A WEEK IN sunny California sounds like just the thing to stave off the January blues.
Ireland women’s national team manager Sue Ronan has taken a 22-strong squad to the States to take part in this year’s winter camp, but there’s more than warm weather training planned for the girls.
Tonight (10.30pm Irish time), they meet world champions the US at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium before travelling to Los Angeles to play their U23s on Monday.
It may only be a friendly, but they don’t come any bigger than this — as Ireland discovered last May when they lost out 3-0 to Jill Ellis’ side in San Jose — and over 20,000 tickets have already been sold for this evening’s encounter.
Their squad only contains 16 of the 23 players that won the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada last summer (four have retired while a couple of others are injured), but they are formidable opponents and possess household names like Fifa Women’s World Player of the Year goalkeeper Carli Lloyd, goalkeeper Hope Solo and striker Alex Morgan — who will earn her 100th cap if she features.
For Ireland, the games will provide top class opposition to test themselves against ahead of crucial Euro 2017 qualifiers later this year — beginning with Montenegro away on 7 April.
Ronan has brought US-based trio Fiona O’Sullivan, Megan Connolly and Megan Campbell, who were all unavailable for the defeat to Spain back in November, while an injury to Chelsea’s Niamh Fahey means a first senior call-up for American-born defender Grace Wright.
Grace caught my eye when she played with the underage squads and particularly at the European U19 Championship in 2014,” said Ronan.
“I had pencilled her in for the World Students Games in Korea last summer, which are a great stepping stone between the U19s and senior squad, but she wasn’t able to come.
“She comes in after a good season at Texas A&M and I am looking forward to seeing her training and playing at this level.”
And it’s sure to be big moment in the 20-year-old’s career if she does feature in either match.
“I was extremely excited to learn of my call up with the full national team! I am blessed to have this opportunity and hope I can help contribute in any way,” said Wright.
“This game does seem special against the US. I have a lot of old team-mates living in California that may be able to come to the game also making the matches more special.
“I am actually playing against one of my team-mates from last year who will be playing with US U23s.”
Tonight’s game kicks off at 10.30pm Irish time and is live Setanta Ireland
Ireland squad for US tour:
Goalkeepers: Emma Byrne (Arsenal), Niamh Reid Burke (Shelbourne).
Defenders: Meabh De Burca (Galway), Megan Campbell (Unattached), Jessica Gleeson (Wexford Youths), Savannah McCarthy (Galway), Aine O’Gorman (UCD Waves), Sophie Perry (Brighton & Hove Albion), Louise Quinn (Eskilstuna United), Ciara Rossiter (Wexford Youths) Grace Wright (Texas A&M).
Midfielders: Diane Caldwell (FC Koln), Karen Duggan (UCD Waves), Siobhan Killeen (Shelbourne), Ruesha Littlejohn (Glasgow City), Katie McCabe (Arsenal), Denise O’Sullivan (Glasgow City), Julie Ann Russell (UCD Waves).
Forwards: Megan Connolly (Florida State University), Fiona O’Sullivan (Unattached), Stephanie Roche (Sunderland), Clare Shine (Glasgow City).
