Historic campaign leaves Ireland with memories, regrets and plenty to build on

This World Cup story began on a Baltic Tallaght night in October 2021, when an own goal by Louise Quinn gave Sweden a 1-0 victory. Quinn finished up front that evening, just as she did in Perth last Wednesday as Ireland manager Vera Pauw switched to a 4-2-4 attack in one last desperate effort to salvage an equaliser against Canada.

It finished 2-1 to the Olympic champions, a result that ended the Irish women’s chances of advancing at their first ever major tournament.

The following day in Brisbane, a city heaving with Matildas-mania, Nigeria shocked the host nation by registering a 3-2 victory. The Super Falcons face Ireland back at Suncorp Stadium on Monday, needing a draw to reach the last 16.

Considering Australia must beat Canada to avoid elimination, Group B at this cross-continent World Cup has lived up to its billing as the toughest in the tournament.

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Sports Review 2023: Magical moment as Katie McCabe creates history

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It is almost over for Ireland. The defeat to Sweden 19 months ago had Denise O’Sullivan weaving her away around tall Swedish bodies. Out wide Katie McCabe was all threat and trickery on a night when the pair were marked out for special attention.

But McCabe has been promising a supernova strike ever since. It finally arrived in Perth when her arcing corner dropped beyond Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.

The reliance on McCabe’s corners and long balls up to Quinn proves that the Irish attack has failed to evolve in four years under Pauw. Even if the players did, immensely so.

They grew into each occasion, breezing through Helsinki, Gothenburg, Slovakia, Glasgow and sunny Marbella before Sydney, Perth and Brisbane became a home away from home. Five flights since July 7th eventually told on older legs.

Performances will never trump results, and in 2023 Ireland only beat a troubled Zambia 3-2, drawing 0-0 with China in February before losing to the USA (twice), France, Australia and Canada while only scoring once and conceding nine. These are difficult numbers to defend.

It is easier to explain. Ireland briefly held their own at a World Cup. The names and deeds should stand the test of time. In agonising defeat, McCabe’s team took lumps off the establishment.

Pauw does deserve plenty of credit. The 60-year-old built a sturdy defensive structure and although her tactics might have become a straitjacket on the world stage, it is unfair to suggest that Ireland could have qualified for the World Cup without the Dutchwoman’s experience and disciplined approach.

Unfortunately, during the build-up, Pauw refused to park her personal back story. McCabe is on record saying that this hindered preparations.

In April, Pauw asked the Athletic – the sports arm of the New York Times – to investigate abuse by players towards coaches, a suggestion that prompted a well sourced report the week of the send-off game against France in Tallaght.

McCabe was livid. Sitting beside Pauw 48 hours before flight number one, the Ireland skipper refused to back the Ireland coach.

“It’s a real negative distraction,” said McCabe. “Of course, Vera has a style of management that we’re used to now over the last [four] years ... we’ve clashed many a times but we’re always professional enough to make sure we are fully focused for the team.”

McCabe is only 27 but she’s been the national captain for five years. She has been media-savvy since her early days at Arsenal, and when asked in early July whether the FAI should give Pauw a new contract, she replied, “It’s not my decision to make. Obviously time will tell. Me and Vera have worked together for the last few years and we’ll see.”

Controversy plagued the squad since the ‘Up the Ra’ faux pas at Hampden Park last October forced the association into crisis mode. When that controversy calmed, Pauw was encouraged to unearth fresh talent via the diaspora. Aoife Mannion, the hardy Manchester United defender, arrived but disappeared just as quickly. The story of an injury-blighted career.

A quiet American did capture the zeitgeist. Sinead Farrelly, the will-o’-the-wisp from Philadelphia, tells a story of resisting abuse that will inspire for generations to come. She returned from a seven-year exile to alter the Irish footballing psyche in word and deed.

“I am just going to play how I am, even in our own box,” she said when quizzed about a lovely back-heel against Australia. “To me, it was problem-solving, playing instinctively and that is when I play my best.”

At 33, there is enough time to reward her moxie with 20 more caps.

Then there is Abbie Larkin, an 18-year-old from Ringsend who giggled about breaking Gary Kelly’s 1994 record and becoming the youngest Ireland footballer to play at a World Cup.

“I hadn’t a clue who Gary was,” said Larkin. “I don’t know if that was a bad thing or not.”

Ireland deserved a point from the World Cup opener against Australia in front of 75,784 fans, and McCabe almost delivered from a curving corner but on that night, Pauw’s biggest call left Marissa Sheva exposed. Sheva, only drafted into the squad to play China last February, was cover at left back when McCabe ventured forward. She is no defender and duly coughed up the penalty that allowed Steph Catley to plant the winner past Courtney Brosnan.

A little less faith in the Dutch methods of football periodisation, concocted by Raymond Verheijen, and more time trusting the recovery powers of Megan Campbell and Leanne Kiernan could have solved this problem.

Discarding Campbell and Kiernan on June 29th, despite neither Liverpool player being injured, just lacking fitness, now seems flawed, especially after watching Sheva and Amber Barrett struggle to turn the tide against Canada.

McCabe, far too professional to point fingers, said enough last Wednesday night following her signature performance against Canada.

“It has not been an easy journey to get here, the highs and lows of the last few weeks, players missing out, players getting injured. It has been a real journey for this team, and for the way that the girls have held themselves these last few weeks and tonight as well, I was just so proud of them.”

Debates will centre around who tore up the Pauw script for a glimpse into Ireland’s football future. The stirring, attack-minded first-half against Canada appeared player-driven but a second goal was needed to withstand an inevitable onslaught from the Olympic champions.

It could have finished 4-1 to Canada but it might have been 2-0 to Ireland if early shots from Farrelly or O’Sullivan had not swerved wide.

“I definitely felt it could fly into the top corner,” said O’Sullivan. “I’m gutted.”

“Katie’s [goal] created history, which is phenomenal. I’m absolutely buzzing for her.”

As O’Sullivan paid tribute to McCabe in the Perth rain, all Pauw could come up with was unnecessary criticism of a veteran defender. McCabe refused to allow such spikiness to dominate the narrative

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“I’m just so proud of the girls for how they carried themselves,” said McCabe. “We can only learn from it.

This Irish adventure ends at the group stages but the journey goes on with the first women’s international at the Aviva Stadium against Northern Ireland on September 23rd.

Mercifully, it is on a Saturday. Ridiculously, kick off is 1pm. Tickets are €20. Under-16s for a tenner.

“It is about the younger players coming in, like Larko. This is all getting a taste of it and hopefully we’ll all be around for a few more of them.”

Some veterans might retire. Louise Quinn is 33, Niamh Fahey is 35, Farrelly 33, the unused Diane Caldwell 34. The squad is ageing but fresh talent waits in the wings, such as Tyler Toland, Erin McLaughlin, Tara O’Hanlon, Ellen Molloy, Jesse Ziu and Jessie Stapleton.

Karen Duggan said it best pre-tournament: the 2023 World Cup is a bonus. The true peak of this team should happen at the 2025 Euros in Switzerland.

The FAI have the ball now. Chief executive Jonathan Hill and director of football Marc Canham will unearth a new manager or extend Pauw’s contract for another two years. Hill tends to recruit from back home, so former manager Colin Bell or Southampton’s Marieanne Spacey-Cale are candidates. Or they could test the waters in the men’s game, although such ambition will be tempered by financial constraints.

The next chapter starts with a homecoming, officially branded a Nations League fixture at the Aviva Stadium. An all-Ireland affair. The new-look FAI could do with a full house.