, Katie McCabe and the other Irish internationals who threatened strike action in search of the bare minimum. Basic stuff to help us prepare. It was a horrendously stressful time. The FAI tried to divide and rule. It impacted our professional and personal lives. But we stood our ground. Some girls paid a heavy price for this but look at Katie and the Ireland team today.

RFEF, the Spanish football federation, called the 15 players’ bluff and some of them broke ranks. It started and ended with Alexia Putellas, a once-in-a-generation player, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner recovering from injury in June and effectively turning ‘Las 15′ into the lost 12. Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle were named in Vilda’s World Cup squad alongside Putellas. Revolt crushed.

The bottom line is several key players are not in Wellington preparing for Costa Rica next Friday.

I’ll still get up at 8.30am to watch Spain but I won’t bother setting the alarm for the US. That said, it is hard to root for a side that captures the mind but betrays the heart.

The whole Spanish debacle has been so secretive, so poorly managed by the players who initially stepped away when stone-walled by their federation. I don’t fully understand their position. The killer blow is the sight of Putellas back in the fold. She’s still the best player in the game.

Other players can shine at this tournament. Rachel Daly, having returned home from Houston Dash, will lead the line for England and is well capable of scoring goals.

I’m not so sure about the Jamaican support system or players around Khadija “Bunny” Shaw but 55 goals in 38 caps tells us that she is unmarkable. The 26-year-old has been outrageously good for Manchester City this year.

Japan are a must-watch for their technical prowess alone. When we played them at the World Student Games a few years ago it was overwhelming how good they were in possession. None of us touched the ball. However, physically they will suffer against Zambia. The opening match of Group C next Saturday morning is worth your time. It will be like watching 11 Denise O’Sullivans up against the power of Barbra Banda and the class of Grace Chanda.

Denise is not to be missed either. I don’t think anyone from Group B can win outright but Australia should embark on a special run, and the moment Sam Kerr reels away to celebrate her first goal of the World Cup many young girls’ lives will never be the same again. Parents probably need to ensure their daughters do not attempt the Kerr Flip. It’s far too dangerous!

The Chelsea striker is so charismatic. Her somersault is waiting to go viral. Ideally, we will not witness any acrobatics next Thursday in Sydney.