More history awaits. Republic of Ireland manager Eileen Gleeson is unable to select injured quartet Louise Quinn, Ellen Molloy, Lucy Quinn and Jess Ziu to face Wales in the European Championship play-offs.
Nonetheless, Arsenal’s Katie McCabe leads an experienced squad that welcomes back London City Lionesses duo Megan Campbell and Ruesha Littlejohn, ahead of the play-off first-leg at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday week.
Only 15,000 tickets have been sold for the second-leg at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, December 3rd. Prices start at €10 for kids, €25 for adults and €50 for two adults and two under-16s. It will be the fourth women’s football international at the Aviva.
Ireland are on the cusp of qualifying for their second major tournament, the Euros in Switzerland next summer, having broke new ground at the 2023 World Cup when Vera Pauw’s team did not progress from a tough Pool containing hosts Australia, Canada and Nigeria.
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“It’s a very evenly matched tie,” said Gleeson. “In terms of squad profile and the level that girls play at, it’s nearly identical.
“[Wales] are a strong team. We played them in February, they beat us well, so we know they’ve got strength in depth, some really strong key players like ourselves.”
Early Welsh goals from Jessica Fishlock and Lily Woodham last February in Tallaght allowed Cymru (their formal title) to make light work of an Irish side without Denise O’Sullivan, Anna Patten and Aoife Mannion. The latter, the Manchester United defender, is named in next week’s camp despite a recent calf strain.
Gleeson was assistant coach under Vera Pauw when Ireland lost the Euro 2022 play-off to Ukraine but she missed the famous World Cup qualifier victory over Scotland at Hampden Park as she temporarily left the FAI to coach Glasgow City. She returned in January 2023, as the association’s Head of Women and Girls’ Football, before replacing Pauw as national head coach last year.
“I was involved in the game against Ukraine,” said Gleeson, “and that was one of the worst nights for me in football, as well as [for] the players and the staff that were involved.
“I think the experience the girls have had since then, the [World Cup] qualification and the positive play-off experience, is also a nice benchmark to work towards and remind everybody of.”
The FAI plan to unveil their latest women’s football strategy in January, with no further update from Gleeson on plans to create an under-23 development squad. The current situation means that Galway United’s Julie-Ann Russell, the squad’s only home based player, must train with local boys club Salthill Devon to maintain her match fitness.
“Julie’s training with the boys, it’s hugely beneficial,” Gleeson explained. “We expect she will come in sharp as always and fit. We monitor all that.”
Gleeson wants to remain as Ireland manager, potentially up to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil, but a new contract could be dependent on reaching the Euros.
“I want to continue, I love being in the job, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and that’s the way I want it to continue. But right now the focus is on getting these two games done.
“[FAI chief football officer] Marc [Canham] and I speak all the time, we have a really positive relationship,” Gleeson added. “There’s been no discussions around contract, I don’t have the capacity to focus on anything else, only Wales. That’s all I think about. No formal discussions, no.”
Host nation Switzerland is already joined by England, Spain, Germany, Iceland, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Italy with seven remaining spots to be filled after the second legs on December 3rd.
Switzerland, Spain, Germany and France will be top seeds in the group stage draw on December 16th. Ireland hope to be drawn from Pot 3 alongside the Dutch and two other play-off winners but this requires four from Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Norway, Scotland and Portugal losing their play-off.
That indicates a fourth seeding for Ireland at the 16-nation tournament, which starts and finishes next July at St Jakob-Park in Basle, should Gleeson’s team progress.
Ireland WNT Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (London City Lionesses), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton Athletic)
Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (Sunderland, on loan from West Ham United), Diane Caldwell (FC Zurich), Niamh Fahey (Liverpool), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Megan Campbell (London City Lionesses)
Midfielders: Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Carolina), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Lily Agg (Birmingham City), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Ruesha Littlejohn (London City Lionesses), Heather Payne (Everton), Marissa Sheva (Portland Thorns), Izzy Atkinson (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Leanne Kiernan (Liverpool), Julie-Ann Russell (Galway United)
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