DENISE O’SULLIVAN SIGNED off from club duty in style with a simply stunning goal as her focus now switches to the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Georgia.
The Cork midfield maestro missed the Girls In Green’s friendly win over the Philippines yesterday due to her North Carolina Courage side’s National Women’s Soccer League [NWSL] meeting with Houston Dash.
Courage fell to a 4-3 defeat on home soil, but O’Sullivan opened the scoring in sublime fashion and turned in a Player of the Match performance against her former club.
GOODNESS @OSullivanDenise 🚀#CourageUnitesUs | @theNCCourage pic.twitter.com/o1V3jJm1kE
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 19, 2022
The 28-year-old is due to report into Ireland camp today, with the international break officially underway and Vera Pauw’s side ramping up preparations in Antalya, Turkey.
They will remain there until Saturday, before flying to Tbilisi ahead of next Monday’s World Cup qualifying clash with Group A minnows Georgia.
We've had a lot of first regular-season goals lately and @OSullivanDenise's was WORLD CLASS! A perfect @budweiserusa Player of the Match.#NCvHOU pic.twitter.com/Ylmff2UAa0
— NC Courage (@TheNCCourage) June 20, 2022
Speaking after yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Philippines, in which debutant Lily Agg scored the decisive goal, Pauw explained:
“It’s fantastic that we played today. With the help of all the clubs involved, we could start a few days earlier and have a game before the Fifa window starts.
“Denise O’Sullivan will come in tomorrow after her game today. Here, it was of course about winning, but getting rhythm and getting our game plan right.”
