Katie McCabe’s all-action display not enough to nudge Ireland over the line

“We’ve got McCabe (Who?) Katie McCabe, I just don’t think you understand. She plays out on the wing (SOMETIMES!) She hits it with a zing (ALWAYS!) We’ve got Katie McCabe!”

So goes the popular chant frequently sung by the thousands of Arsenal fans and it would have been a fitting one on Wednesday night as the player of the match showed why she is the youngest captain of the Irish women’s team, Arsenal’s player of the season and their interim captain (and record holder for the most yellow cards – seven – in a WSL season).

As the final notes of Amhrán na bhFiann were played, the camera panned in to a beaming McCabe and Courtney Brosnan as the Irish crowd were heard loud and proud throughout Perth Rectangular Stadium.

Before this game, the Canadians had marked McCabe as a threat for her direct style of play, her “physicality” and “aggression”. The Irish skipper was all of the above, and so much more.

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For the first half, it’s safe to say that McCabe enjoyed herself. A mere four minutes in, she was in her favoured goalscoring position – that is, right out in the corner.

After the loss against Australia, all the doubts about stalwart Louise Quinn, McCabe delivered a dream start for Ireland, her corner kick curling tantalisingly into the top corner of the goal beyond the despairing grasp of Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

It was only fitting that it was McCabe who wrote herself into the Irish footballing history books as the first Irish woman to score in a World Cup and it closely resembled the goal against Manchester City in April that won her the WSL goal of the season this year.

For a moment after the goal she stood alone, arms raised, smiling to the crowd of 17,065, the face of the women’s game in Ireland enjoying a well-deserved moment of celebration.

From that moment, she only raised the bar for what we could expect from this game. Twenty minutes in she was gifted another opportunity but her left foot hit it at an angle, sending it wide of the goal. She jogged it off, looking like she was having fun. Luck and time were still on our side.

Defensively, in that first half, McCabe was exactly where she needed to be: booting the ball away in the 32nd minute, defending when the Canadians came for the attack before the 40th minute. The fans sang out, the rain poured down and it could have been a home game. Until it all came tumbling down.

“It was like we all had goosebumps,” said McCabe. “It was honestly the stuff of dreams. I could even say it was even better than the night against Australia because it was so close-knit.”

An own goal began the unravelling before the team ducked in from the rain at half-time.

Throughout the second half, the bench was emptied but the reliables remained, McCabe firing shot after shot towards the Canadian goalkeeper, falling to the ground in frustration after attempts went awry in the 78th and 81st minute. If it hadn’t been for McCabe and the superb saves of Brosnan, it would have been a different scoreline.

McCabe had a classic McCabe game. She scored from a corner, defended, argued with the referee (earning herself a yellow card) ran herself ragged, believed right up until the end but it was bittersweet.

“I’m kind of in a bit of disbelief to be honest, [about the first goal] but at this level it’s all about results and of course it’s a nice moment but yeah, I’m absolutely heartbroken in terms of the results and where it’s left us in the group.”

In the huddle after the final whistle was blown, what did McCabe tell her team?

“How proud I am of each and every single player. It’s not been an easy journey to get here. As you all know, the highs and lows of the last few weeks, players missing out, players getting injured. It’s been a real journey for the team and for the way the girls have held themselves throughout this, this whole few weeks and starting against obviously Australia and then tonight as well. I was just so proud of ‘em.

“And for us now it’s about regrouping, keeping the positives from these games and making sure we give the nation something to be really proud of and hopefully we can end this tournament with a win for them.”

The final game of Group B and Ireland’s first World Cup against Nigeria is still to be played.

September will see the Republic play Northern Ireland in the Aviva for the first time. Early next year Ireland they will begin their qualification process for the 2025 European Championships, their first Euros with the experience of their first major tournament behind them.

Despite the disappointment, the frustration, the feeling that this tournament could have been different, there is more to come from this team. With Katie McCabe in our ranks, I just don’t think you understand.