Nations League B: Turkey v Republic of Ireland, Esenler Erokspor Stadium, Istanbul, Friday, 6pm (Irish time) – Live on RTÉ2
After the scare Turkey gave her side in Tallaght back in February, in what was her first game as Republic of Ireland manager, Carla Ward will be the last to take victory in Istanbul on Friday evening for granted. It comes close enough, though, to being a “must-win” game for Ireland if they are to keep alive their hopes of automatic promotion back to the Nations League’s top flight.
With two games to go, Slovenia head the group by three points from Ireland and with a goal difference that is superior by seven, thanks in no small part to their 4-0 win in Ward’s second game in charge.
That means that if next Tuesday’s meeting with the leaders in Páirc Uí Chaoimh is to be the group decider, Ireland must at least match Slovenia’s result in their penultimate game of the campaign at home tomorrow against Greece – who have yet to pick up a point. And even then, an Irish goal spree would be required in Cork.
The group runners-up face a decidedly trickier route to promotion, having to take on one of the third-placed teams in League A in a play-off over two legs. Austria, Iceland, Portugal and Denmark are currently in those slots, all of them ranked above Ireland.
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There’s no little incentive for Turkey, ranked 32 places below Ireland, going in to this tie either, second place not beyond their reach if they can take six points from their last two games, the final one against the Greeks.
They proved to be much doughtier opponents than anticipated when they came to Dublin in February, coming mightily close to taking a point from the game when Arzu Karabulut missed a golden chance in injury time. As it was, Kyra Carusa’s first-half header proved enough for the win.
Carusa and Megan Connolly are available again after recent injuries, but Heather Payne (Achilles) and Leanne Kiernan (quad) are absentees, as are longer term injury victims Jamie Finn, Lily Agg, Jess Ziu and Tara O’Hanlon.
Katie McCabe did, though, arrive in camp in one piece after having a whale of a time following Arsenal’s Champions League triumph. The captain trained on Thursday, and while Ward revealed that she had picked up a calf problem towards the end of the final against Barcelona, she said McCabe had insisted that she was available for selection. Whether she can play the full 90 minutes against Turkey and Slovenia remains to be seen.
Louise Quinn is back, injury having ruled her out since she won her 121st cap against France last July. Unless she is included in the squad for the summer friendlies against the United States, this could be her final camp with Ireland, the 34-year-old having announced that she is retiring from the game.
She could find it difficult to find a starting slot in Ward’s defence, Aoife Mannion and Anna Patten among five ever-presents – along with Courtney Brosnan, Denise O’Sullivan and Lucy Quinn – in the manager’s four-match reign, while Megan Campbell has featured prominently too and Jessie Stapleton made a big impression in last month’s double-header against Greece.
Ward’s attacking options now include Adelaide United’s Erin Healy, the 24-year-old San Diego native included in the squad for the first time. Last week Ward, acknowledging the trickiness of a commute from Australia for international duty with Ireland, spoke of an imminent move for Healy to a European club, saying that three WSL clubs were interested in signing her.
It was, then, a surprise, to say the least, when Healy renewed her contract with Adelaide on Tuesday. If she is to continue her international career, Ward will have to hope she is immune to jet-lag.
For now, though, the manager’s sole concern will be ensuring that Ireland still have a chance of topping the group when they take to the pitch in Cork on Tuesday.
Irish squad – Goalkeepers: Courtney Brosnan (Everton), Grace Moloney (Unattached), Sophie Whitehouse (Charlton). Defenders: Jessie Stapleton (West Ham), Aoife Mannion (Manchester United), Anna Patten (Aston Villa), Caitlin Hayes (Brighton), Louise Quinn (Unattached), Chloe Mustaki (Bristol City), Megan Campbell (Unattached), Katie McCabe (Arsenal).
Midfielders: Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Ruesha Littlejohn (Shamrock Rovers), Megan Connolly (Lazio), Tyler Toland (Blackburn Rovers), Marissa Sheva (Sunderland), Aoibheann Clancy (Shelbourne). Forwards: Kyra Carusa (San Diego Wave), Amber Barrett (Standard Liege), Abbie Larkin (Crystal Palace), Lucy Quinn (Birmingham City), Emily Murphy (Newcastle United), Saoirse Noonan (Celtic), Erin Healy (Adelaide United).
